Del Posto ~ NYC

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Posted 15 Nov 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining

Chef Mark Ladner is a cool cat. He’s around 6 foot 4 inches tall with jet black hair and those massive signature eyeglasses. But the reason he’s so cool is the quality of the food he and his team produces at Del Posto down on 10th avenue in New York. For years he’s been the right hand to Chef Mario Batali appearing repeatedly as Mario’s right hand on all those Iron Chef episodes. All the while he’s manned the stoves at Del Posto earning a fantastic reputation for his food and for appearing in his long apron, starched white chef coat and paper sailors hat in the dining room. Cool cat indeed.

Chef Mark Ladner

On a recent trip to Manhattan I arrived 45 minutes early to sit at the bar and soak in the room (and a drink or two). Del Posto is a massive restaurant with potential for more than 500 seats (including the bar) although there aren’t nearly that many in the restaurant after Mario and partner Joe Bastianich cleared out a ton of seats a few years back.

The scale of the dining room is enhanced by the two storey interior with seating along a balcony on the second level just above the bar. Colors are beige, red, dark stained wood, granite and leather with hard wood floors by the bar and a magnificent tiled floor through the center of the room. A sweeping stone staircase with wrought iron railings anchors the center of the room. It’s a great room to observe. After thirty minutes sitting at the large granite bar on a leather padded stool, my table is ready.

The table cloth is pressed heavy damask and the glassware absolutely spotless. My server arrives with menus and I waive her off. Chef Ladner appears in his stark white chef’s clothes and asks how many courses to send out. He says “let me know when to stop, I don’t want to hurt you” with a laugh and heads back to the kitchen. His wonderful sommelier arrives and pours the first glass of the wine flight that accompanies the degustation menu. I love his sommelier. Last time I was here she turned me on to this fantastic yet affordable Roero Arneis from Piedmont by Bruno Giacosa and I have been drinking it ever since. The Arneis grape produces such a nice fresh, dry, light, mildly sweet white wine with notes of mineral; it’s perfect for Ladner’s selection of amuse bouche and mini Suppli. And that’s how my meal starts.

A selection of bread is brought over along with cows butter and rendered pork fat. Of course I dig into the light, perfectly tempered pork lard and spread it on crispy slices of bread. It’s delicious. As I sit waiting for the first course to arrive I can’t help but think about all those fantastic video’s Ladner posts on YouTube.  The latest posting of chef making a classic Le Virtu soup, pigs head and trotters and all is a favorite. Ladner regularly produces short two to three minute videos with a pretty high production quality. The secrets behind making several of the items on the menu, including the signature chocolate tree, are posted for all to see. My thoughts fade back into the present and I can’t help but notice how widely spaced the tables are; how quiet the dining room is; and how gentle and unobtrusive the servers are.

An empty wine glass quietly disappears and another appears and is filled with something new. The first course is placed just as the sommelier departs, flatware having magically appeared without me noticing. It’s a fresh crisp salad with beef tar tar essence and truffle vinaigrette. What a perfect light palate cleanser before starting down the path of a nine course meal.

Saffron Suppli with Gold Leaf

Greens and Herbs with Beef Tar Tar Essence and Truffle Vinaigrette

Vitello Tonnato

Salmon with Ciccioli

Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Nudi di Uovo, Bird’s Nest Style (asparagus julienne)

Scungile Due

Veal Braciole, Roasted Porcini alla Cacciatore & Broccoli Blossoms

Passion Fruit Cashew Gelato

Sfera di Caprino, Celery & Fig Agrodolce & Celery Sorbetto

Chocolate Tree

Jellies

Donuts, Tarts and Pops

Del Posto Ristorante

85 Tenth Avenue

New York, NY 10011

212-497-8090

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Chef Massimo Bottura Observed

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Posted 21 Oct 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining, Food Alert Trends, Full Service

Massimo Bottura is hustling back and forth in front of a draped stainless steel work table just minutes before his presentation is to begin.  The scheduled start time arrives and passes and, after another few minutes, he looks up. It’s obvious that Bottura is improvising and riffing in the kitchen and that he runs on his own schedule. My purpose is to spend the next 90 minutes with fifteen other participants observing Bottura’s mastery and getting into the head of one of the leading avant-garde chefs in all of Italy. This is the next best thing to dining at Bottura’s two Michelin star Osteria Francescana in Modena. Lucky for me his English is excellent.

There is no introduction on his part or any sort of overview of where we are headed. Instead he launches right into philosophy illuminating his emotional connection to Cotechino sausage with lentils, the traditional New Year’s Eve dish in Italy. His expression softens as he explains that lentils, according to tradition, represent the coins of wealth to be won in the coming year and how the dish triggers emotional memories of his youth and grandmother in particular. I am curious where he is headed with this. He turns, looks my way, stops and lets out his first nugget “you have to learn everything and then forget everything to create something incredible.” Bottura has one culinary hand connected to the past and one reaching toward the future.

