I’ve heard a lot about Benchmark Pizzeria since it opened in 2012, but had never been, so when I was invited to their Capay Valley Harvest Dinner, I jumped at the opportunity. It turned out to be such a comfortable restaurant that serves delicious food made from scratch, the experience made me wish I lived in the neighborhood.
photo: Christina Mitchell
Capay Valley is an area between Napa and Sacramento, with 40 small family farms, including Full Belly and Riverdog. If you’ve been to a farmer’s market in the Bay Area, you’ve probably seen their fruits and vegetables. All of the produce from this dinner came from these two farms and the Olio Nuovo and Honey were from Séka Hills.
Olio Nuovo is new olive oil, and it happened to be pressed about two weeks ago. That’s pretty much as new as it gets, right? The flavor was fruity and grassy, with a hint of pepper.
All of the dishes were created to show off the bounty and all of the people at the dinner were interesting and friendly.
photo: Christina Mitchell
What a way to start a meal. This Ceci & Winter Green Soup (Garbanzo Beans, Dino Kale, Bread, Parmesan & Olio Nuovo, $7) was simple, rustic and perfectly executed…and olive oil was the star.
photo: Christina Mitchell
Crispy, crunchy, and chewy, the fresher than fresh Farm Stand Salad (Arugula, Walnuts, Fuji Apples, Smoked Pancetta, $10) was a beautiful mixture textures.
photo: Christina Mitchell
I was really excited to try the pizza, which is “made from a wild-yeast starter we cultivated ourselves. We never use packaged yeast. Produced daily, the dough undergoes a two-day cold fermentation process before it is ready to eat. By the time it hits your table, it is alive with healthy cultures.” Whoa!
photo: Christina Mitchell
This was a knife-and-fork-pizza, with a pillowy crust that was kissed by the fire in the wood oven. Even though I prefer a little more crunch, I still appreciated this “Neo-Neapolitan” version. And the toppings were fabulous: the tart-sweet Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza (Honey Vinaigrette, Fresh Mozzarella, Parmesan, $15) and the brown buttery Fried Sage & Winter Squash Pizza (Fresh Mozzarella, Parmesan, Garlic, Lemon $14).
All of the pasta is also made in house and the flavors were expertly developed in the Fusilli with Leek Cream (Housemade pasta, Pancetta, Parmesan ($15).
photo: Christina Mitchell
I know this Braised Marin Sun Farms Beef with soft polenta and honey-chile sauce ($18) was inspired by Italy, but the flavors reminded me of Mexico. The meat was a little tough, but that sauce was amazing!
photo: Christina Mitchell
I was so full at this point, but that didn’t stop me from trying some of this New Olive Oil Cake with Honey & Citrus. The flavors were so vibrant, they woke up my palate and it was a great way to end an epic feast with new friends.
1568 Oak View Ave, Kensington
510-647-9724
Christina Mitchell
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