53 DINE Citronelle features a 35–seat lounge area, a 17–seat bar, a 12–seat Chef’s table, and a 54–seat dining room.
Part of the fun for him at Citronelle is what he calls “chasing the seasons” in the lush Northern California countryside. “In the spring, you get to think about new ways to incorporate morels, asparagus, fresh peas, and peaches, into the menu. Then comes summer and you turn your attention to tomatoes and melons. In the fall,
you focus on things like apples and mushrooms. It’s just a never-ending range of variety of choices.” Keene also tries to keep abreast of trends in his profession, particularly when it comes to different cooking techniques. “We are evolving into a whole new way of
cooking right now,” he says with enthusiasm. “We’re looking at using liquid nitrogen in some fascinating ways. There’s an intriguing trend toward sous-vide cooking. That’s a style that uses cooking in a bag in which a vacuum is created.” He enjoys experimenting with cooking approaches that are variations CONTINUED ON PG 89