An Evening at The Table
Tasted January 9, 2016 by JS1056 with 327 views
Introduction
Great menu from Chef Bill. The dishes themselves were all magnificent but when take as a whole they really soared.
And the wine pairings really hit all the notes. In every case the wine improved remarkably with the food as opposed to on its own.
Flight 1 - Oyster and Pearls (1 note)
A recreation of the famous Thomas Keller dish. Beautifully prepared hitting all the high notes. I was fortunate enough to have this dish several years ago at Per Se and this was everything that I remembered. The Triad improved remarkably with the food.
But when combined with the Oysters and Pearls variation, it was a great combination.
Flight 2 - Mache and Red Oak, Blood Orange, Camelot Valley Goat Feta & Bllod Orange Vinaigrette (1 note)
Wow. It isn't often that the salad course is what everyone is talking about after the meal. But this was incredible. The cheese "melted" into the vinaigrette creating a rich silky flavorful dressing that was perfectly balanced and singing with flavor.
Wine with vinaigrette is always a tricky proposition but here the pairing was wonderful. The crisp flavor profile of the wine played off the flavors in the salad wonderfully and the citrus notes in the wine was in harmony with the blood orange.
So, So good.
Flight 3 - Spanish Turbot Salmoriglio, Garganelli, Caper & Lemon (1 note)
When this dish was brought out, everyone came to a stop to inhale the magnificent aroma that filled the room. The flavors didn't disappoint. Just a great dish, the simply prepared fish was the perfect foil to this wonderful sauce
When tasted with the food, this wine became another piece of the whole. The herbal flavors in the wine just fit with the salmoriglio perfectly and the mineral notes brought thoughts of the sea to the fish.
Well done.
The minerals carry over to the palate. There is an herbal edge with some citrus.
Flight 4 - Linguica Sausage, Greek Yogurt Sauce, Cumin & Toasted Quinoa (1 note)
What a combination of flavors and textures. The sausage was made in a breakfast sausage style casing so that it was thin. The traditional flavors were right there. The yogurt was thick and creamy cutting through the fat in the sausage and mellowing the strong flavors. The quinoa was dry toasted and created a crunch in the yogurt sauce.
Flight 5 - Cocoa nib rubbed venison, butternut squash, brown butter & Kennett Square yellow foot mushrooms (1 note)
The description says it all. The venison was cooked sous-vide with a seared finish. The butternut squash was sauted in brown butter which added a dimension I had never had before.
The chocolate notes in the wine matched the rub. Delicious
Blueberry, coffee and vanilla on the nose.
Deep dark fruit, with dark chocolate on the finish. Tannins still have a grip and the oak was noticeable. Finish was very long.
This needs some time or a serious decant.
Flight 6 - Napoleon with candied orange, marscarpone cheese and fresh raspberries (1 note)
One of the best deserts that I have had. The orange flavor just jumped out and lingered. Loved this dish.
The Jurancon was okay here but the desert was so good and the other wines were delightful that it didn't matter at that point.
Caramel and molasses that I would consider only slightly sweet. A little bit of petrol on the finish.
Closing
Bill outdid himself with this meal. All of the flavors could have become overwhelming if there wasn't great thought given to the whole menu. Rather, everything flowed in a natural progression with each dish having a flavor or textural link to the next. At the table it was a sensory delight. As I reflect on the meal I realize it was also an intellectual experience.