Tag Archives: pinot noir

Fairway Market: Cooking with Lamb Demo (with recipes)

3 Feb

I was excited to receive an invitation to the “For the Love of Lamb” cooking demo at Fairway Cafe & Steakhouse. Not only did it sound like fun, but proceeds were going to a great cause, The Common Pantry. I immediately replied that I would love to attend and purchased a ticket for my husband, Mike, to join me.

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I have been lucky enough to be invited to a few complimentary dinners, demos, and classes, and each and every one is very different.  Some feel like they are constructed for the press, with photo opportunities throughout and bulleted fact sheets as we leave to help us write our posts.  Those have their place, and it’s always fun to be exposed to these things that I would otherwise probably not have stumbled upon on my own.

This was a bit different. While “press” were invited, I would guess that most of the guests there were present for the sheer enjoyment of it (whether press or not) and greeting us with immediate glasses of bubbly helped make sure everyone had a good time from the start.

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There were a few “brands” represented at the event, with a focus on Australian Lamb and Australian Wines.

This Stone Dwellers was a lovely sparkling wine that I really enjoyed. I am not a champagne fan, so I’m always on the lookout for something bubbly and celebration-y without tasting like dirt (sorry champagne lovers).

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The cafe upstairs from the market was set up nicely, with simple white linens and nice red chairs, with all the ingredients out on a display table when we arrived.

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Including a beautiful rack.

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And a lovely leg.

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As well as some plate garnishes, ready to go.

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Our menu of the day looked scrumptious, with all things I love (lamb, fig, caesar, parnsnip turnip mash, roasted brussels, apple tart, chardonnay, pinot noir, and muscat… all on the list of my favorite things!)

(See recipes at the end of the post)

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We were welcomed by a very nice woman who worked at Fairway and introduced us to a spokesperson for Australian Lamb (who just bubbled over with excitement about her product, which is always good to see and makes it so you can’t help but be excited as well) and Chef Vinnie, who apparently is self-taught and has been with Fairway for some time.

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Vinnie wound up being a great teacher.  Passionate and informational, with great tidbits but no over-explanation.

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First tip: Press the rack into the hot pan to get a good, full sear, rather than letting it hang out and wait. The pan should be very, very hot and you only need about 1-2 minutes per side.

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Next tip: Really press the breadcrumbs onto the mustard coating to make sure it really sticks.

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So much that when he lifted it up, it (mostly) stayed put.

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Then it went into the oven to cook while he started adding an herb mixture to the lamb leg.

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Next tip: Always roast on very high heat. He quoted someone who taught him as saying that anything under 400 degrees F is “baking cupcakes.”

When the final dishes came out, he taught us how to cut up the rack (through each lolly pop it should slice really nicely).IMG_5705

And then fan it out with garnish.

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The leg was bought boneless (for ease and cooking time, though chefs always seem to prefer cooking them on the bone), so it was wrapped in string, which he removed after roasting to show us how (unwrap… discard…)

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But the key was holding it together as you slice so it plates nicely.

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And then moving it all as one piece once sliced.

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And yet again, use the “fan out.”

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Both dishes, plated and ready to go!

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Throughout the night, various wine experts spoke to us, including Joshua Wessen who was proclaimed to be a “wine guru.” He told us about the Stone Dwellers Sparkling Brut which contained chardonnay and pinot noir (my two favorites). Similar grapes as are in champagne, but similar to prosecco in preparation.  They press the red grapes gently so the wine stayed white.  Really nice.

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We also tried a Paringa Sparkling Shiraz, which was also quite nice. Sweet but not too sweet and I had to agree with the expert that this could probably go with anything.

With our first lamb chop, we had the Yalumba “Y Series” Viognier 2012. This was one of (if not the?) oldest family owned wineries in the region, established in 1849.  The vineyard has a huge respect for the Viognier grape from France and they worked with clones for 30 years in the nursery.  The wine maker is Luisa Rose and it was obvious there was love in this wine.

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Our chop was scrumptious. The great thing about lamb is that it is quite easy to prepare and doesn’t need a lot of ingredients to taste great.  This was a great example of that.  It was so easy when we watched him prep (even easier than I thought) and it tasted so special.

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Our next wine was a Punt Road Chardonnay from 2011.  This had a little woody and was a very nice balance of flavors.  Punt Road was one of the first wineries outside of Melbourne.

