By the time we had finished our tour of the CIA at Greystone, we were all pretty hungry. Especially me because, having just arrived from New York that day, I was still moving as if it were still Eastern Standard Time-three hours later.

I had heard wonderful things about the Wine Spectator at Greystone including the fact that Executive Chef Almir Da Fonseca had been a culinary instructor at this CIA for five years making it a great place to dine as well as to learn.

New menu items included a brand new raw bar featuring fresh oysters, crab and other shellfish. I was also told that 80% of the produce prepared was being harvested from the school’s organic garden.

The menu featured butternut squash soup with pomegranate seeds and pomegranate-balsamic molasses; seared breast of  Sonoma duck with confit potatoes; and pan seared Pacific cod with pumpkin seed relish and ribbons of garden vegetables.

Despite the fact that I had traveled thousands of miles and must have been up for over 20 hours, I truly enjoyed the food, the service and the ambiance.

Great time.