Before our talented Chef de Cuisine, Matthew McGee, left for an
amazing opportunity at Range in DC, I knew I had to get into our restaurant
myself and try the savory dishes that float by my line every night in our
skilled server’s hands. Luckily my birthday was around the corner and what
better way to celebrate than with good food, my new bestie Candacy, and the
awesome people I work with! I haven't had a tasting menu in a while. Both
Candacy and I wanted to try some new things so we decided to go blind; we told
chef "Just send out what you like! Have fun." What followed was a
food concerto.
First we had a sea trio on a bed of grass,
edible flowers, and chocolate-Kona coffee soil.
Osetra Caviar Tacos were really
tasty.
I've had caviar before that was too fishy
or salty for me but this caviar went impeccably well with the crème fraiche in
a crispy two-bite taco.
Beau Soleil Oysters
Again, I typically avoid oysters because
of the strong ocean flavor but the champagne ice and chive complemented this
sea delicacy and made me wish there was more than one!
Tuna Tartare
YUMMMMM I never turn away this raw fish,
tuna tartare is my favorite and this sample served with sorrel on a crispy
fried tendon was no exception.
Our second course was a duo salad of chef’s
famous beets and heirloom tomatoes.
....unfortunately I was so excited to dive
in you can only see a picture of the aftermath....
The beets are deliciously layered and
paired with sweet and tangy passionfruit, grapefruit segments, fried local Loxahatchee goat cheese,
and Kona mustard cress. There was also a light foam and some pungent micro
greens that brought my taste buds right to the farm.
The heirloom tomatoes went well with the Provençale
crispy granola and the orange blossom honey added just the right amount of
sweetness to combat the Asher blue cheese. I haven't really had blue cheese
since cheese tasting day in my neoclassical desserts class (let's just say I
wasn't a fan). The Asher was strong but it was very cold and used sparingly so
the other components of this salad really helped this cheese to shine for
me.
Our next course was absolutely sinful, and
now I know why chef says this is Joe's favorite dish to put out.
Caramel Poached Maine Lobster
(Talk about sweet genius, this is my new
favorite sweet and savory)
The tender, sweet lobster gets better
since it is served upon a pool of popcorn puree and a bed of spaghetti squash
with Tennessee Truffle.
For the next course, Chef McGee went off
menu with Pork Belly and Octopus
...Oh and this dish had some sultry
avocado hiding under a bed of micro greens, now that's my kind of surprise! The
sour lemon puree and sweet n' saucy pork belly complemented each other; also,
the octopus added a unique texture to the proteins in this dish.
Just as Candacy starts to loosen her belt
a notch, Eric, our server (and lover of the Angle zepoles) brings out our final
savory dish.
A beef duo of New York Strip and Short Rib
These tender tasty cuts were cooked to
perfection and worth getting a food baby for. Served on top of the best mashed
potatoes ever, with some fresh Swank Farm vegetables, and crispy fried onion,
there was no better way to have meat and potatoes.
Finally, with barely any room in our guts to
spare, Candacy and I ordered the Flaming Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Indulgence
for dessert.
 |
| So yeah, after a few glasses of wine I may have forgotten to snap a quick pic of the actual Chocolate Indulgence I ate on my birthday, but hey I make this almost everyday so minus a pretty table cloth this is pretty much it! |
I gotta say, it was cool to see the brûlée
actually flaming at the table, that's something I miss when I'm back on the
line.
What a dinner!....oh but wait theirs
more.. For once in my life, someone actually had to write ME a chocolate
Birthday Plate!! Thanks Zachary, for the warm zepoles and for writing my
nickname in chocolate, I think that makes it somehow cooler :P