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It went very nicely with a slightly peppery caesar salad that was lightly dressed but had an ever so slight essence of anchovies (which I loved).

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Our next wine was the Stone Dwellers Pinot Noir from 2011.  It was an early ripening red and we heard a story about the wine maker who ran around the vineyard and he ran into a giant spider web and then a red bellied black snake in the long grass and in a fruit bin. It was a reminder that wine is a “living thing” and this wine was said to have been made with a lot of “love and danger.”  It tasted great.

Next wine was Yalumba “The Scribbler” which was a Cabernet Shiraz blend from 2010.  It’s a “baby” of their signature wine (which is apparently very expensive) and they blend it to soften it a bit.  This went down reeaaaaalllll easy.  We both really loved this wine.

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They mentioned that they had served the two wines to give two different perspectives (if you’re keeping track, we are already up to 6 wines!)

The leg of lamb could not have been more flavorful, and it was well complimented by the Brussels and the root mash.

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I loved the lardon on top of the sprouts.

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For dessert, we had the Mitchel London’s Apple Tart with the Yalumba “Museum” Muscat NV.  Both the tart and the muscat were fantastic separately and even better together.  A great end to a great meal.

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By the end of the night, we had tried (ok… fully consumed) seven wines, and they were all great, easy to drink wines.  A really wonderful showcase of what is so good about Australian wines.

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We just had so much fun at this event! The demo was great, informative, and interesting.  The meal was absolutely delicious from start to finish and could have easily been served in one of the best restaurants in NY.  I already was a lamb fan, but this definitely pushed me over the top and made me want to make it at home even more. We have dabbled in a few rack of lamb recipes when we found the racks on sale, but now I’m excited to try a leg of lamb and cook it for a dinner party.

And I will certainly be going straight to the Australian wine section in the near future.

Thanks Fairway!

While I did receive a complimentary ticket to this event, all opinions expressed are entirely my own and I was not required to write about this event. I just really wanted to, because it was pretty great. 

Speaking of… they just emailed me to say that they are doing a special Valentine’s Day dinner. (Which at $45pp for Valentine’s Day seems like a steal to me compared to most places in this city).  Here’s some more info from their press release if you want to go!

SAVOR LOVE WITH A DELECTABLE VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER AT

FAIRWAY MARKET CAFÉ & STEAKHOUSE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Chef Mitchel London’s Special Menu for Valentine’s Day:

  • Roasted Wild Mushrooms in Thyme and Garlic
  • Rack of Lamb with Parsnip & Turnip Puree
  • Crepe a la Crème Flambėed in Cointreau
  • Glass of Prosecco

$45 per person. Please call the Café at 212 994 9555 to make a reservation.  Fairway Café & Steakhouse regular menu will also be available on February 14, 2014.

_________________________________________________

 And here are all the recipes from the lamb demo:

 

Fairway Market: Cooking with Lamb Demo - Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb

Ingredients

  • 1 rack of lamb, trimmed (about 1.5 pounds)
  • Sea salt (to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 TBS Fairway extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBD grainy mustard (like Fairway Moutarde en Grains)
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 TBS grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Season rack of lamb with salt and pepper
  2. Heat a large skillet over high heat
  3. When hot, add olive oil
  4. When oil is smoking, add rack of lamb and brown well for about 3 minutes on each side
  5. Set aside and let cool
  6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  7. Mix together mustard and garlic
  8. In separate bowl, mix together panko bread crumbs with parmesan cheese
  9. Spread mustard mixture on lamb, coating all sides evenly
  10. Pat breadcrumb mixture tight on all sides of lamb
  11. Place rack of lamb on baking sheet
  12. Roast for 12-15 minutes or until desired doneness
  13. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting into chops
  14. (Serve with Easy Fig Chutney, see other recipe)
https://nycnomnom.com/2014/02/03/fairway-market-cooking-lamb-demo/

Fairway Market: Cooking with Lamb Demo - Easy Fig Chutney

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh figs, like Artibel Italian (diced into 1/4" dice)
  • 3 TBS onion marmalade, like Artibel Delice Red Onion Marmalade
  • 4 TBS fig balsamic, like Artibel Fig Condiment and Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 TBS fig preserves, like Royal Preserve Purple Fig "Figue Violette"

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl
  2. Mix well
https://nycnomnom.com/2014/02/03/fairway-market-cooking-lamb-demo/

