Feast Blog

I joined my hairdresser for a post-coif meal on Tuesday to much delight. We both ordered cocktails to start; he a Cosmopolitan and I, an “Aviation” with Gin, lime juice, and maraschino liqueur (quite tangy!) We both ordered salads to share; a grilled Romaine which was served with St. Agur blue cheese, hazelnuts, and sliced apples with a champagne vinaigrette and a baby spinach salad accompanied with pomegranate seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, sliced Black Mission figs, persimmon, and a vinaigrette. The grilled Romaine was stunning — I had not ever had grilled lettuce and the smokiness from the char was a nice complement to the melting cheese. Having the two salads side-by-side was nice as we could go from hot and melty to cool and refreshing, both well-dressed and nicely plated.

Again, we decided to share entrées – ordering the rib eye steak and duck confit. The rib eye was pan-grilled and served with “a twice baked white truffle scented potato, yellow wax and blue lake beans, and Oakville Ranch cabernet butter.” This was a really great steak. The beans were very fresh and the steak, perfectly grilled rare and tender. I didn’t even mind the clichéd truffle scent on the potatoes. The duck confit was served on butternut squash risotto with huckleberry gastrique, prosciutto, Brussels sprout leaves and toasted pumpkin seeds. This was an interesting combination, if not a bit on the salty side. Most of it was eaten as a left-over breakfast the following day and perhaps the saltiness was accentuated at that point.

For dessert, we decided to share an apple/blueberry crisp served with dulce de leche ice cream. This was a really stellar example – served in a shallow-enough dish to give an equal portion of warm, roasted fruit to a lightly buttery crunchy top. I thought the dulce de leche might be too sweet but it worked well.

I can see this restaurant as a great neighborhood establishment, moreso than a destination restaurant. The ambience is both slightly futuristic, with its metal mesh drapes and moderne lighting. I noticed a nearby table being given better glassware than we were offered. I asked for more decent glasses for our Havens syrah and a little scrambling occurred as I guess they just recently started to upgrade their wine service. Make sure to ask! The serving sizes were ample, the plating and timing worked well, and overall, a reasonable meal. Two cocktails, two salads, two entrées, a bottle of wine, a dessert with a small glass of dessert wine and tip came to just over $200. I wouldn’t hesitate to visit again!

After a handful of nice luncheons at Murray Circle, I was anxious to return for the Full Monty dinner. Accompanied by trusted dining buddy, Lisa, I apologize that the good camera was left at home and only the iPhone camera was available to document the evening. We opted for the full, eight-course Grand Tasting (they offer a four-course tasting as well). And after consulting with our server, determined that a shared wine pairing (1 to 2 ounce pours) would suffice for the two of us.

Drakes Bay Oysters as a bisque, Dijon mustard “floating island,” with watermelon radish. Served with Gaston Chiquet, Brut tradition, Dizy, NV. Two oysters were curled up and served next to a large, fluffy quenelle of mustard. The quality of the oysters was excellent, the soup portion was rich and creamy, and the influence of a hint of the mustard foam quenelle would have been nice, but the size of the quenelle overwhelmed the dish. I made the mistake of taking a large bite out of the quenelle because it was such a predominant ingredient in the presentation. After I realized how strong that component was, I concentrated more on the luscious bisque and juxtaposition of bright watermelon bits with just a taste of the mustard. Much, much better… The Gaston Chiquet was creamy and a perfect accompaniment.

Gulf Prawns from the plancha, cherry tomatoes “aigre-doux,” corn velouté, and basil popcorn. Served with Domaine de la Cadette, La Chatelaine, Vézelay, Burgundy, 2007. The wine was lovely with well-integrated mineral notes and complexity. The wine worked well with the corn velouté but sadly, the rest of the dish fell woefully short. We were both intrigued with the concept of basil popcorn and immediately tasted one, but were mostly disappointed. The prawns were not cooked properly and had a mushy texture which did not work well against the mushiness of the tomatoes. It was just a sad, sad dish overall and went back to the kitchen mostly un-eaten.

Dayboat Halibut, grilled in fig leaves, sassafras, hazelnut, with sea urchin emulsion. Served with Michel-Schlumberger, La Brume Chardonnay, Dry Creek, 2006. I was not particularly thrilled with a second Chardonnay (there ARE other whites that work well with seafood!), but once I tasted the course, I didn’t really care. Served alongside the halibut was sugar snap peas and hazelnuts and a parsnip purée. The urchin emulsion was served tableside and with Lisa’s devotion to uni, we asked for a little extra. Everything about this course was brilliant; the halibut had been grilled and the perfect amount of smokiness was detectable against the unctuousness of the sea urchin. The snow peas provided a perfectly crisp brightness. This course certainly made up for the indiscretion of the previously served prawn.

Squab and Lobster Salad served with mizuna and Zinfandel marmalade. Served with Fernand & Laurent Pillot, ‘Tavennes,’ Pommard, 2005. The imported pinot was very vibrant with a hint of wood and berry and was spectacular with the salad. This was the second winning course in a row. Considering the prawns were undercooked, I was a tad worried about the lobster, but I had no concerns on that regard. The richness of the lobster and the rare, succulent squab were great pairings heightened by the fresh greens. Excellent course.

Grass Fed Beef, wood grilled, with potato gratin and baby carrots. Served with Robert Foley Vineyards Merlot, Napa, 2006. The wine was velvety and silky, true Howell Mountain characteristics of ripe berry and integrated spice. A very respectable offering, I wish I could get excited about simple protein courses. We were more interested in the perfectly round potato gratins and sauce. Don’t get me wrong; the meat was excellent and perfectly prepared, but it was just meat.

