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We went to this amazing restaurant which features California-French cuisine and boasts a passel of top-notch reviews and top-flight awards. But, for me, it offers another culinary experience: serving up both extraordinary food and -- if you want it -- an education about any item on the menu.

The wait staff at this particular establishment is exceptionally knowledgeable. So, although I know food, I'm always on the hunt to learn more. And, even when I think I know a kind of food or preparation method, I love hearing how someone else may explain it. I feel like the more you know about all kinds of foods leads to more imaginative and inventive preparation for everyday cooking... and a deeper appreciation of the depth and variety in local grocery stores and markets.

On this particular night (and with its ever-changing menu -- which is different each evening), I was treated to the tastes, descriptions, and definitions of such fare as:
fiddlehead ferns -- literally a tightly-coiled fern frond, with a taste that's a cross between okra and bean sprouts, and -- while sporting a very different taste -- was beautiful on a plate with...
Fijian escolar -- also known as a type of butterfish, we all thought this tasted like a tender swordfish
miso piquillo puree -- the flavors of a Spanish sweet pepper combined with Japanese miso paste for a saucy chicken accompaniment
gremolata -- a sort of Italian salsa, this one made with bitter oranges, and served in a pea tortellini dish
coconut curry gastrique -- a thick reduction sauce consisting of its two namesake flavors
Txakoli na gelee -- Txakoli na is the name of a Basque region wine, and these were actually -- by way of a simple explanation -- gelatin cubes of white wine

How's that for class over a gourmet spread?