Page 25 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2019

REVIEW: Walter Hansel
By Mathew Posert Wine & Bistro
With a grin like he’s got the best secret he’s never spoken before, I saw my
father smiling and waving outside of Walter Hansel Wine & Bistro as I pulled into the parking lot.
As we entered the restaurant, we were met with great service and recommendations for our meal ahead. We were then seated at the bar with
a direct view into the kitchen where we could see jumping flames at the grill and the most wonderful looking dishes coming out that created jealousy of the other guests the entire evening.
To start we were given local rolls and a terrine of creamy butter, topped with delicious Hawaiian red salt and an amuse bouche - a shot glass filled with a warm, creamy, butternut squash soup that evenly crossed the mouth with a layer of deliciousness.
For me Lobster Bisque was an obvious place to start and it arrived shortly, covered in a puff pastry blanket that I was informed was best cut around the edge then submerged
into the light pink soup. The bisque was creamy, simple and delicious with little bits of lobster that filled the soup with flavor to compliment the floating flaky bits of pastry.
Ordering the main course was a large discussion that ended with the Fresh Herb Coated California Rack
of lamb for my father and the Corvina Sea Bass for myself. As we waited, the proprietor, Mr. Hansel came to the table for a visit and a chat about the place and his father’s vision before he passed on - it would have been his 100th birthday that evening!
The Sea Bass arrived, perched on a bed of au gratin potatoes, bloomsdale spinach, with bits of fried onion on top of
the seared fish. The bass was soft, sweet
and perfectly seared with butter, while the
seemingly firm, creamy au gratin potatoes melted after biting into them. The sautéed spinach added to the flavor with garlic and saltiness. After a couple bites I looked up and saw the pile of glistening lamb chops surrounded by what seemed to be the most delicious condiments of mashed potatoes, baked vegetables and a pear chutney. Sliced off the bone the meat was juicy and tender with great seasoning and crust. Each of
the sides brought a whole new definition to the lamb that only faltered when I decided to try everything in one bite.
For dessert we got apple tarte Tatin in the spirit of pie day. The tarte came with a scoop of Tahitian vanilla gelato, pecans, and was drizzled with a rum caramel. The warm cinnamon apple tarte was amazing and was even better with a touch of exceptional vanilla gelato and the rich and slightly bitter
caramel. Even though it was the final course and so much had already been eaten the forks didn’t hit the plate until the pie was finished.
My Dad’s secret? Walter Hansel Bistro and Wine. This meal and the whole experience was spectacular and deserves an 9.5 out of 10.
Walter Hansel Bistro and Wine 3535 Guerneville Rd, Santa Rosa (707) 546-6462 walterhanselbistro.com
Now it’s our secret, too.
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