A decade after closing his original fine dining restaurant, chef Douglas Keane reemerged with a new vision in 2022.

I treated Tommaso to a belated birthday dinner at Cyrus, now holding one Michelin star, tucked away in the sleepy town of Geyserville. And when I say sleepy, I mean the “downtown” is barely a few blocks long. Quiet, charming, and surrounded by wine country calm.

While I never had the chance to dine at chef Keane’s original Cyrus before it closed in 2012, I was admittedly surprised that after ten years away he felt the pull to return to fine dining. But the moment you arrive you can sense this isn’t a nostalgic recreation, it’s a reinvention. The facade is sleek and modern, almost cinematic in its minimalism, and very reminiscent of the movie “The Menu”.

Cyrus offers a modern California tasting menu and we weren’t given the menu upfront. In fact, we wouldn’t see it until the end of the night. I came in with very few expectations, not knowing much about the restaurant compared to other Michelin starred spots we’ve visited which honestly made the evening feel more exciting. Upon arrival, we were escorted into the lounge where I opted for a refreshing mocktail.

Once settling in, we started off with one welcome dish in the lounge.

A refined take on the classic French mussel soup built on a concentrated mussel reduction with white wine, saffron, leeks, and aromatics. It was briny, silky, and deeply comforting.

From there, we were brought into the kitchen to sit at a communal table overlooking the open line. We were the first seated which meant we had an unobstructed view.

The cooks hard at work.

This was a fun and exciting way to showcase the five flavors where each canapé was crafted to highlight a different sensory experience.

• • Sweet: Feuille de Brick with Parsnip and Bacon
  • Sour: Prickly Pear Halo
  • Salty: Capricorn Goat Cheese with Port Poached Pear Éclair
  • Bitter: Turnip Tartelette with Coffee Miso Butter
  • Umami: Green Tea Bao with Furikake Egg Yolk

I thoroughly enjoyed each canapé but my favorites were the crispy cylindrical feuille de brick stuffed with sweet parsnip cream and maple candied bacon and the goat cheese and Port wine poached pear éclair.

One of the standouts of the savory courses. Underneath the lush miso cream were little pieces of cornbread soaking up all that umami richness. The cauliflower added texture and the caviar brought briny luxury. Texturally and flavor wise, it really worked.

The silky chawanmushi was topped with blue crab scented in yuzu and topped with an uni foam. While my chawanmushi had no issues, Tommaso’s had a small piece of crab cartilage (not the shell) in his. The cartilage is harder to pick out of the crabmeat and can be overlooked but at a fine dining establishment, these little details matter.

This was a one biter, maybe two, and really embodied winter produce with the crisp chicory boat filled with fresh blood orange and a sunchoke praline. Slightly bitter, slightly sweet, crunchy, and juicy. Unexpected but lovely.

Once finishing these bites at the kitchen table, we got to walk through the kitchen and try a few more things.

Who doesn’t love some A5 wagyu?! So unctuous, rich, and buttery and the yuzu kosho cut through the fattiness.

This was pork collar that was grilled over binchotan where I would have liked even more grill flavor and char.

Of course I had to get some pictures of the kitchen before heading into the dining room.

The main dining room echoed the same minimal contemporary aesthetic with clean lines, expansive glass windows, and understated decor.

One of our favorite parts of any tasting menu is obviously the bread course! They were nice enough to bring us two rounds.

Their epi bread was made out of sobacha, Japanese buckwheat, which gave an earthy and nutty flavor though the texture was slightly firmer than I prefer. Paired with the tangy cultured butter, it was still deeply satisfying.

The king salmon was perfectly grilled over hot coals with crispy skin and tender meat. The jalapeño beurre blanc added gentle heat while carrot oil and winter vegetables brought color and balance. Simple and well executed.

This was our least favorite dish of the night. The chicken breast itself was juicy and well cooked but the skin was overly salted. The truffle kimchi jus was flavorful and the potato “boat” with kimchi and black garlic mousse was interesting but the components felt slightly disconnected. It just didn’t fully come together for us.

This venison was beautifully cooked, perfectly medium rare, tender and clean without any gaminess. The huckleberry sauce added brightness. I passed the acorn and chanterelle crêpe cake to Tommaso who happily finished it.

This was one of my favorite desserts in recent memory. It was a perfect bridge from the savory dishes where the fragrant buddha’s hand and shiso sorbet was the star of the show accompanied by a bergamot cream and fresh Cara Cara oranges and Kishu mandarins. Balanced acidity, delicate sweetness, and incredible aromatics. A true winter dessert.

This was one of the more unique desserts I’ve had where the cultured butter ice cream was encased in a chocolate shell that was made from white chocolate and potato skins. It was served with a brûléed sweet potato, potato crémeux, and hoshigaki. It felt like a quiet homage to Japanese subtle flavors with the Japanese sweet potato and hoshigaki.

This was such a cool and playful surprise that they brought out: an edible candle made with yuzu and white chocolate. Even the wick was edible!

Since we started off the tasting menu with the five flavors, it was only fitting to end the menu with the five flavors.

Stunning presentation!

• • Sweet: Carrot Cake with Carrot Glaze, Cream Cheese Icing, and Tonka Bean
  • Sour: Yuzu Curd Tartelette with Basil Seeds and Lemon Verbena Meringue
  • Salty: Black Sesame Bon Bon with Toasted Rice Ganache
  • Bitter: Earl Grey Canelé
  • Umami: Dark Chocolate Seaweed Choquette with Sweet Soy

The pastry team absolutely deserves their flowers. The desserts from the sorbet to the final bites were the true highlight of the evening.

Just when we thought the night was over, they escorted us to one last surprise of the night…their chocolate wishing well. Here we were given a chocolate coin to throw into the wishing well which was something I’ve never seen before but added to the overall whimsical experience.

Our take home gift was chocolate bars of sobacha and golden sesame with koji caramel. Of course Tommaso ate his that night.

Cyrus is undoubtedly a special occasion restaurant especially at their price point for a one Michelin starred establishment. While the entire experience was delightful, some of the savory dishes needed some tweaking and with those changes, I don’t doubt that they can’t earn a second star. We both felt like the overall food wasn’t as razor sharp or technical and innovative compared to our incredible dinner last year at Enclos. Still, service was warm and attentive, the pacing felt intentional, and the experience was immersive without feeling stuffy. Therefore, my rating is a 7.5-8/10 for a memorable birthday celebration and a reminder that even in a sleepy little town, fine dining can still surprise you.