For his little French caf he likes to create a typical European cheese plate, which includes three varieties. They range in flavor from mild to strong. He dresses them up with herbs and some with a little puff pastry. To the plate he adds fresh fruit and you have more than a course, but a meal. At the new Mediterranean Lapis Restaurant at San Francisco s Pier 33 the cheese plates are quite different, but no less tantalizing, thanks to Chef Thomas Ricci.
Cheese is such a huge staple in the Mediterranean diet from morning to nighttime.
We have so many wonderful producers in California. One of Ricci s favorites is the Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes, Marin County. It takes over your whole mouth, Ricci said as he raised cheese-tasting to an art form. For something different Ricci likes pairing cheeses with seven different varieties of Mediterranean olives.