Fairway Market: Cooking with Lamb Demo - Parsnip Turnip Mash

Ingredients

  • 3 large turnips
  • 6 large parsnips
  • 3 yellow carrots
  • 4 TBS unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp Fairway honey
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp white pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel all vegetables
  2. Rough chop all vegetables (to about the same size)
  3. Place all vegetables in a large sauce pot completely emerged in water
  4. Season water with a pinch of salt
  5. Bring water to a boil
  6. Boil for 10 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender
  7. Strain water and place vegetables in a large mixing bowl
  8. Add butter to vegetables while veggies are hot
  9. Add honey
  10. Season with salt and white pepper
  11. Using a potato masher, mash all ingredients together
https://nycnomnom.com/2014/02/03/fairway-market-cooking-lamb-demo/

Fairway Market: Cooking with Lamb Demo - Whole Roasted Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 5 or 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 or 6 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 5 or 6 sprigs fresh chives
  • 1 TBS minced garlic
  • 1/2 cub Fairway extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 TBS grainy mustard, like Fairway Moutarde en Grains
  • 4-5 lb boneless leg of lamb
  • 1 TBS sea salt
  • 1 tsp course black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  2. Chop all herbs
  3. Mix herbs and garlic with olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard to make herb marinade, set aside
  4. Season lamb with salt and pepper
  5. Use 1/2 of the herb marinade and rub evenly over the lamb
  6. Let lamb marinate for 30 minutes
  7. Remove all visible herbs from lamb (to prevent burning) and place in roasting pan
  8. Roast lamb for 30 minutes on 450 degrees and then drop oven down to 350 degrees and continue to cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour (for rare)
  9. Remove lamb from oven and, while hot, rub on the rest of the herb marinade
  10. Let lamb rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving
https://nycnomnom.com/2014/02/03/fairway-market-cooking-lamb-demo/

Fairway Market: Cooking with Lamb Demo - Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb thick-sliced bacon
  • 1.5 lbs Brussels Sprouts
  • 1/4 cup Fairway extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots
  • 6 oz. roasted chestnuts
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Cook bacon on a bacon sheet until crispy
  3. Remove bacon from oven, reserve all fat drippings
  4. Chop bacon into 1/4 inch pie, set bacon aside
  5. Raise oven to 400 degrees F
  6. Clean Brussels sprouts by cutting off bottom stem and outer leaves
  7. Do not discard outer leaves: Set aside and toss with half of the olive oil
  8. Place leaves on sheet tray and roast in oven for 10 minutes or until leaves are browned and crispy, set aside
  9. Once Brussels sprouts are cleaned, stand them on the side you cut the stem and slice them thin, almost shaving them
  10. Thinly slice shallots
  11. Place shaved Brussels and shallots in mixing bowl
  12. Add in bacon drippings, chestnuts, remainder of olive oil, salt, and pepper
  13. Place shaved Brussels sprout mixture on a large sheet try and spread out evenly
  14. Do not overcrowd the tray, use 2 trays if necessary
  15. Roast at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes until nicely browned
  16. Once removed form the oven, toss together with chopped bacon
  17. Garnish each portion with the roasted leaves
https://nycnomnom.com/2014/02/03/fairway-market-cooking-lamb-demo/

 

 

 

Honeymoon: Seattle- Canlis

10 Jul

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while knows that we are huge Top Chef Sluts.  So it should come as no surprise that one of the restaurants we first looked into upon planning our honeymoon that was starting in Seattle was Canlis, a restaurant prominently featured on Episode 4 of Top Chef Season 10 (Seattle).

We were intrigued by the fact that it had been around for 50 years and then as we read more, we knew it was a primary destination for dining.  Chef Jason Franey was a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Northwest (stay tuned for our Portland Honeymoon write-up coming soon to read about who actually won) and the executive chef won Cochon 555 Seattle this year.

Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by name (mind readers) and wished a very warm congratulations on our honeymoon.  They asked us about the details of our honeymoon trip (Mike didn’t even remember telling them about our road trip).  They informed us that our table was not quite ready but we were welcome to get a drink at the bar, next to the (very good) piano player. Our drinks were not only tasty, they were also absolutely beautiful.

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The flower petals really made it look that much prettier.

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We were sat the moment our drinks came out.  The dining room is timeless.

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With a nice view of the water (even in the fog and pouring rain).

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We sat down to a lovely note from the Canlis family and two glasses of champagne on the house.

