Dinner at Woodfire Grill
Buckhead, GA
Tasted December 15, 2013 by Rezy13 with 598 views
Introduction
Chef's seven course grand tasting menu for Atlanta Reef Club Holiday Dinner.
The menu was provided in advance, and we all brought wine to pair with a course or two.
Flight 1 - Amuse (1 note)
beet tartare. egg yolk.
Wow this was smoked, so I don't understand calling it tartare but it was incredible. I love beats but they really honored the ingredient with this dish. This was so savory I think they could slap this in between a hamburger bun and sell it as "vegetarian" BBQ.
Champagne worked well.
Flight 2 - 1st Course (1 note)
wagyu eye round tartare. black truffles. arugula. fricco.
A really tasty dish that worked really well with the meaty and rich Rosé sparkler. I liked how the wagyu was not chopped super fine. Could have used a bit more arugula.
Flight 3 - 2nd Course (2 notes)
pork sugo ravioli. basil cream. Vidalia onion jam. radish.
Not the course that was advertised but the basil jam made this dish accessible to whites. The Chassagne showed best I feel. The food was delicious.
Flight 4 - Extra Course (1 note)
maine lobster salad. celeriac. citrus. frisee
The best food and wine pairing. We were not aware of this course and the Somm poured the restaurant's wine, so I'm sure they had practiced this pairing a few times. Salad was really fresh with an underlying richness which was the inverse of the wine.
Flight 5 - 3rd Course (2 notes)
foie (terrine). brioche. quince. compressed apple.
This dish was ok. There was also some peanut butter which made the dish a little cloying. Unfortunately the Klein Constancia was corked but the Somm brought over the Daene which was very nice, but still not big enough to compete with the dish.
Flight 6 - Taste (0 notes)
torched escolar. chestnut. aged sherry. butternut squash. brussel sprout.
The most memorable and well executed bite from the entire evening. No wine paired with the bite but it was killer.
Flight 7 - 4th Course (2 notes)
black bass. miso. bok choy. chanterelle.
Another incredible dish with great rich and deep flavor. The Montille was also as brilliant in its depth and elegance. Most did not bother with the Pernand which was brought by mistake. It was supposed to be the '05 D.F. Clos du Roi.
Flight 8 - 5th Course (1 note)
Asian pear. glazed pork belly. spinach. almond. dates. blue cheese.
This was another incredible dish with some really meaty pork belly. The food was delicious but it almost needed more fat to tone down the hardness of the Mon Aieul.
Flight 9 - 6th Course (2 notes)
c.a.b. porterhouse and shortrib. potato puree. perigord black truffle. port wine reduction.
An insane amount of black truffles which I think almost detracted from the dish although very generous of the chef. The short rib definitely won this competition, and the GPL definitely beat the Cos.
Flight 10 - Pre-Dessert (0 notes)
Apple butter. Profiterole. caramel.
Things are a little fuzzy for me at this point...truffle shock. I cannot remember this dish.
Flight 11 - Dessert (1 note)
Chocolate and chai.
Ganache cake that is really rich and in need of a more powerful and youthful port. The '11 Graham or Cockburn would have done well here.
Closing
The food was tremendous which seemed simply prepared, beautifully presented, and the seasoning was done with a deft hand. The service was also tremendous. If you have not been to Woodfire yet, it is a must-try.