He suggests that his dishes are an evolution rather than a revolution. They are drawn from many things including prior experiences in life, from his youth, from emotional events, from love. I connect the dots and realize that his passion for food started in his youth and that everything he envisions in rooted in this past. When you pair emotion and passion with mastery of fundamental and modern culinary technique the avante garde origin of Bottura’s cuisine is found. Evolution requires that you feed your heart, feed your soul and engage in tradition while redefining convention.

At this point Bottura lifts a small yellow ball between his thumb and index finger. It’s an immature egg found only in the visceral cavity of a dressed laying hen. When he was young, Bottura and his brothers would compete to secure the immature eggs inside hens being prepared for their family meal. He was fond of eating these little golden gems and today experiments with them as a receptacle for containing flavors. In a startling display of elegant simplicity Bottura’s assistant places an immature egg on a tiny white porcelain pedestal and draws out the liquid in the center using a large stainless steel syringe and replaces it with a fresh injection of Prosciutto di Parma ham broth ~ ham and eggs. They are delicious and representative of Bottura’s approach. Start with an item with deep significance, one that when eaten evokes memories and emotion, and innovate from there.

Next Bottura begins making ravioli with lentils and Cotechino while explaining that the ravioli is nothing more than a vessel for serving ideas.  He explains that questions are constantly flowing through his head “how can I make this, how can I do that?” He is constantly grinding and processing ideas and this is part of why Bottura is so different. He has mastered the techniques of critical reflection and problem solving and uses them both to create and innovate. Are these the skills of the modern chef?

Handing me ravioli, Bottura explains that his final point is leadership. A great two Michelin star restaurant like his runs on the backs of a large group of people committed to his vision. He is nothing without his team and assures that his success isn’t about him, it’s about his team. His point is sound; a great chef can’t do it alone. A chef must be able to lead and have followers willing to join or all the mastery of technique, professional experience and emotion are lost.  I suck down the ravioli and it is delicious. Bottura looks me in the eye, scans the rest of the people standing with me and explains that the ravioli reminds him of the ones he learned to make when he was a young boy.  Then he lets out his final snippet of philosophy:  “modern cuisine is about emotion as much as it is technique. For this I put my grandmother between meand Adria.” How cool is that.

 

Chef Massimo Bottura

Osteria Francescana

Via Stella 22, Modena 41100, Italy

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Jean Georges ~ NYC

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Posted 06 Oct 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining

Sitting here at Jean Georges I can help but think about the impact a three star award from the Guide Michelin has on a restaurant and its chef. It’s a timely thought as this past Tuesday the Guide Michelin released the 2012 dining guide for New York City. In deep Michelin thought I peer around the room and notice again how beautiful and formal Jean Georges is. The walls of glass create a modern feel and I love the soft lighting, sharp linen and the little alcove table for two recessed into the wall. The restaurant radiates simplified luxury and quality in every corner. Taking it in, I consider what may be a fading edge in formal fine dining with the 2012 edition of the Guide Michelin. That the Guide has awarded three stars to the informal and playful Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare is proof enough that fine dining in general is loosening up and proof again that Michelin’s criteria is changing too. The American dining public is becoming less formal putting its energy and cash into food, service and comfort with decreasing concern for formal décor a frills. Maybe this shift is influencing Michelin as much as the outstanding food at Chef’s Table is. Perhaps this the dawn of the demise of the formal classically French three star restaurant in place of a new less formal genre?  I am torn.

One force that may be driving this shift is the gain in financial returns that occurs when moving from formal to casual. Simply put casual dining costs less to deliver and doesn’t require a sacrifice in food quality. I recently heard Bill Kim of Belly Shack and Urban Belly rave about the double digit margins he is earning in the fast casual segment claiming that his retail market is nothing more than his inventory on display and for sale thus serving as another conduit for profit without additional labor. This is the same model Brooklyn Fare follows with Chef’s Table, all without a wine list or liquor license. Even Michelin is shifting to casual.

I couldn’t help but think about this while I soaked in the action in the dining room at Jean Georges. It makes me wonder if Jean Georges, Eric Ripert, Daniel Bolud, Thomas Keller, Masayoshi Takayama and, as of this week, Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park (another new three star) are disappointed that a restaurant as informal as Chef’s Table earned a nod. Having dined at Jean Georges multiple times, I have never had a meal where I couldn’t find a great wine and progression of courses to satisfy my cravings. That Vongerichten and the others have spent millions on wine cellars, remote storage, liability and inventory insurance, staffing and training only to be placed in the same category as a restaurant like Chef’s Table with no wine or liquor service (or inventory expense) must be frustrating. I can only imagine what Jean Georges would be like if the restaurant had none of these expenses and was solely focused on the food. This is even more frustrating when you consider the other outstanding restaurants with great food and extensive wine and beverage lists in New York (a prime example is Del Posto) that Michelin seems to ignore. I take another bite of Spicy Tuna Tar Tar and think WTF. Enough about Michelin, it’s time to settle in, change my focus and enjoy dinner.

My table is attended by three servers. Their performance is absolutely smooth if not a bit inefficient. More than one hot course placed before me waits while the captain runs back to the kitchen to pick up a sauce boat and deliver a pour of hot sauce à la minute. It would have been better if the sauce immediately followed the plate drop. But these are little details that most people probably fail to notice and service doesn’t really suffer. The service ware (I love the JG plates), linen, décor, and cleanliness are nearly flawless and the silver cloche over the butter dish and tight bouquet of fresh roses on the table make for a classic still life on the table. This is the image that comes to mind when I think of three Michelin stars. It’s about more than just the food. Or is it?