“Aria” cheese baked in rye bread, apricot-whiskey, grapefruit. Served with Alois Kracher, Beerenauslese Cuvée, Burgenland, 2006. A triangle of cheese baked in a thin sliver of (what I assume to be homemade) rye bread. So many high-end restaurants fall short on the cheese plate, offering nothing other than a few slices with the routine nut and dried fruit accompaniment. This realization was well-conceived and executed. The hint of rye worked so well with the warm, creamy cheese. Just a few bites of grapefruit and apricot showed amazing restraint and brilliance. Fabulous.

Pink Pearl Apple Sorbet with Candied Fennel Cake and Fig Coulis. Served with Two Hands Brilliant Disguise, Moscato, Barossa, 2008. These little squares of fennel cake were scrumptious. This was a dessert I could get passionate about although the apple sorbet did not work with the sweet wine. Taking the miniature cakes on their own with the fig coulis and the wine was perfection. I could eat this several times over and wished I had stopped at this dessert. When we saw what the waiter was pouring, we asked for something larger than the small pours we had been receiving and were quite gratified that we were given a bit more. It was that stunning.

“Coconut Joy” – Dark chocolate mousse, milk chocolate glaze, with toasted almond ice cream. Served with Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon Port, Napa, 2005. After the bliss of the fennel cake, this dessert was incredibly mis-guided in its execution. In the center of the mousse was a disk of coconut nougat the size of a quarter. A few bites of the mousse were fine, but when we got to the nougat, the mousse had to be destroyed to extract the disk. There was no way to cut the disk so biting it was the only way to take a small bite, only to discover it was hard and chewy. Served alongside was a larger disk of coconut meringue studded with almonds. Apparently the kitchen was trying to recreate an Almond Joy or Mounds bar, but failed short. The Port tasted good though.

Overall, it was a good evening. I’m not sure it was great. The successes certainly outweighed the detractions. I would go back for lunch.

I have a “thing” for eating in the oldest restaurants I can find. In London last spring, it was Rules. Since I am New York, despite friends’ attempts to dissuade me, it is Domenico’s, open since 1837. I remember the restaurant being specifically mentioned in movie, Life With Father; when Elizabeth Taylor visits the family, Irene Dunne insists that father, William Powell, take them to Domenico’s. And then there is The Epicurean, the cookbook written by Domenico’s’ chef, Charles Ranhofer, in the late 1800s. I have a copy and adore all 1183 pages, 800 illustrations, and over 3000 recipes. So how could I not eat here???

I would like to think that in its hey-day, the interior would be far more elegant and refined. Not that it was necessarily slouchy, just not as elegant as I anticipated it would be. Jerry and I had decided we were going to order the “classic” dishes; those with the historical pedigree. While perusing the menu, we had martinis. Outside of the classics, the only dish we ordered that was probably not historical was a salad of watercress, Maytag blue cheese, bacon, and some minimal garnish of wine-poached pears, candied walnuts, and walnut raisin toast. The watercress was fresh but the salad was obviously over dressed.

Of the historical dishes, Jerry ordered the “Classic” Delmonico Steak — 20 ounces of wet-aged prime boneless rib eye served with fried onions. The steak was fabulous but the onions were very cold. In honor of my mother, I had to order what would have been her favorite, the Lobster Thermidor. There was no way to prepare for the amazing presentation of this dish; two lobster tails, four small claws topped with caviar, and a single head placed vertically in the center, all surrounded with a redolently decadent Brandy cream sauce. Two additional sides were ordered, black truffled mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. But it was that lobster which blew us away.

Of course the final classic Ranhofer recipe which was a must-try was Baked Alaska. Oddly, I remember Baked Alaska as being a big 1970s dessert and I can’t recall any occasion in the past 30 years that I’ve had it. This version was not bad, banana candy ice cream molded atop a Turkish apricot compote and beautifully surrounded with meringue.

Unlike the service at Rules — or even another classic, Los Angeles’ Musso & Franks — here at Domenico’s it was perfunctory and cold. We sat for several minutes with our menus closed before there was even a chance to order our martinis. Even at that point, I had to ask for a wine list for our entrées. But I will remember that lobster for a long, long time…

Over the weekend I agreed to meet a new friend for lunch in the East Bay. I was thinking something innocuous and friendly, like Fat Burger or some other unknown local eatery. Joe picked me up a BART and had other ideas; Napa’s famed Auberge du Soleil. Wow. All the years I lived in Napa, I had only had an occasional glass of bubbly or attended some private, catered event at the institution. I had never eaten off their menu…

We were seated on the terrace overlooking the valley that had been my home for so many years. There was some debate on how many courses to order and Joe forged through with one of my favorite philosophies: Order whatever you want. What a joy! Thankfully, bites were shared across the board so I got a good sampling of a fairly extensive menu. Joe was very sweet in letting me order the wine and considering the lovely warm weather, I opted for a 2002 Dr. Loosen Riesling which was lightly sweet with delicate hints of a floral aroma and a perfect balance of acidity. Overall, it was a great wine to pair with our day’s offerings…

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Shame on me for not writing this up sooner. My birthday present to myself this year was a trip to Los Angeles to see old friends and to finally dine at the mythic Urasawa. There was as much anticipation in approaching this meal as there was in going to the French Laundry for the first time; so much has been written about it and its masterful chef, that one can almost anticipate disappointment. I mean, how special and remarkable can ultra-expensive hunks of raw fish be after all? Suffice to say, that nary a meal in my past can surpass what I experienced at the hands of Hiro Urasawa. Yep, its true. It is the best meal I have ever eaten in my entire life, bar none. No mis-steps, every taste a revelation, every offering better than the last.

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