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We hear the menu changed recently, ever so slightly. Here was the menu when we were there at the end of June, 2013:

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We decided on the 4 Course menu because we both had heard great things about the duck and wanted the opportunity to try that.

We started with 3 amuse bouche (bouches? is bouche a plural?)

From left to right, it was a morel mushroom tart (nice, rich flavor), black olive coronet with salmon mousse, pickled rutabaga, and wasabi tobiko (which was packed with flavor and textures that mixed together perfectly), and a fried egg yolk, which we were advised had a liquid center “So don’t try to take a bite. You have to commit.” And commit we did.  Great flavor and a nice middle ground between a hard boiled egg (which would be way too solid when fried) and a poached egg (which would be too runny).

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The holders were also lovely and showed off each bite as if it were artwork.

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The wine was a local Pinot Noir (from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, a place we were soon to visit) that the sommelier picked (and we really loved).

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Our first of 4 courses arrived:

Mike chose the smoked Copper River salmon which came with yellow and purple potatoes. (Salmon is very popular in this part of the country and was on nearly every menu. I believe it was also salmon season, though every day could be salmon season up there for all we know.  Funny thing… I usually don’t like salmon, but every time I had it up in the Pacific Northwest, I really loved it.  Totally different flavor and none of that gross salmony-fishiness I hate).

The salmon was smoky and light but filled with flavor.  Both Mike I said that we wished there were more (not because the portion was small, which it should be with a multi-course tasting menu) but because it was so good.

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I chose the foie gras with cherry beet puree, cocoa brioche, dehydrated milk with pistachio.

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The brioche had a great crunch and everything combined perfectly.  There was tarta and sweet to pair with the rich and dense foie and brioche.  One of the best preparations of foie gras I’ve had.

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As we were awaiting our next course, we noticed a manager-like looking man come to our side of the restaurant and look around as if observing his flock.  Mike went totally out of character and struck up a conversation with him, only to find out that he is one of the owners (and grandsons of the original owners), Brian Canlis.  Brian was warm and genuine and we instantly liked him.  We had a quick discussion about where we were from and Brian asked us our favorite restaurant, to which we answered in unison, Eleven Madison Park. He got very excited at this and asked us if we knew about the connection between Canlis and Eleven Madison Park.  We did not, so he told us he went to Cornell with William Guidara, business partner in Eleven Madison Park.  (And now the presence of a special Ithaca Beer on the EMP menu made much more sense!)  I told him I went to Ithaca College and we had a great moment reminiscing about the lovely town of Ithaca, NY.  Brian then excitedly asked if we ordered the duck and when we confirmed we had, he said he thought it beat EMP’s duck (sadly, we didn’t try the duck, we chose the beef when we were at EMP, but the friendly competition was quite adorable). He then kindly excused himself and we went back to our meal, but not before the waiter was kind enough to take a lovely picture.

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For course two, Mike chose the famous Canlis Salad (which is prepared table-side, but only for bigger parties from what we observed). This was one great salad.  The inclusion of mint was fantastic without being overpowering. It tasted like it was all picked fresh moments before hitting our plate.

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I went with the pork belly, which came with an almond vanilla sauce with huckleberry.  The pork belly could not have been cooked better. The creamy fat, the hammy pork, the crispy top.  A great balance of flavors and textures with a slightly sweet sauce to compliment the pork and bring it all together

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And then they showed us the duck.

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A few minutes later, it came out fully prepared and ready to be tasted. They had carved up the breast (which included seeds a black peppercorns) and made a duck leg confit croquet, which they plated separately for each of us.  There was also an orange marmalade, fennel puree, and bruleed onion.  The flowers were grown in their garden.

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The crispiness of the seeds on the duck were great, and I really loved the way the spicy black peppercorns mixed with the orange marmalade, which was tart yet sweet.  I was enamored by the marmalade, but, sadly, Mike is not a fan of orange/marmalade/tart sauces so it wasn’t his cup of tea. Luckily, since it was all separate, he could enjoy it just fine without while I lapped it up.

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Our eyes were much bigger than our bellies, and we ordered an additional twice baked potato when we first put the order in.  As we finished up the duck, we realized that the potato never came. We were commenting about how this was a very good thing because we were FAR too full and still had dessert to go, but just as we were concluding that, a huge dish of fries came out and our very concerned waitress. She informed us that she forgot to put the potato in and it takes a bit of time to prepare, so as soon as she realized her mistake she put it in and had them make us fries (which are much faster to prepare) to make sure we had something.  Service was impeccable until this moment, and I always say that mistakes happen, but it’s about how you fix them.  Talk about a fix! Not only immediate response but a solution of fries to boot.

