Ranked as the #1 Hotel Restaurant in California by Zagat Surveys March 2006, Sierra Mar is located on the property of the Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur California. Sierra Mar's daily changing menu fuses Asian, French and Mediterranean influences under the direction of Executive Chef Craig vonFoerster. Craig believes the difference between good and average food is sometimes a minute detail. He feels the motivation and care for really great food must come from within. The restaurant features an innovative, four course, prix fixe menu, which changes daily. By utilizing organic, seasonal fare the menu is ingredient driven and instinctive thus resulting in a spontaneous culinary experience. With close access to regional and Big Sur local farmers, meals showcase the terroir of the land with a respectful energy. The Sierra Mar Cookbook not only shares wisdom, but techniques and insightful musings that have inspired the a-la-minute award-winning Sierra Mar style Chef Craig and his staff have created during his eight-year residency as executive chef. The Sierra Mar experience includes not only award winning food but also a breathtaking view of the Pacific coastline as seen through the dining room's exquisite floor-to-ceiling windows. Sierra Mar has the fortunate distinction of being known for great cuisine and a world class wine cellar. Since its inception in 1992, the restaurant has received a vast amount of accolades, awards and recognition for the depth and uniqueness of the wine program, including the Grand Award from the Wine Spectator every year since opening. Chef Craig vonFoerster, is a published contributor in One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish: The Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood Cookbook and The Small Luxury Hotels of the World Cookbook. He was also included in the San Francisco Bay area's top restaurant guide, San Francisco Cuisine 2006. This is his first book. The Post Ranch Inn Awards include: 2006 Gold List, Conde Nast Traveler January 2006 2006 Conde Nast Johansens Most Excellent Inn In the USA #1 U.S. Resort Hotel #1 U.S. Resort Hideaway Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report September, 2005 "A colorful, visually stunning book." -- Mike Hale - The Monterey Herald "Now, anyone can get a taste of von Foerster's upscale cuisine." -- Mike Hale - The Monterey Herald Sierra Mar Consecutively ranked among the best restaurants in Northern California by Zagat surveys, Sierra Mar is located on the property of the Post Ranch Inn. Sierra Mar's daily-changing menu fuses Asian, French and Mediterranean influences under the direction of Chef Craig von Foerster. The menu at Sierra Mar is ingredient driven and begins instinctively and without restraint each day. With access to regional farmers markets and Big Sur local farmers, meals are created with ingredients of the season just hours after being harvested. The Sierra Mar experience includes not only amazing food, but also a breathtaking view of the Pacific coastline seen through the dining room's exquisite floor-to-ceiling windows. Home to one of the largest wine collections in the country and featuring more than 4,300 selections, the Sierra Mar wine cellar has been the recipient of the prestigious Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1993. Sierra Mar continues the tradition started at the original Rancho Sierra Mar by Mary Post Fleenor, the great- granddaughter of the original Post Ranch homesteaders, by offering a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all who visit. "You can learn so much about food just by listening to people from different cultural backgrounds talk about their food memories . . . what you hear is about the soul of their food, not its science." Chef Craig von Foerster focuses on seasonal and regional offerings with a passionate energy. His care when fusing California fare with French, Asian and Mediterranean influences comes from deep within, as cooking is his way of life. Diners from all over the world share a taste of his passion for food within each meal at Sierra Mar. Craig shares the wisdom and musings that have inspired the a-la-minute award-winning Sierra Mar style he and his staff have created during his eight- year residency as executive chef. "it's an awesome setting, but it's equaled by the exquisite, passionate cal-new french menu . . . after a meal here, you may melt away in utter bliss." -zagat "drop-dead ocean views, warm and attentive service, and a 4,000-bottle wine list enhance a menu that shows off the local produce as much as it does the talents of chef craig von foerster." -robb report "dining is a distinct pleasure: the award-winning sierra mar restaurant prepares superb cuisine, has a world-class wine cellar and boasts spectacular views." -conde nast johansens recommended hotels "we were bowled over by the grilled quail followed by chilled sweet pea soup with mint, monterey bay salmon with fennel-caviar creme fraiche and a blackberry tart with lavender ice cream." -wall street journal "harper's contributors rave about