You can see from the images below that the food at Jean Georges is well prepared. Aside from a problem with repetition (two courses repeated shrimp and two courses repeated saffron) the food is as good as ever. The egg toast with American caviar and sea bass with roasted Brussels sprouts and apple jus are absolute stand outs. Even better are the desserts prepared by rock star pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini. Each dessert plate feature four distinct section with unique elements married together by season, flavor or theme. Iuzzini sends out all four examples on his menu and follows with fresh marshmallows from a giant jar and nine different friandise. That our server can identify and describe in detail each of the nine chocolates before us is impressive. Maybe, in the long run, restaurants like Jean Georges will survive along with newer stars like Chef’s Table. Better yet, the selection of Chef’s Table to the three star club may be just the kick Jean Georges needs to go to the next level.

 

#1 Amuse of Shrimp with Peach, Yellow Pepper Gazpacho, Jalapeño Popper

 

#2 Egg toast, American Caviar, Brioche Toast, Tender Egg Yolk

 

#3 Spicy Tuna Tar Tar with Black Olive and Cucumber

 

#4 Charred Corn Ravioli, Cherry Tomato Salad, Basil Fondue

#5 Shrimp with Chipotle, Kabocha Squash, Saffron Broth

#6 Crispy Skin Black Sea Bass, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Spiced Red Apple Jus

 

#7 Poached Lobster, Saffron Tapioca, Gewurztraminer Foam

 

#8 Minted Rack of Lamb, Autumn Mushrooms, Red Curry Emulsion

 

#9 Autumn Dessert Tasting One

 

#10 Autumn Dessert Tasting Two

#11 Autumn Dessert Tasting Three

 

#12 Autumn Dessert Tasting Four

 

Macaroons on Flying Saucer Plate

~~~

 

Jean Georges

1 Central Park West

New York, N.Y. 10023

212-299-3900

 

 

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Persimmon ~ Bristol, RI

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Posted 30 Sep 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining

Entering Persimmon restaurant in Bristol, Rhode Island is like walking into a French impressionist painting. The entrance is pastel green painted brick with large inviting windows wonderfully weighted with planters overflowing with ivy and geraniums. Pass through the large red front door into the serene and subtly decorated dining room and you fall into the comfort and care of the lovely Lisa Speidel, wife of Chef and co-owner Champe Speidel.  Take notice of the small framed photo on the maitre d’ stand located to the right of the entryway; it’s a loving photo of Lisa and Champe on their wedding day. The meaning isn’t lost on me. Pausing, I realize that this dining room is a place where Lisa spends dozens of hours a week. It is her office, her production floor, her work space and, at times when customers aren’t present, her respite from a busy day. I am a guest now awash with comfort and I feel like I am sitting in the Speidel’s living room. Persimmon evokes a relaxing vibe and feels right. All this emotion and feeling in a matter of minutes upon entering the restaurant.

Tucked into a four-top by one of the front windows, I can see most of the dining room. All the tables are full and people are visibly relaxed and comfortable on this sunny late summer evening; remnants of the sun painting parts of the room varying shades of yellow and orange. My server approaches and reviews the menu, takes my wine order and departs at a comfortable pace. Wine in hand, my first course arrives; a plate of warm Quonset Point oysters with wakame seaweed butter. I know these oysters, they are
from Bill Silke’s American Mussel Harvesters salt water farm just down Narragansett Bay. There’s fresh and then there’s AMH fresh and nothing is better, these are as good as oysters get.

Warm Quonset Point Oysters, Wakame Seaweed Butter

Chef Champe Speidel is a James Beard Best Chef Northeast finalist for 2011 and the recognition is well deserved and overdue. Speidel opened Persimmon in 2005 with just 38 seats, vision and deep passion for the culinary profession. Having run a small fine dining restaurant myself for several years, I can only imagine how hard he works to make a restaurant with such limited seating profitable. He is soft spoken yet precise and, according to the ladies I know his good looks are the definition of dashing. From my perspective he’s a professional chef’s chef and the town of Bristol is lucky to have him.

The oysters are followed by a delicate scallop crudo garnished with herbs and thinly sliced red chili. I know the herbs and garnish are from a farm just up the road from the restaurant and suspect the massive sea scallops are from New Bedford, MA. Speidel knows what he likes and isn’t afraid to stray away from hyper local items in favor of foods reminiscent of his youth in Florida like the Red Drum fillets on the menu tonight. Spiced with Andouille sausage and little neck clams rich with umami, this clearly isn’t a Rhode Island dish but it sure is delicious and satisfying.

Scallop Crudo with Fresh Herbs and Red Chili

Like Rhode Island as a whole, Bristol has a disproportionate number of great restaurants relative to its size. Just one block from the stunning harbor and marina, Persimmon is in its own class and floats among the best restaurants in the country from a service and quality perspective. It isn’t New York chic or tightly wound like the best modernist restaurants of Chicago; it’s a classic local restaurant serving world class food without the fuss. It fits its surroundings in Bristol perfectly but could just as easily be located on the upper east side of Manhattan or the south end of Boston. Once inside this Monet painting of a restaurant you forget the outside world anyway; it’s the food that takes you away.

 Foie Gras with Lamb Neck Confit

Red Drum Fillet, Andoullie, Little Necks

Lamb Loin, Sausage, Belly, Rillettes

Warm Salad of Native Summer Vegetales, Herbs, Flowers, Vegetable Crisps, Creamy Dressing

Carrot Cake