We informed her that we were just too full so we didn’t need the potato and we requested she wrap up the fries. Though not before trying a couple, and WOW! What fries!  Sadly, we didn’t have a fridge in our room so the fries couldn’t be saved.  (I nearly cried as I set them in the trash the next morning.)

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But I couldn’t be too sad for very long since the dessert menu was in front of us.

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Mike chose the Mille-Feuille and I chose the Pistachio Génoise.

The Mille-Feuille was absolutely delicious with lots of textures and flavors.

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But I really loved my pistachio dessert. The cherries on it were just fantastic.

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The pieces of gelee were great.

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And the crisp of the pistachio was great with the flavorful ice cream.

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And we loved the extra touch of writing “Congratulations” on both our plates.

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We were also given macarons in two flavors: negroni and apple pie.

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They were both great but if I could spend the rest of my life eating those apple pie macarons, I would be a happy lady.

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And just when we thought they couldn’t make the meal any better, they gave us a chocolate breakfast brioche for the following morning (which wound up being absolutely sensational, even without a lick of butter to add… we just tore into it and it started our last morning in Seattle perfectly). I absolutely love this touch. It leaves such a great lasting impression on a diner to give them something to eat from the restaurant the next morning.  Classy.

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The entire meal was special. Absolutely special.

The service was some of the best we have ever seen, but not in a mechanical way like some fine restaurants seem to specialize in. This service was warm, personal, and made us feel like we were the only ones in the entire restaurant.  And just as we were wrapping up to leave, Brian came back over to see how our meal was (and of course we gushed) and then he offered us a tour of the kitchen. (BUT OF COURSE!)

He excitedly showed us pictures of his family and the restaurant. One was of opening night and had all the women of the day wearing hats, drinking whiskey, and smoking cigarettes.  Such a time-specific moment.  He was kind and warm and told us he just enjoyed having some drinks at the bar and being in the restaurant that evening.  You could tell he absolutely loves this place and what he does. We talked about how much we envied that he got to grow up and come to own such a place. His enthusiasm was infectious.  He was excited that we were so excited to be there. For half a moment, we felt like part of the family.

And boy what a family that would be to be part of!

I would say that if you’re in Seattle, be sure to go here… but the truth of it is that you should just be sure to go here. Make a special trip to Seattle.  Canlis is one of the best of the best of the best.

Total Nom Points: 9 out of 10

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New Restaurant Opening: Betony

8 Jun

When it comes to top restaurants, I find it very hard to judge fairly when I’m comparing a Tasting Menu to just about anything else.  For instance, our Top 10 contains 9 restaurants that were either Tasting Menus or Prix Fixe.  But seeing as though our Numero Uno of ALL TIME was Eleven Madison Park, we were excited to hear that a former chef from there (Bryce Shuman) and a former General Manager (Eamon Rockey) had started a new place that opened in Mid-May called Betony.

Betony is located on 57th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, in prime Central Park tourist territory.  The inside is a very interesting space, with plush brown fuzzy seating and walls and ceiling carved and etched.

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The menu is sparse but has plenty of items that sounded quite tasty. The left part of the menu is small single bites.

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The middle is bigger sized appetizers.

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And the right column are the entrees.

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We had a tough time choosing, and when we asked our waitress for guidance, she explained to us that at least half the menu was amazing (making it so hard to choose!)

We wound up going with the marinated trout roe, “tuna melt,” hot foie gras, roast chicken, and grilled short ribs.

We began with some well mixed twists on classic cocktails (Mike got the negroni and I got the mojito) and the table bread was breadsticks (which looked like thin spaghetti with some delicious salt on them) and cheddar chips.  Both were salty, crunchy goodness.

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Our first appetizer was the Marinated Trout Roe on a puffed rice cracker with cucumber.

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Not only was this fresh and delicious…

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… it was a work of art!

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And then we tried the “Tuna Melt” which had a thin layer of melted fontina cheese on top and was on a brioche.  This was also stunningly beautiful and WOW was it good.  Like punch you in the face good. (I’m not even sure what that means but it seems appropriate somehow).

