Incredible Edibles

Saturday, January 19, 2012 – Incredible Edibles

I promised Elisa and Christian that I wouldn’t reveal the name of the restaurant where we ate on Saturday night.  It’s a tiny place where it’s already hard to get a reservation, and they don’t want it to be discovered by others.  I feel honored that they chose this setting for my final dinner in New York. 

Our reservation was for 9:30 p.m.  Since we had to wait until nearly 10 o’clock to be seated, the manager brought over complimentary glasses of wine after about 15 minutes.  The wine, a Spanish verdejo, was a crisp white that reminded us of a sauvignon blanc.  Once we were seated at the U-shaped bar, the truly exciting part of the evening began.  Rather than ordering from a menu, we simply noted our preferences to the manager – no meat, fish is okay, avoid nuts.  While we were waiting for the first of our tasting plates to arrive, we could observe the artistry of the chefs who were working right in front of us.  The physical set-up created a performance that was an integral part of the culinary adventure.  All we had to do was choose the wine (a Spanish tempranillo), then sit back and enjoy.

Watching the chefs at work

Without further ado, I’ll give you a rundown of the incredible dishes we sampled.  Elisa’s photos will help you visualize the experience.  Just keep in mind that mere words can’t do justice to the flavors.

A salad of micro-greens and a soft Spanish cheese.  I can’t remember exactly what was in the vinaigrette.  That crispy flatbread on top provided a delightful crunch.

A dish of roasted winter vegetables, including red and golden beets and Brussels sprouts, garnished with a seaweed paste.  Such rich flavors.

Soft scrambled eggs served in what appeared to be a large egg shell, blanketed with a cauliflower puree and pimenton croutons. 

Lightly grilled sea bass with a foamy Riesling emulsion. 

Braised octopus with smoked potatoes and seaweed emulsion.  The most tender octopus I’ve ever eaten and those smoked potatoes were to die for.  Note:  Elisa and I concurred that this was our favorite dish.

A delicate fresh pasta with cheese and an assortment of exotic mushrooms. 

Flatbread topped with red onion jam and grilled diced vegetables.  Christian could have eaten all of this himself, but we wouldn’t let him. 

A wonderful farro and chickpea salad.  We detected some citrus flavors in the mixture.   

After these eight tasting plates, we were ready to share a dessert.  Unfortunately, the dark chocolate custard with coconut, crème anglaise, and pineapple was plated with chocolate covered macadamia nuts so Christian (who is highly allergic to nuts) was unable to participate in the final course.  We offered to stop at a creperie on the way back to the apartment, but he assured us that he was completely satisfied, as were Elisa and I. 

This evening’s dining experience was such a treat.  Thanks to Elisa and Christian not only for bringing me to this temple of incredible edibles, but also for being such delightful dining companions.  I’m looking forward to sharing many more culinary adventures with both of you.