THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Manresa Awards

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Manresa Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant and décor: Nestled at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the quaint town of Los Gatos, Manresa showcases chef David Kinch's hyper-meditated, progressive cuisine du terroir. The interior's welcoming contemporary feel is imbued with the warmth and bones of its original, 1940's ranch-style building, including the open-beam ceiling, mosaic-tiled fireplace and gently curved walls. The front-of-the-house experience is overseen by general manager Jenny Yun.

About the food: Each evening, a tasting menu ($295) is available, with the option of beverage pairings that may include wine, saké or beer ($235). A non-alcoholic pairing is also a possibility ($65). Kinch composes the meal from seasonal ingredients, perhaps utilizing scallops, Monterey Bay abalone, or hay-smoked and lightly torched bonito, and maybe caviar, dandelion pesto or matsutake mushrooms. Local farms supply most of the restaurant’s produce, conceptually represented in Kinch's evolved, star dish, "Into the Vegetable Garden" --- it's like getting the chef's credo on a plate. Expect a holistic composition of the garden’s offerings that day, such as flowers, roots, stems, shoots, seeds, herbs and more substantial produce; the components might be raw or cooked and have varying degrees of temperature. The parade of sweet endings could include fig leaf panna cotta or chocolate coffee rum layer cake with orange cream.

About the drinks: The wine list evokes a lovely sense of place with the inclusion of local makers, as well as selections sourced worldwide by master sommelier Jim Rollston. The lounge is the spot for an extravagant, pre-dinner drink before your party is seated, with bar manager Jason Strich directing the cocktail program.