~~~~~

Persimmon Restaurant

31 State St.

Bristol, RI 02809

401-254-7474

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Spur ~ Seattle

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Posted 24 Sep 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining

It’s a Wednesday night and I am sitting at a table in the dining room at Spur in Seattle with Chef Dana Tough, a true culinary professional and rising national star. Tough, whose boyish looks betrays tremendous talent, and co-chef Brian McCracken opened Spur in Seattle’s Belletown neighborhood in 2008 and have never looked back. Within the first year they built a reputation for an innovative approach to modern American gastronomy.  As I sit with Dana, a black and white image of the canals of Amsterdam is projected via an LCD projector on a whitewashed interior wall. The room is dimly lit and the projected image casts a classic European tone in the room. It makes me feel cool and jazzy, relaxed and hip. Dana laughs and tells me that on other nights he projects black and white spaghetti westerns on the screen much to his customers delight. I am here to eat and to talk innovation and we are off to a good start. Staring at Dana I wonder if, perhaps, the most innovative thing about Spur is its leadership model.

It’s About Leadership

Spur has two head chefs. It’s very rare to find a restaurant where two chefs, side by side, ply their trade and achieve greatness without a train wreck of ego and rivalry. Sitting here I am subtly observant, seeking evidence whether the two chef model works at Spur. Halfway through our meal Chef Brian McCracken comes in and stops by our table. He is smiling because it’s his birthday. Dana smiles back and shakes his hand. The authenticity in his smile and genuine professional regard between the two leaves me amazed. Having two chefs in one restaurant is unprecedented. Most restaurants have a hierarchy with one chef at the top serving as pack leader and a bunch of followers below. Spur thrives because McCracken and Tough collaborate and the restaurant bubbles with a positive atmosphere and happy yet hardworking staff. That McCracken came into the restaurant on his birthday to say hello and have a drink suggests that Spur is more than just a business, it’s a passion. I can tell he loves the place and that Dana and he respect the hell out of each other. Real collaboration is
innovative in the restaurant business.

It’s About People

If innovation is about problem solving, one problem Spur has is that it is extremely busy with no room for growth. In turn, McCracken and Tough talk about the launch of Coterie Room, a new restaurant venture adjacent to Spur. The “McToughen” team as they are known in Seattle have three restaurants (Spur, Tavern Law, Coterie) with no expectation of slowing down. Both speak about the need to find pathways for advancement of their talented staff members and expansion provides new opportunities for all. Innovation not only includes outright rejection of the old-school brigade system for a higher form of collaboration, it includes a concern for growth and personnel, quality of work life and advancement.

It’s About Food and Drink

Dana heads back to the kitchen and I start down the path of nine courses randomly selected from the menu. Spur defines the modern American Gastropub and may have in fact invented it. Each dish that arrives is perfectly portioned, and dynamic with a modernist aesthetic. I start with a beautiful foie gras terrine with rhubarb, rose and sorrel. What follows includes eight additional masterfully prepared courses and several fresh, craft made cocktails. Execution is excellent save one protein that may have been in a thermal circulator for a bit too long. Flavor progression is nice even though the items Dana selected are a mix and match of the a la carte menu. This tells me that the overall menu is thoughtfully designed. The food exceeds my expectations and Dana and Brian do as well.

~~~

Foie Gras Terrine, Rhubarb, Rose, Sorrel

 

Tomatoes and Melon

Big Eye Tuna Crudo, Caviar, Avocado, Radish

 

Veal Sweetbreads, Bing Cherry, Corn, Lemon Verbena

 

Corned Duck Breast, Stone Fruit, Chanterelle, Leek

 

Parisian Gnocchi, Turnip, English Peas, Truffle

 

Waygu Sirloin, Cauliflower, Baby Artichoke, Almond Gremolata

 

Strawberry, Vanilla Cream, Rhubarb Ice Cream

 

Chocolate Torte, Bing Cherry, Peanut, Sorrel

~~~

Spur

113 Blanchard Street,

Seattle, Washington, 98121

206.728.6706

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Sportello Restaurant ~ Boston

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Posted 01 Sep 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining

Barbra Lynch seems to design her restaurants so they run better without her than with her.  Don’t get me wrong, Chef Lynch is at the center of her restaurant group. She is the visionary and the driving force behind every new concept and outlet. However, her restaurants are well run and the food at each and every one is consistently excellent, not just excellent when Barbara is in the house. I admire this.

