Meadowood’s 12 Days of Christmas, Day 10: Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns of Bar Tartine

The Restaurant at Meadowood’s annual 12 Days of Christmas guest chef series is winding down. Here at Inside Scoop, we’re reviving our own tradition of individually tracking each night’s charity dinner — and the exploration of cuisine from the chefs from around the world, through their words and their food. You can check out past years here: 2012, 2011 and 2010. And catch up on this year’s prior dinners here.

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The homestretch of the 2013 edition of the 12 Days of Christmas is a distinctly local affair. The tenth dinner took place last night, and featured the Bar Tartine duo of Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns. Like fellow San Francisco chef Matthew Accarrino, the Meadowood dinner was an opportunity for them to rethink some of their dishes in a new context.

“We’re not really trying to do anything outside of what we do,” says Balla. “We’re doing portions that aren’t the same size [as at Bar Tartine] so we’re making sure to concentrate the flavor, since people won’t be taking as many bites … We’re bringing signature things from the restaurant – not dishes, but flavors.”

Regulars at Bar Tartine will recognize familiar components, re-imagined in a four-star context. There are the smoked potatoes of Bar Tartine, instead made into a puree atop charred Chinese greens. There is farmers’ cheese, done in two days. There is the intense beef from Mindful Meats, presented as a canape with bottarga, and as an air-dried accompaniment to the charred greens dish. And of course, Chad Robertson made some special koji bread for the occasion.

Here is the full menu, with wines from El Molino Winery:

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Day Ten of the Twelve Days of Christmas
December 19, 2013

Catfish, cabbage roll, chilled broth
Balla & Burns

Lobster, flax, cauliflower cooked in buttermilk
The Restaurant

Turo cheese porridge, bread, paprika, mushroom broth, curds
Balla & Burns

 Guinea Hen baked in sour bread, fat dumplings, dried vegetables, caraway
The Restaurant

Charred greens with air dried beef, smoked potato, marrow
Balla & Burns

Pork belly, apple leaf
The Restaurant

Epoisses apriums rye
The Restaurant

Steamed parsnip cake, cider molasses, kefir, bee pollen
Balla & Burns

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El Molino Winery

Chardonnay
Rutherford 2011

Chardonnay
Rutherford 2006

Pinot Noir
Napa Valley 2000

Pinot Noir
Rutherford 2006

Pinot Noir
Rutherford 2010

Previously
· Day One: Andy Ricker, Pok Pok (Portland)
· Day Two: Rodolfo Guzman, Boragó (Santiago)
· Day Three: Carlo Mirarchi, Roberta’s (Brooklyn)
· Day Four: Tim Cushman, O Ya (Boston)
· Day Five: Ashley Christensen, Poole’s (Raleigh)
· Day Six: David Chang, Momofuku (New York)
· Day Seven: Matthew Accarrino, SPQR (San Francisco)
· Day Eight: Mark Ladner and Brooks Headley, Del Posto (New York)
· Day Nine: Rasmus Kofoed, Geranium (Copenhagen)