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My only complaint about the “finger foods” is that there were 3 of each. With a party of 2, it leaves for some awkwardness when you each have one and then look at the last bite longingly.  Even though Mike and I have been together for over 5 years and we’re getting married next week (HOLY SHEIS MONKEYS! NEXT WEEK!), we still struggled making this decision. Mike was a gentleman, however, and told me to have the last bite of tuna.  I gave him a quick taste because I couldn’t be that selfish.  But honestly, I would have rather they served us just 2 or bit the bullet and served 4.  Fair is fair when it comes to delicious food.

We were then served an intermezzo “from the kitchen” which was a gooseberry compote with tomato snow.  It smelled like flowers and a summer day.  I found the compote very tasty but there was something… off… about the compote. It tasted very soapy. Like something went wrong soapy.  It was the only blemish on an otherwise spotless meal.

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We were then served bread, which was baked in-house by the pastry chef and had caraway seeds, which reminded us of a Jewish deli in all the right ways.

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Up next came the foie gras, which was just described as being “hot or cold.” Our waitress guided us to the hot one that came with crispy kale and ham hock consume (which was poured over table side).

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It also had black garlic and a few other ingredients in it (including a top chip) that are escaping me. They served this with two plates and an extra bowl of consume.

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This dish was very well composed and the kale and the foie were great together.  The consume was superb and they very smartly offered to bring more rolls to soak up the awesome leftover liquids.  The sommelier suggested a moscato which complimented the rich foie very nicely.

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We asked the sommelier to recommend a glass of wine for each of the entrees we ordered, so he suggested a round Pinot Noir and a smokey Rioja.  Both were excellent with the meal.

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Both entrees were also served with a sauce/jus at the table.  The chicken had a rich and flavorful, but simple chicken broth.

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It was cooked on the bone but served without it and came with perfectly cooked turnips and morel mushrooms.  The skin on top was crispy, but if I can be a nit picker, it could have been a tad bit crispier. But the flavor was very earthy and the texture moist.  Well executed.

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The chicken came with a side that had a grain (perhaps bulgar?) with dark meat confit and a quale egg.  This was fantastic and really nailed all the flavors. (Our waitress told us that in an effort to use every bit of the chicken, the liver dish was also created from the whole chickens they buy).

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The Grilled Short Rib came with romaine (which was charred, and beautifully so) and sweetbreads.  A beef jus was also poured over the dish at the table and this was an incredibly rich and flavorful dish, with some of the most tender meat I’ve ever tasted. A bit was served on the bone, but the slices of short rib were out of this world.

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This was a dish not to be missed.

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At this point we were basking in delicious nomming glory but we couldn’t stop there!  The desserts just sounded so interesting and were listed without much description but with simply the most forward flavor of the dish.

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We also ordered a dessert Vouvray (Vouvray is our favorite white wine)

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But out came a madeira… which was poured for us before we had a chance to interrupt and ask if this was correct. Turns out it was not, as expected, but the lovely sommelier topped us off and we got to enjoy this awesome dessert drink on the house while waiting for the Vouvray.

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We chose the blueberry dish which came with crispy poppyseed flavors, fresh (and superbly delicious) blueberries, and a tea flavored ice cream.  This was beautiful and tasty.  A very fresh, very summery dessert.

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Then we each got the selection of 3 dessert tastes:

Frozen Chocolate Stout Macarons (A very nice balance of flavors, though the macarons were bit dense)
Pink Peppercorn Caramel Chews (A curious and quite good flavor and texture combination)
Dried Cherry & Pistachio Divinity (Awesome… awesome awesome awesome.  A great combination of salty and sweet.)

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What a meal!

This was a masterpiece.  It easily rivaled many tasting menus we have had and I might have to put it right in line with Ai Fiori, our current #10 spot holder on the all-time Top 10 list.

The service was spectacular, attentive, and friendly.  It wasn’t at all stuffy and they really cared about how much we enjoyed the food.

It was obvious that the chef is thinking critically about his dishes and doesn’t put anything on the plate just for the sake of putting it there. Flavors are expertly combined and the plating is beautifully crafted. The only miss was the weird tomato snow, but some dishes I couldn’t find a single fault with. If this is how good they are just 3 weeks in, I can’t imagine how good they will be as they find their sea legs.

Total Nom Points: 8.5 out of 10 (we struggled about giving this an 8.5 or a 9, but it is definitely in line with Ai Fiori so we need to keep some consistency around this Nom joint)

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