A recent trip to Sportello, Lynch’s take on a modern lunch counter, is a case in point. I arrive a bit before lunch and take a seat on a black bar stool at the end of the counter closest to the hot line. Sportello is located next door to Menton, Lynch’s fine dining outpost in the Seaport (Fort Point) neighborhood of Boston and one flight of stairs above Lynch’s wonderful bar Drink.

My server is just across the counter at the point of sales system talking with a colleague about the graduate courses she is taking in Gastronomy at Boston University. I can’t help but hear her quick but detailed description of the course and the words she uses suggests to me that she is a writer and an intellect.  To my left, a heavy set chef walks past, glances at her and takes up station on the hot line. He makes eye contact with me for a second and smiles slightly and turns away to finish his station prep.

The kitchen at Sportello is wide open to the dining counter; the entire culinary crew is on stage. Now my server approaches and takes a drink order. I ask about BU and she smiles and fills me in on her background. She’s working for Lynch to build her resume and learn the business while hoping her graduate degree will lead to greener pastures in the world of food, food writing, teaching or, perhaps restaurant ownership.

Off she goes to pull my drink order while I study the menu seeking options. She’s back now with some suggestions. I ask her to bring me the two best selling items on the menu and she agrees to deliver a tagliatelle with sauce Bolognese and fried basil and her favorite item: a strozzapreti (hand rolled “priest chokers) with braised rabbit, picholine olives and rosemary. I am game so off she goes again.

First up: a hot plate of tagliatelle topped with finely grated pecorino. For years I have been making an excellent tagliatelle, one that I roll a few extra times through the pasta machine to assure that the thin sheets have excellent bite after being cooked al dente, a la minute. The tagliatelle (the pasta itself) at Sportello exceeds my expectations. Better yet, the Bolognese is the real deal and not overcooked like so many I have tried. It’s rich with a deep meat and tomato flavor. The basil leaf adds color and aroma; an excellent simple dish.

Second: the strozzapreti. The rustic inconsistency of the shapes of this hand-rolled deliciously light pasta is endearing. After braising the rabbit the sauce is reduced by eighty percent into a savory brown glace that clings with gelatinous tenacity to the pasta. Each piece of rabbit is moist and fork-tender throughout. This is a very rich dish that is cut by the light bitterness of the picholine olives and the saltiness of the pecorino. By the way, I ordered half portions knowing that Sportello would be generous. The rabbit is the best I have had in Boston.

Prior to heading for the door I sample a small plate of fresh ricotta (usually an amuse at Sportello) as a dessert and it is a perfect ending. Not once did any employee at Sportello flash Chef Lynch’s picture in my face. Her image isn’t glued to the wall nor is it pasted across the menu. Sportello is a standalone restaurant with a good professional, smart crew that executes Lynch’s cuisine with no pretense and with no need to stand on her shoulders all day long. I like this restaurant and, as I have said before, I like Barbara Lynch.

Sportello

348 Congress St

Boston, MA 02210

617-737-1234

 

 

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Aviary & Office ~ Chicago, IL

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Posted 26 Aug 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining, Food Alert Trends

Cloudy Grey Chicago

It’s one of those warm comfortable yet rainy evenings when the air is dry enough to evaporate within minutes the droplets that rest on the surface of my lightly moistened blue sport coat. I am in Chicago and the sun is straining to break through the smoky gray clouds just over my head. Out of pure luck and a true comedy of errors I unexpectedly find myself in line just outside of Aviary, Chef Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas’ widely regarded gastro-bar on West Fulton Market. It’s a Saturday night and I am alone surrounded by a group of polished, beautiful people waiting to enter the hippest bar in the country. They have reservations. I do not.

 

Outside Aviary & Office

It’s a funny story really. A friend and I agree to meet on short notice in Chicago for a quick drive to Iowa for some personal business. He departs his airport at 5:00 pm and I depart my airport at 5:00pm, we assume our arrival times are identical. I land at 6:00 pm and text him to see where he is and find that he hasn’t left yet and is just arriving at his airport. For a split second I am confused then I laugh. Like knuckleheads we both failed to take into consideration the time zone difference between us. His 5:00 pm departure will put him in Chicago at 8:00 pm; I now have two hours of precious time to spare. We both joke via text at our mutual lack of mindfulness. Shortly after he texts me back and asks which airport I landed at, O’Hare or Midway. Of course I am at Midway and he is headed to O’Hare which is 45 minutes to the north. This is getting ridiculous. I agree to grab a rental car and head north to O’Hare to meet him.  Thirty minutes later I am headed out to route 55 on my way to O’Hare when he texts me again, he’s delayed for two hours and wont land until 10:00 in the evening. Now I have just over three hours of found time to kill. Without hesitation I key the address for Aviary into my GPS and head into town (admit it, you would do the same).

