A mousse to die for at Petaluma’s Crocodile

Crocodile’s Chocolate Terrine, basically a chocolate mousse, is surrounded by white chocolate sauce, fresh raspberries, and is topped with whipped crème fraiche.|

When a member of the Petaluma Foodies Facebook group recently asked for a local chocolate mousse recommendation, I was reminded of an incident a few months back when Moira Beveridge, co-owner of Crocodile Restaurant, knowing I have a sweet tooth, texted me a photo of one of their new desserts. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but felt it was my duty to see first hand what it was all about.

Even though we already had dinner plans for that evening, we dropped in to Crocodile afterwards to see what Moira was teasing us with. Turns out, it was Crocodile’s Chocolate Terrine, which is basically a chocolate mousse, only so much better. This particular terrine is surrounded by white chocolate sauce, fresh raspberries, and is topped with whipped crème fraiche.

Crocodile never overplays their dishes, and their Chocolate Terrine is no exception. Just as their simple-looking mac n’ cheese won last year’s Petaluma Mac n’ Cheese Challenge, this terrine too holds some incredible secrets. And it easily broke into my Top 10 list of favorite things I have ever eaten. Ever.

The chocolate comes by way of San Francisco’s TCHO chocolate company, which produces free-trade, single variety chocolates. Single variety chocolates tend to be more complex than their generic cousins. Additionally, because of their high quality, the sugar burn that often accompanies lower quality chocolates is conspicuously lacking from this dessert.

Although I have never met a food item that I found to be too rich, I do recognize the concept. But every time I thought this dish was going to flirt with what people call “too rich,” the flavors would blossom in another direction. And although normally not a fan of white chocolate, the sauce is the perfect balance to help round out the edges of the deep dark chocolate flavors.

We also never leave Crocodile without ordering their Cookie Plate, which is always filled with new and interesting sweet baked concoctions. Crocodile is located at the corner of C and 2nd Streets and is currently celebrating their one year anniversary.

Excellent port of call

As an avid, some might say rabid, fan of port wine, I am always excited to find one I have not tasted before. Because a very limited number of the genuine fortified Portuguese wines make it into the U.S. it is quite rare that I run into one that I haven’t either tasted here in the U.S. or while traveling abroad. Back in November, I reported finding a new port at Charley’s Wine Country Deli, which was the first in a while. Well, sure enough, I came across another while visiting Jason Jenkins down at Vine & Barrel.

The bottle of Late Bottle Vintage (“LBV”) 2012 from Porto Meneres was both excellent on its own, and accompanying all of the Volpi’s dishes we ordered at a recently family birthday dinner. Although most Americans believe port is just an after-dinner drink, they are wrong. Good LBV’s tend to be robust enough to enhance even the heartiest meals. In Portugal, it is not unusual to drink port with dinner, although some varieties lend themselves better for dessert as they lean more towards the sweet and dried fruit side than the grapey LBV’s.

The morning after, I did a bit of research and discovered that the Porto Meneres brand is produced by Fernando van Zeller, a well-respected name among port producers. Fernando represents the 14th generation of this port producing family, tracing his roots to the very birth of the port wine itself. Although I had never heard of Porto Meneres, I am quite familiar with the van Zeller’s, so was no longer surprised that this LBV was so good. I was toying with the idea of purchasing more, but once I learned this was from van Zeller port, I immediately returned to Vine & Barrel to secured a few more bottles to help enhance some future dinners.

If you are curious about genuine port wine, I highly recommend visiting Vine & Barrel to pick up a bottle of Porto Meneres so you can pair it with your next meal, whether that is steak, pasta or fish. My guess is that this very affordable bottle ($26) will go with just about anything. Vine & Barrel is located in the downtown block of Petaluma Boulevard, just north of Oh La Luxe and Sake 107.

Wind & Rye

I recently discovered the Wind & Rye kitchen in Penngrove, and am eying one of their delicious classes for an upcoming article. Chef/owner Laci Sandoval has a rich pedigree, earned through years of baking alongside some of the Bay Area’s most well-respected chefs and has brought her passion for food to our corner of the Bay Area.

She usually offers some kids classes, which right now include the “Kid’s Savory Cooking Workshop” and “Kid’s Cake Decorating Workshop,” which will highlight the custom cake making that is a big part of Wind & Rye’s business. The Steelhead are just about to begin their winter run, so what better time to hone your skills on fish prep with the “Fish Butchery and Cooking Techniques” class.

Just in time for Super Bowl, Wind & Rye offers, “Mastering Fried Chicken.” Looking for something to do for Valentine’s Day? Sign up for “Date Night! A Cooking Class for Two.” Personally, I have my eye on “Charcuterie and Sausage Making,” what with my penchant for salty tasty pig parts. Visiting chefs for the current calendar include Chef Daniel Kedan of Backyard Restaurant in Forestville. www.windandrye.com.

Le Bistro chili bar

I’ve received several emails asking for the name of the French place down the Boulevard, but alas, I have to keep informing readers that Le Bistro has closed. Thankfully, if you are looking for great French food, Crocodile is not only excellent, but is very approachable and has one of the better wine and beer lists in Petaluma.

I have known the new owners of the Le Bistro location for a few years now, and have run into them several times over the past few weeks, while they have been walking around downtown patronizing other local business owners. Although now locals, they grew up in Southern California and want to bring Petaluma that classic Original Tommy’s vibe and menu, which has always included great burgers, hotdogs, and yes, chili.

The new owners said they should be ready to open in early spring. For now, we have been calling it a chili bar, because of fond memories of Millie’s Chili Bar down the road, but the new name is still in the works. In a wise move, the owners will re-sign and re-paint, just before re-opening, so they can make a proper introduction to Petaluma’s food scene.

Chicken Pharm update

After getting plenty of feedback, Chicken Pharm has added sides to their sandwiches, and I would be remiss if I did not mention their potato chips. I don’t know what kind of magic spell they have put on their fryer, but their chips are some of the best I’ve ever had.

One of my new favorite quick pick-up lunches or dinners is their Kimchicken sandwich with chips. Chicken Pharm has also announced a new happy hour. From 3-5 p.m. every day, their bar offers half-off pricing on beers, wines and signature cocktails.

(Contact Houston Porter at houston@avant-larde.com.)

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