Elite Event -- Chef Dinner Party Series

Color me penny-​wise and pound-​foolish (or maybe vice-​versa), but I like the idea of paying for a Unilocal Elite event if it means a greater variety of social dining experiences that I wouldn’t have otherwise tried on my own. Thirty bucks struck me as a generous deal for a five-​course tasting menu for two by a proven chef like Manny Torres Gimenez. I really don’t get the entitlement part of the Elite status and how people complain about waiting in lines and not getting enough free food. And I really don’t get when people RSVP for an event and don’t show up.
That’s what I assumed happened yesterday when there were a number of empty seats at Roxy’s Café. (Audible sigh) Kids today… and get off my lawn while you’re at it! Jamie W. couldn’t make it due to his civic duties, so I invited my friend Stephanie to come with me. We were greeted by the tireless Jon A. and the effervescent Jessica T., always such welcome faces at these soirees. Steph and I made a beeline to the little bar counter in the back to allow the comely server to show us how to make our own Bombay Sapphire Gin & Tonics replete with lemongrass, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and a squeeze of lime (photo:
). A nice refresher to wet our whistles.
I’m familiar with chef Gimenez from his superb, bargain-​priced gourmet dinners a few doors down at Mr. Pollo (review:
). He and his wife and business partner Katerina (who helped serve the meal) appear to be thriving since they’ve turned Roxy’s Café into a fine restaurant (photo:
) and are doing the same with the Palace Steakhouse down a couple of blocks on Mission. We were indeed provided a tasting menu of set dishes, so portions were understandably small but quite flavorful with Latin-​Asian-​fusion flair. The first course was the Lobster Coconut Milk Soup with Fresh Tumeric and Lemongrass (photo:
). Quite lovely and not too creamy with the lobster more implied than really present in the bowl.
The second course was my favorite, the Shrimp & Pea Shoot Temaki with Meyer Lemon Miso Sauce (photo:
). That had a fresh taste with the Meyer lemon bringing a welcome puckery zing, an it was gone in a matter of four bites. Two pasta dishes came next. The first was the Pasta Chitarra with Housemade Chorizo Sausage and Thai Shiso Oregano Pesto (photo:
). It was nice and light, but it could have benefited from a more savory versus sweet sausage. The second was the Housemade Fettuccine with Rotisserie Chicken and Edible Flowers (photo:
). It was a novel use of a very familiar style of poultry although I found this pasta dish a bit on the generic side for a chef of Gimenez’s caliber.
Last was the Sweet White Corn Arepa with Mora Sorbet and Fresh Raspberries (photo:
). It was a refreshing dessert, but the sorbet was too melty and the arepa a bit too chewy. Small gripes and I feel small-​minded for sharing them, and I have to say I would be more than happy to return to try the full chef’s menu at Roxy’s or the new menu at the Palace Steakhouse (review of its former identity:
). I’m so glad I submitted my RSVP for this event because I’d much rather pay for a tasting of chef Manny’s housemade pasta than a lukewarm tartlet at one of the much bigger free events. But who am I kidding? I’d eat that, too. From my perspective, the evening was a foodie’s delight, and kudos yet again to Jon, Jessica and the rest of the Unilocal crew for making it seem so effortless.

I think I am in love with this chef… in a strictly food sense. I am so glad I attended this event. At first I wasn’t too sure since my bank account is running low but really it was an event I couldn’t pass up. It was well worth the $ 30.
I brought my roommate along and she loved the restaurant so much that she called her mom immediately after to recommend it to her.
I must say that everything was delicious! And let me just add that some of the ingredients were things my roommate and I would normally not eat. For example she doesn’t love coconut but we both thought that the lobster bisque was phenomenal. I personally prefer a thin noodle when consuming pasta but damn was the hand-​made fettuccine superb!
Also the costumer service was great. Manny, his wife, and the sous-​chefs were all so kind. They gave us extra food and made sure to chat with us about our experience.
Definitely need to try their new restaurant The Palace and I definitely will be going by Roxy’s Café again.