The Bird Cage at Aviary

I pull to the curb on West Fulton Market.  Aviary is around here somewhere. There is no sign, nor is there a street number on the building that I can see. The line of people standing in front of an entrance to a brick commercial building at the corner of West Fulton Market and North Morgan Street clues me in.  Walking the wide sidewalk lined with hard plastic seating and neatly trimmed arborvitae, I approach a gentleman keeping watch just in front of the door with a clip board in his hand and a secret service ear piece in his ear. The doorman asks for my name, scanning his reservation list. I give him my name and inform him that I don’t have a reservation. He smiles and radios in to dispatch that he has a single walk-up at the door and departs to speak with the next group of guests. Fifteen minutes later I am inside sitting at a large high-backed upholstered banquette surrounded by the same beautiful people who were waiting outside with me just moments ago.

Cocktail Kitchen

Aviary is dimly lit inside. The interior is sultry, minimalist, and sexy more than romantic. To the right of the entrance is a steel cage with seating on one side and the kitchen on the other, this must be the bird cage. The space is chic, modern, monochromatic, and runs with a steady air of exclusivity and the prices to go with it. Like Alinea, there’s a prix fixe cocktail menu (3 drinks for $45) and drinks sold a la carte. The range of cocktail options is wide, from a classic Margarita with agave, Fresno chili, and rare tequila to a contemporary peach cocktail with maple sap, angostura, white port, and wheat whiskey. Food selections are limited to a list of ten “bites” which are actually small hors d’ oeuvres sold in groups of three (between $3 and $5 each).

A Peek at NEXT

I order the Margarita to get things started and it exceeds my expectations. The balance between the sweet agave and sour lime is contrasted by the time-released heat of the Fresno chili which is encapsulated in ice cubes and blends in as they melt. The more you drink,the less liquid in the glass, the greater the proportion of melting ice, the spicier the drink (how cool is that). And that’s the point. Aviary is an amazing place because it is so well thought out. From the mysterious unmarked exterior to the polished high-end interior, Aviary reflects a deep level of planning and design. The kitchen and cocktail preparation area is unlike any that I have seen right down to the custom stainless work tables and curved drink wells. Innovation is manifest in every corner. I take a few more sips of my drink and set it aside (I have to drive later and need to take it easy).

The Secret Door to Office

After sampling a few “bites” I wrap things up and get ready to leave in an effort to remain conservative with my spending (one problem with Aviary is that it is ridiculously expensive). My server stops over and inquires whether I would like to visit the private, invitation only speak-easy located in the basement. It’s an offer I can refuse. The “Office” is a classic sixteen seat masculine feeling, leather and hard-wood bar and a stark contrast to Aviary. Taking a seat at the bar, I initiate what becomes an hour long discussion with the bar tender while sampling two more cocktails. I order a plate of Oysters (Island Creeks from Duxbury, MA) and they’re served with a plate of six essential oils in small glass bottles with stoppers. The essential oils are a simple innovation that adds tremendous flavor to the oyster without spoiling such a pure, flavorful food.

Island Creek Oysters, Essential Oils

Time running short and my wallet is now empty so I head back up the stairs and out the door. Reflecting on my time at Aviary and the Office it strikes me how well organized, efficient, and profitable this little corner of the culinary world is (including Next which is right next door). It isn’t a secret that running a fine dining restaurant like Alinea isn’t the most efficient way to make money. Aviary, the Office and Next absolutely are. Just as Alinea was a laboratory for Achatz to exercise his culinary genius, my guess is that Aviary, the Office and Next were deeply influenced by Kokonas’ expertise in making money, something he proved as a commodities trader in Chicago. Over the next 24-36 months Achatz and Kokonas will be flush with additional financial resources generated from the successful business model Aviary, Office and Next have become. With all those resources, I wonder what they will come up with next.

