12/12/12 Apocalypse Tasting Dinner

This is a belated posting of our Apocalypse Tasting Dinner on 12/12/12.  When the guests arrived they found the servers unwilling to talk and dressed like zombies, no utensils, only bamboo sporks.

Tyler created an amazing playlist for the evening.  And here's my daunting menu for the night:

--> Hudson Valley Foie Gras, morel soil, enoki, acorn financier, stoned potatoes, cattail ash branches, Benedictine Liqueur granité, olive oil pudding  Pairing: The Golem Riesling, 2010

 

--> Acorn gelée, fermented black garlic, squid ink   Pairing: The Innocent Viognier, 2008

--> Beet, purple yam, bull’s blood microgreens, yogurt foam   Pairing: The Brujeria Tempranillo/Shiraz/Grenache/Cab, 2008

  Pico de Gallo marshmallow, sweet pea, parmesan   Pairing: Yard Dog Petit Verdoit Cab, 2009

I played a bit with the watermelon radish - prettier than tasty in my opinion.
 

 A fry of potato balls for the hot dish of the night.

 A quick slice of some Italian white winter truffle.

  Potato, Italian white winter truffle, 18-month Parmesan Pairing: Alpha Box & Dice Grenache, 2008

Pork brain, custard fruit, pennywort, pitty pat squash Pairing: The Mistress Old Madeira, 2009

Goat saddle crudo, ginko, salmon roe, yogurt, sesame

 Frog, Pomme Robuchon, watermelon radish,  Pairing: The Executioner Shiraz/Cab/Viognier, 2008

Squab, Pomme Maxim, pumpkin tofu, beet, roasted Brussels sprouts   Pairing: The Verdict Cab, 2007

 I have a photographer working on b&w hand shots for a display I'm creating.

 

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao panna cotta with mango boba   Pairing: The Innocent Viognier, 2008

Black cake, coconut treacle, Nicuraguan Finca Santa Elena coffee, mincemeat   Pairing: The Golem Riesling, 2010

 Assorted petit fours

Photos by Jay Hemphill Photography
Dishes by Bauscher USA including Bauscher and Tafelstern
Curious Kumquat

2013 All Chocolate Dinner

So much has happened since my last blog post which is why we're nearly 9 months since the last.  We've added foster parenting to our busy schedule and hope to adopt sometime this year.  The restaurant was also featured in the 2013 Saveur 100 at spot #39.  And there's been a slew of follow-up press after that.  But I did want to share a recent tasting dinner from Valentine's - my all-chocolate, nothing sweet dinner.

First course was a local rabbit liver paté infused with foraged hackberries and coated in 75% bitter chocolate.

 Second course is a beet soup with yogurt boba, fillo cap and sesame oil powder.

Third course used Mastiha that I read about in a recent Art of Eating.

 Mastiha brined prawns with beet greens, 85% chocolate mousse, and mastiha infused olive oil.

Smoked salmon filled black cocoa ravioli in a cacao parma consommé with Chinese black moss.

 

 Almond milk gelée coated in miroire with fiery salted coconut, bee pollen and salt cured egg yolk.

 Orange masa tamal with goat cheese and black garlic topped with caramelized cacao nibs.

Indian scented cauliflower with coriander and green cardamom, coated in black chocolate and in seasoned butter sauce

 Cocoa rubbed local goat chop with peanut cacao crumb and beet.

 Cocoa water sous vide rabbit loin, blood orange and banana polenta.

Photos by Jay Hemphill Photography
Dishes by Bauscher USA including Bauscher and Tafelstern
Curious Kumquat