By dot@mintsPublished: June 5th, 2009Posted in: Featured, Featured Vendors, Foodelicious, I stumble upon..., Wedding Planning, dot's wedding journal, random dots 
Wil and I had our tasting at Citronelle at the Carmel Valley Ranch yesterday and it was an amazing experience. Last time we had a mini-lunch in the relaxing lounge area by the fireplace and we really liked the salad and the petite baquette, and this time we had a 4+ course meal and OMG! the food was soooo delicious! Now I am very very much looking forward to our big day coz we have so many foodies coming and they won’t be disappointed for sure!
From room design to tasting, food presentation to service, everything was beyond 5 stars! First of all, the room is contemporary and spacious with a nice view of the nature. Our waiters were very friendly, attentive and knowledgeable, gave us detailed descriptions on every dish, which is a great assurance as I want my guests to have the best dining experience! Last but not least, the food was excellent and was a work of art! Every single one was executed so well that we just started stuffing things into our mouths and totally forgot to take pictures! hahaha… and we were not even hungry! We actually did our cake tasting at Layers right before the dinner and hahaha I hope they didn’t think we were such a pig! =P At first, we didn’t plan to add dessert to our menu as we already have a wedding cake plus a dessert table, which will be designed by L’ Atelier Vi. We even planned to take the desserts to go since we were really full after the 3rd course!! but we got busted by Chef Anthony Keene, who came out to say Hi and insisted we should try the “Kit Kat” chocolate bar and the Napoleon cream brulee. And I bet it was his trick to get us hooked coz after the first bite, we were determine to add these to our menu as well. Citronelle is really the best of the best!
BTW, do you know that President Obama recently took his wife for a special dinner at Citronelle in Washington DC?
~Hors d’oeuvres~
Wild Mushroom Bouchee
Shrimp Cocktail
Charred Yellowfin Tuna, Jasmine Rice Cake, Mango
Crab Cigar
Charred Beef Tri-Tip Miniature Sandwich
~Starters~
Tuna
olives, chorizo, crispy potato
Sea Scallop
duck foie gras, carrot ginger sauce
~Entrees~
Pacific Salmon
dungeness crab risotto vanilla bean
Sea Bass
paella style
Roasted Filet Mignon “Au Poivre”
potato gratin, shallot confit, peppercorn sauce
~ Dessert ~
By dot@mintsPublished: April 2nd, 2009Posted in: Featured Vendors, Wedding Planning, dot's wedding journal Wouldn’t it be nice to have your wedding at St. Regis in Bali? I always wanted a destination wedding but traveling far wouldn’t be feasible for most of our families and friends with kids. My friends and I traveled to Los Angeles last year with 4 babies and we were lucky enough to witness the record high heat wave and the most thorough LAX security check. so in a way I know it is a definite no-no. But can’t fly to Mexico or Thailand doesn’t mean we have to give up this idea altogether! We have many options for sorta weekend getaway destination weddings in Northern California. Napa Valley, Santa Cruz, Halfmoon Bay, just to name a few locations.
As I am seriously in love with Monterey/ Carmel (probably because of the Marine Biology class I took at Cal, which got me very interested in whales and dolphins or watching Olivia with a cup of hot coco at the forest theater in Carmel many years ago was the most romantic moment), it is really a no-brainer choice for us. First, it is only less than 2 hours drive. Yep, no flying required. It is tucked away from the city and it offers the stunning ocean view as well as serene mountain view. For our friends and families, it has tons of attractions, activities and things to do in Monterey Peninsula. I am not sure if I can wake up 7am to get ready for the whale watch the day after our wedding but I am sure Salad will love to visit the Aquarium one more time!
In less than 2 weeks of searching and calling, we nailed down the location – Carmel Valley Ranch. It nestled in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains and its club house has floor-to-ceiling windows which our guests may enjoy the picturesque views and the culinary by Michelin-rated Chef Michel Richard (Citronelle). We had lunch here and it’s delicious. I especially like the white leather chair and the fireplaces in the club house making the room look rustic, cozy yet modern. I can’t even tell you how much we love this place once we walked into the room! We both knew it right then this is it. Janice Twomey, the catering manager, and her assistant Kevin Doscher are also very helpful during our visit. Not only she patiently answers all our questions and sent us the estimate and pictures right after we met, she even helped us call a few photographers and vendors. It’s really thoughtful of her. I really highly recommend this place.
So here it is – my wedding location.
All photos are from Carmel Valley Ranch.