The Office Bar

~~~

 The Aviary & Office

953 W Fulton Market

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 867-0110

http://www.theaviary.com/

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The Home Port ~ Martha’s Vineyard

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Posted 16 Aug 2011 — by S.E.
Category Full Service, Travel, Warms My Heart

You would think that sustainable seafood is a focus on Martha’s Vineyard but it isn’t, at least not to the extent it should be. Some restaurants, more than a few in fact, offer a sustainable choice or two but there are few if any as dedicated to sustainable seafood as The Home Port restaurant in the sleepy little fishing village of Menemsha located on the lower west side of this triangle shaped island. Don’t get me wrong, there are good restaurants on the island and some of them offer a sustainable seafood choice or two but none have integrated sustainable seafood into the operation in a manner that even comes close to The Home Port.

The Home Port Restaurant Back Deck, Menemsha, MA

The Home Port is an institution. In business since 1930, it’s a beloved landmark and family dining destination. Situated just on the eastern side of Menemsha harbor The Home Port faces south west offering deck side diners a view of one of the nicest sunsets on the east coast. My first visit here was twenty years ago and nothing about the restaurant has changed….except the menu.

Dining Room with Blue Glasses

I arrive in a group of four and a smiling college-age server leads us over to a table along the far wall along a bank of windows. She takes a quick beverage order (The Home Port is BYOB) and departs for a few seconds while we settle in. The sun is hanging low over the horizon painting the interior of the restaurant in light orange and yellow. Tables are hard pine and maple as are the walls and trim that compliment solid wooden chairs with just the right patina for a restaurant this old. The flatware and china are simple and you won’t find table linens or cloth napkins here.  This is the type of place where, when eating a lobster, you wear a goofy plastic bib printed with a step-by-step set of instructions for how to eat it (you know the one). No pretension here. Dozens of fish, well preserved by a taxidermist, line an entire wooden wall.  It’s such a wonderful, bright, warm and inviting dining room and I love being here.

Customers Under Taxidermied Fish

For years the Mayhew family (a Vineyard institution in and of themselves) ran The Home Port. More recently, for 32 years until 2009 to be precise, Will Holtham owned and operated the restaurant. Holtham, author of the just released Home Port Cookbook, decided to sell in 2009 and the Town of Chilmark proposed purchasing it for cool $2,000,000 so they could demolish it in the name of progress…a parking lot and public bathrooms. Enter a counter offer from Bob and Sara Nixon, owners of the Menesha and Beach Plum Inns. After a quick vote by the residents of the Town of Chilmark, the Nixon’s saved The Home Port and Holtham was on his way into retirement, cash, recipes and cookbook deal in hand.

Oysters on the Back Deck

After becoming involved with the local Fisherman’s Association Sara announced on May 27th, 2011 that The Home Port would only serve locally caught fish. By locally caught, she means fish that are caught in the coastal waters surrounding the island and landed on local docks.  I love it (go Sarah)! No one on the island is as deeply committed to sustainable seafood as Sarah and Bob and they changed their business model to prove it. This is why I am here.

Server With Specials

My server is back and she presents the table with a medium sized chalk board that lists all the specials for the evening. The Cherry Stones and Little Necks are from Menemsha (delicious), the Oysters are from Katama (exquisite), the Fluke, Bluefish and Squid are from Menemsha too. I order the bluefish with creamed corn just to give it a shot. To my delight, the fish is absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. Bluefish is great but is has to be perfectly fresh, the fish has no shelf life. It’s best when seared or broiled hot with the skin intact, scales removed, since the flesh cooks quickly and falls apart easily. My fish had the skin intact, was crispy on the top and moist in the middle. Most people think of bluefish as a trash fish but when served correctly like this, it’s wonderful. I also have a taste of the local fluke and, although presented
simply (almost too simply) it too is perfectly cooked and well seasoned if not a bit ugly.

Blue Fish Looking at You

As I said before, The Home Port serves simple food. You won’t find the latest culinary trend or the most outrageous presentations in the world but you will find good and, better yet, local fish served properly cooked and well seasoned. Arrive just before sunset, sit on the back deck, bring your own booze and order one of the local sustainable seafood items. Enjoy!

Sautéed Fluke with Lemon Brown Butter, Kale and Local
Tomatoes, Boiled Potatoes

Broiled Bluefish with Parsley Butter and Local Creamed Corn

Menemsha Sunset

The Home Port Restaurant

512 North Road

Menemsha, MA 02252

(508) 645-2679

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Louie’s Back Yard ~ Key West, FL

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Posted 08 Aug 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining, Travel

Pepe’s Restaurant circa 1909

Arriving in Key West, I research the local restaurant scene and make some decisions about where to go. A couple of restaurants attract my interest but, to be honest, I am just as exited to take some time and wander around town having last been here more than five years ago. I like the Key’s, the local pink shrimp, Jimmy Buffet, Ernest Hemingway, and treasure hunter Mel Fisher. The great many free spirits that call the Conch Republic home add texture and because of them Key West always provides for something unusual or unexpected. Stepping out of the steaming hot rental car, I am punched in the face by the humidity and heat. I need a cold drink. That’s how things start in Key West; the heat naturally forces you to find a cold drink and soon enough things are loosened up. Time to find a watering hole and some vittles.

Key West Cuban Coffee Queen

Prior to driving to lunch I roll over to Caroline Street for a Cuban Coffee on ice to accompany me while I drive. The Cuban Coffee Queen serves the best coffee and Panini sandwiches on the island and it’s still early enough for another cup. Plus, the location is nice for a short stroll. There are souvenir shops right next to the Coffee Queen with just the kind of strange, cheap, waste-of-money things that captivate me. Further down on the waterfront huge tarpon roll underneath the docks and perform if you toss some bait into the water.  Right across the street from the queen is Pepe’s restaurant, one of the oldest in Key West. One quick stop for coffee and I am starting to feel settled into a Key West groove and ready to eat.

