For our last meal before departing for San Francisco, I felt it necessary to visit Sonoma Valley's best restaurant, Cyrus. Under the helm of chef Douglas Keane and partner Nick Peyton, formerly at Gary Danko, Cyrus has become the preeminent California restaurant outside of the Napa Valley. Lauded by critics and locals alike, this two-starred Michelin restaurant sits adjacent to the luxurious Les Mars Hotel and contains all the trappings of any elite dining establishment. Yet, in spite of all the pomp and circumstance, Cyrus remains relatively overshadowed by the behemoth known as The French Laundry. Often relegated to contingency plans for those unable to secure a reservation at Keller's restaurant, Chef Keane has taken this distinction in stride, focusing his efforts on perfecting his food rather than dwelling on this unfair comparison. While parallels certainly exist between the two restaurants, after enjoying a fabulous dinner at both restaurants I could not help but walk away feeling that Cyrus is every bit as good as that place in Napa where the French did their Laundry.
