Had an amazing dinner at Eleven Madison Park (thank you, thank you, Mom!). We'd been looking forward to it for ages and were not disappointed. The food was luscious, wonderfully seasonal and creatively prepared. I was inspired to stretch my boundaries and try frog legs for the first time - turns out I like them! They didn't taste JUST like chicken. They were similar to chicken in their mildness and texture, but had an earthier flavor. The restaurant is in a grand space in an old bank and has pretty art deco details, high ceilings, and huge windows. The sun set as we ate, so we got to experience the changing atmosphere. The service was warm, attentive and knowledgeable. We ate:
an amuse of carrot marshmallow, tuna tartare, foie gras with asparagus gelee, mushroom tart and cornet of veal sweetbreads. we'd had the marshmallow before, when we had come for lunch, and I was very excited to see this favorite again - it has an unexpectedly rich tangy flavor. love it! all the rest were nice, too.
a second amuse of cold pea soup with buttermilk and ham. bright and seasonal. my martini was prepared tableside and served with lots of particularly fantastic olives and marcona almonds.
this had to be the prettiest dish. be sure to click on it to see it larger. "Peekytoe Crab Salad with Pickled Daikon Radish, Crustacean Mayonnaise and Spring Flowers" the flowers were pressed between thin slices of radish, delicate as stained glass, and set on little mouthfuls of crab salad.
here are my frog legs! "Knoll Krest Farm Egg Slow Cooked with Vin Jaune, Oregon Morels and Everglades Frogs’ Legs" luscious, earthy, primal. the cream colored sauce is a lemony zabaglione, and the darker one is a mushroom puree. the slow cooked egg gushed yolk when cut into, richly glazing the mushrooms and frog meat.
"Lynnhaven Farms Goat’s Milk Ricotta Gnocchi with Artichokes, Taggiasca Olives and Bacon" might actually upset the spotted pig's gnudi from top of the ricotta gnocchi list. "rich and tasty," says doug. and again, truly excellent olives. must try to get some of these!
"Atlantic Halibut Slow Cooked with Artichoke Barigoule and Tomatoes" i believe this was sous-vide'd - it was absolutely perfectly and consistently cooked through. moist and tender, with bright, lemony, herby accents. and a few little curried mussels. i normally hate mussels, but these were tasty morsels.
"St. Canut Farm Cochon de Lait Roasted with Bing Cherries, Sweet Onion and Mustard" suckling pig, another dish perfectly cooked - moist and tender and complimented by the bright summery flavors of the sauce and cherries.
Nova Scotia Lobster in a deconstructed lasagna. Liberally sprinkled with flower petals and squash blossoms, and with herbs pressed into the sheets of lasagna.
chose this lovely burgundy chardonnay based on this recommendation - it matched our early summer dinner very well.
desserts:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Palette: Caramel Popcorn and Popcorn Ice Cream
Red Velvet: Cream Cheese Parfait, Rhubarb and Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream
Tahitian Vanilla Soufflé: Vermont Quark and Passion Fruit Sauce
all very nice, but the souffle was my favorite
and then...
complimentary finish of assorted macaroons and a delectable pear brandy. danger! they left the bottle of brandy on the table and encouraged us to help ourselves to as much as we wanted. it was so delicious, and with my judgment already impaired by a martini and a couple of glasses of wine, it was easy to keep drinking it. definitely boozy woozy by the time we rolled out, sated and happy. it was a special dinner, very celebratory - must do it again, when we actually have something to celebrate!
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