Parcel 104 - Santa Clara

Happy two year wedding anniversary to me and Phil! This year, we were able to celebrate on the exact date, and I chose Parcel 104. It's 4 dollar signs on Yelp so I've been waiting for a big enough occasion to splurge. What better time than the celebration of 2 years of suppressing the urge to slap your spouse? I kidd I kidd...

Parcel 104 is the restaurant of the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel. Located near the convention center and embedded in a slew of Silicon Valley tech companies, Parcel 104 patrons are often here for business. We dined amongst men dressed in button up collared shirts and women in modest professional attire. The noise level was hushed and the service was extremely attentive and professional. They serve a seasonal menu of local ingredients. 

While waiting at the bar, I asked the bartender to make me any cocktail with my favorite liquer, St. Germain. Then he made this with St. Germain, cucumber, club soda, lemon, and gin. I just learned that gin is a summer drink which explains why it's being served everywhere right now and despite how much I don't like it, I've been drinking gin like nobody's business lately.

 

($13) Sage Fed Sonoma Rabbit - tender flaky rabbit cooked like a confit, compressed into a block, in lemongrass and sweet corn veloute sauce (butter, flour, stock), served with poached carrots and radishes and little neck clams. Rabbit, good. Little neck clams, great. Sauce, great. Poached veggies, good. Portion size, fine for an appetizer. It's semi-surf and turf because of the clams. Grade: A++

($30) All Natural Modesto Game Hen - served with pan fried summer vegetables with breaded and fried green tomatoes, topped with basil pistou sauce. This tasted like chicken. A small sorta-gamey-but-not-so-bad chicken. One may even call this chicken's skinny sister. This was a good dish. Not much to write home about though. The fried green tomatoes were most definitely better than the ones I had in Atlanta at this placed called Folks Southern Kitchen.

($29) Superior Farms Braised Veal Shank - with cranberry bean minestrone, lemon and parsley gremolata, natural jus. Ah so good. The veal falls off the bone. Minestrone is also really good. The dish is a little heavy though when compared to the other dishes we ate. But Phil polished this clean with no to go box. We're huge fans now.

We told the waitress it was our anniversary and she brought out complimentary champagne. Hooray!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

Parcel 104 was well worth the wait and the splurge. It's known to a certain community of business folks and goes relatively unheard of otherwise. Not many of us think to go out to Santa Clara somewhere between Great America and Yahoo to find good eats. Excellent service. Good food. Expensive prices but for this level, I have seen smaller portions so I think it is ok in its price category, plus it's in a hotel so expect the expensive. I could have had more of that rabbit though..drool...

Parcel 104 on Yelp

P.S. For you curious folks, I never blogged about our 1 year anniversary. Phil negotiated that if he bought us a new camera, then he is exempt from a fancy dinner. So I cooked pad thai and this sticky rice and mango dessert.