Scratch Moutain View

I hope you all had a great Christmas weekend! I started mine out with drinks and appetizers at a great restaurant in downtown Mountain View called Scratch. Based on the principals of high end Americana style cooking they have a full menu as well as raw bar and craft up some fantastic cocktails! My dining accomplice Tori suggested this place and she totally hit the mark. We had such a great time trying the food and lots of their cocktails!

 We started with some oysters from their raw bar, a half dozen Fanny Bays served with a slightly sweet house made cocktail sauce and a red wine vinegar mignonette. I enjoyed their house French 75 with these (Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, & Sparkling wine) the crisp sparkling notes were the perfect compliment to the fresh succulent oysters which had an almost buttery texture to them.

The bar takes up the whole entryway with seats in the round and small tables for two along the wall. We were lucky to grab one of the tables, you can also dine along their raw bar where you can enjoy watching the chef's shuck away!

This is actually this first time I have officially had Pork Belly! (I know what kind of foodie am I) I was so excited when I saw this dish described on their menu and it did not disappoint. Bourbon glazed Pork Belly with creamy Mascarpone Grits, braised Country Greens, and honey glazed Bosc Pears. The dark sauce on the plate was out of this world, a thick sweet smoky concoction that mirror the flavors of the succulent plate. The small size of this dish (it was listed as an appetizer or small plate) was perfect for us to share. I can't wait to try making the mascarpone grits at home they were such a nice compliment to the flavors in the dish and a welcome alternative to some kind of potato dish. The greens added some nice bite to contrast the inherent sweetness of the dish and the pears were another fantastic flavor/texture element. All around this dish was really well composed and delicious I think it truly showcased their "high end Americana" style.

With the pork belly and the pizza I enjoyed the Lavender Side Car an expertly blended mix of Brandy and Scratch's house made lavender simple syrup. If you have been a reader of this blog for awhile you probably remember how much I enjoyed making lavender simple syrup with the Little Sky Lavender Sugar . This cocktail totally embodied that flavor and was one of the highlights of an exceptionally standout meal. Smooth sweet and floral with a nice richness added by the brandy this is totally a cocktail lovers drink and I felt very fancy enjoying it!

Tori and I are both huge lovers of anything with butternut squash. Scratch's seasonal pizza for the fall is a Spice Roasted Butternut Squash, Hobbs Apple wood Smoked Bacon, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, and Arugula pizza a favorite blend of flavors so we had to have it. If you read my A16 post you know I'm a crust snob. Scratch did a great job. The outside had a nice crunch to it, the inside was chewy, it wasn't too thick nor too thin and has a good wood fired appearance. The toppings all complimented each other well although I could have used some more bacon (I think I only tasted one at most two pieces on each slice I had). I also noticed that there was something reminiscent of baby food in the flavor of the roasted squash, this doesn't necessarily mean it tasted bad just some what baby food like, I wish I could put a better finger on it I suppose it was maybe just a little too naturally sweet and not as balanced with savory in the spice blend.

Of course we had to finish with dessert (and a dessert cocktail!) I took a leap and tried the Hot Toddy, Warm Amaretto with cherry. Sweet and soothing I could easily spend a chilly evening by the fire sipping these lovely libations! When it came to choosing dessert we were at a lose, everything sounded so good! After a chat with our waitress we were persuaded to try the Butterscotch Pudding which is served with a big chocolate chip cookie on the side for dipping. What an experience. I have loved butterscotch pudding since I was a kind but my memories of the very sweet handisnack and     jell-o brand variations. This pudding was on a whole other level. Garnished with Chantilly cream and sea salt this butterscotch has a wonderful toasty browned butter flavor that gives it such richness and depth, the cookie was firm without being dry making it an excellent pudding receptacle although I enjoyed both elements more individually. I'm so glad our waitress recommend this dessert just a little off the beaten path because it was totally worth it!

This was really just a small sampling of all that Scratch has to offer, the next time I have a chance I'd love to experience the full dining room dinner. The prices definitely reflect the quality of the food as well as the high end atmosphere so be prepared to spend some money if you want to really enjoy the full experience (cocktails all range around $10 a piece, appetizers $9 - $14, entrees in the $18 - $29). Their food is exceptionally satisfying and totally worth the cost!