Zuberoa

I had the best meal of my life here... just thinking about it now makes me salivate. Getting here is quite a trek - we had to take a longish cab ride (20 minutes) into the secluded moutains from our hotel in San Sebastian. There were moments I thought we were headed to a farm, and not a Michelin-starred restaurant (I think they had 2 or 3stars at the time). Once we did find it, it was like entering into a woodsy haven - the entire place looked like a cozy hunting lodge (minus creepy animal heads) and the amazing service began the second we disembarked from the taxi. We were warmly welcomed and escorted into an inner dining room - only a few other diners were there and several servers were strategically placed about the room - ever watchful of your needs...it was sort of like Godsford Park where the servants were sort of invisible until they were needed - kind of elitist, but the service was wonderful without being stiff and ovelry formal. Anyways, my friend started with some champagne and I ordered a vodka martini (straight up with a twist). Our server (a wonderful matronly woman who spoke a tiny bit of english) rolled over an entire bar cart and made my drink with such care and precisness - it was the most special vodka martini I've ever had - perfectly chilled and made just for me. She then recommended a few items on the menu - and the joy and passion she had in describing the dishes convinced me that she truly loved food, and restaurant, witha ll sincerity (and thus, I follwed her recommendations). My friend and I both started with Creamed foie gras with Truffle oil - like heaven in your mouth. The flavors were amazing and rich without being too overwhelming. My second course was risotto with foie gras (i looove my foie gras - will be so sad when it's banned...) - again, perfectly seasoned, cooked risotto and the right amount of seared foie gras. My entree was braised pork shoulder over mashed potatoes and chutney - the meat was so tender and literally fell into buttery mouthfuls that dissolved in your mouth ... mmmm... the potatoes were delicious and cooked with care and love ... (at this point i was so full i wanted to burst, but i forced myself to eat every bite; if only i could have 2 stomachs!) ... based on the server's recommendation i ordered cheesecake (even though i'm not that big of a fan typically), but her face literally beamed with joy when describing this dessert so i got it - and boy, am i glad i did! it was the best cheesecake I've ever had - more of an asian style cheesecake that's more cake-y, but still light and fluffy with cream... the texture was amazing, but the taste divine! I also ate every bite of this... We had good wine with the meal, but I honestly can't recall anything about that as I was completely distracted by the food. The euro exchange is still crazy so I think it was super expensive when I went, but worth every penny! If you get a chance to visit San Sebastian don't miss this place!