The Village Pub

There are dinners you attend, and then there are dinners you remember. Village Pub was decidedly the latter, and fittingly, it marked our first Michelin-starred outing as a club. From the moment we settled into the outdoor dining room, we were surrounded by heavy curtains, warm lighting, and chairs so comfortable it would’ve been easy to stay through dessert twice over. It’s the kind of room built for lingering, enjoying warm summer evening, and we obliged.

The kitchen wasted no time. Playful canapés opened the meal, and starters that set the tone for everything to come. In particular the raviolo was delicate, confident, and gone far too quickly. The Parker rolls were a must for a repeat order, and when we asked, they happily brought a second basket, invaluable for chasing every last bit of sauce. But the miso black cod was the dish of the night: soft, flakey, bathed in a smoked garlic cream sauce restrained enough to let the fish do the talking, with a side of bok choi that rounded out the dish. One of us had a trio of Monterey Bay abalone, caramelized black cod, and a farmstead cheese plate to rounded out their meal with quiet richness, while another enjoyed the heirloom cucumber macédoine and risotto verde kept things bright.

Service matched the cooking. Our waiter tracked a gluten sensitivity and a pescatarian diet across the table without missing a beat, the kind of attentiveness that lets everyone actually relax into the meal instead of triple-checking the menu. For the non-drinkers among us, the Kallys lemongrass non-alcoholic sparkling turned out to be a genuinely excellent pairing, not just a consolation option (they had a large format to share).

Dessert closed things out on a bright, light note. A relief after a meal this rich, and proof the kitchen knows exactly when to pull back. We left full, but not uncomfortably so.