Coconut Pirates Heads ~ Tourist Trap on Waterfront

Key West has always had good restaurants. On this trip, I am looking for an established place to eat not the most recent or trendiest. It doesn’t take long for me to head to Louie’s Back Yard. In addition to chasing a cold drink and some food, the other reason I am at Louie’s Back Yard is so I can sit on the back deck and soak in the vibe just like Chef Norman Van Aken did back in 1987. I even selected the time of day to approximate Norman’s experience as closely as possible; Norman had his epiphany while sitting on the deck during the morning. You see, Norman Van Aken, a chef who I have admired for more than 25 years and the one, who arguably gave birth to what we recognize as the regional cuisine of south Florida, was the chef at Louie’s Back Yard back in 1987. It was just five years after Pat and Phil Tenney bought the place and renovated it in 1982 that Norman decided to shift his culinary focus to a Nuevo Cuban
cuisine.

Louie’s Back Yard

It didn’t take long or people to notice. Under Van Aken’s watch, a young Charlie Trotter ventured own to the Keys and spent a season in the kitchen earning his stripes in the Conch Republic. Trotter points to this time with Van Aken as critical to his own culinary development and focus. Twenty five years later and I am sitting on the back deck, ice cold beverage in hand, enjoying a light breeze. Although I don’t expect to find anything new or earth shattering at Louie’s or major urban technical cuisine this far into seasonal tourist territory, I know the food is good and the restaurant has made its mark on American regional cuisine.

Louie’s Back Yard Interior

Back in January 2011 the New York Times published a “36 hours in” article on Key West and mentioned Louie’s as a perfect place for a cold cocktail comparing it to an “outdoor Cheers” with a crowd of artists and displaced New Englanders escaping the cold. Today, the deck is nearly empty because it’s so hot but people appear to be enjoying themselves. The view is stunning and service is sound if not slowed a bit because of the heat.  Rather than fuss I order the daily fish special and then screen the menu for the most unusual thing I can find.

Louie’s Back Yard Deck

The special is straight out of Norman Van Aken’s play book consisting of a sautéed Yellow Tail Snapper over grilled peach cous cous with watercress salad. Simply prepared and presented, this dish is correctly cooked and delicious. It is also light as a feather and just the kind of entrée for the weather. The other dish I order is a bid odd but certainly interesting. It consists of two large poached duck eggs drizzled with wasabi hollandaise on toast topped with crab legs. Small round soy pearls are sprinkled over the top of the dish as garnish. This is not a dish Norman would have served nor one that quite fits my image of Louie’s but the draw of modernist cuisine goes far and wide; all the way down to Key West I guess. The Snapper is a winner, the duck eggs are tasty but don’t fit my preconceived notion of Key West cuisine. Still, Louie’s Back Yard remains worth the trip and the traditional dishes on the menu are outstanding. The restaurant is extremely well maintained and is a standout compared to many in Key West and the service crew is dedicated and professional, another unique feature compared to other restaurants in the Keys.


Louie’s Back Yard Bar

It’s just past mid-day now, I am finished eating and wander down to the deck bar and grab a seat in the shade facing the ocean. Although I wonder if Hemingway ever visited this house, I am sure that Van Aken did and that his presence can still be felt here all these years later.

 

Ciabatta, Dried Cranberry Nut Muffins

 

Sweet Crab and Duck Eggs Benedict with Wasabi Hollandaise and Soy
Pearls

 

Sautéed Yellow Tail Snapper over Grilled Peach Cous Cous with
Watercress Salad

 

Louie’s Back Yard

700 Waddell Ave

Key West, FL

305-294-1061

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Canlis Restaurant, Seattle

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Posted 29 Jul 2011 — by S.E.
Category Fine Dining

It’s nearing sunset on a crystal clear blue-sky day in Seattle and I need to relax.  My meetings required traversing the city at  morning and evening rush hour and a good part of the day was wasted in traffic. I hate traffic. Now that’s all behind me and I am on my way to dinner. After a few wrong turns (as usual) I find Canlis restaurant and pull up to the front entrance. The building is a dark brown wooden gem with a modern mid-20th century “Frank Lloyd Wright meets the North West” aesthetic including large exterior walls of pitched glass facing Lake Union down below. I step out of the car and the valet opens the double glass door entrance for me and takes my car keys. Before I can turn around, he is gone with my car and I walk away wondering why he didn’t provide a claim check prior to departing. Shrugging it off, I head for reception to check in and after a very short wait find myself sitting in the lower dining room facing the windows and a magnificent view.

Peter Canlis founded his namesake restaurant 1950 when he was 69 years old after a career in the hospitality industry that spanned the globe from Greece to Cairo to New York, Hawaii and, ultimately, Seattle. According to family history Peter is credited with being an expert restaurateur and innovator and was one of the first in the country to employ team-style service n the dining room. He also understood how to create a niche for the restaurant and, in addition to excellence in the kitchen, employed  kimono-clad waitresses in his dining room; a likely influence that travelled back with him from his stint in Hawaii. Stunning photos of these waitresses serving the likes of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior and Frank Sinatra line the wall along the back stairwell to the restaurant. Peter was a genius and Canlis was a definite “A-List” restaurant from the very beginning.

Incredible as Peter’s story is the leadership displayed by third generation owners Mark and Brian Canlis (Peter’s grandsons) is equally impressive. Talent is woven into the genetic fiber of this family. After taking the restaurant over from their parents (Chris and Alice) in 2005 Mark and Brian came to a point where they had to either sell the restaurant or double down, go all-in, and reinvest in the restaurant to bring it back to its former glory. The boys had a great opportunity to cash out and sell to a developer who planned to construct condominiums. They didn’t sell out.

Like many restaurants in the U.S. that have more than 20 years of history, Canlis’ food and service had gradually diverged from contemporary preferences and, from what I hear, the restaurant had become a bit threadbare and dated. What makes this story so different and so inspiring is that Brian and Mark took on the challenge of redirecting the restaurant and never looked back. Both displayed the courage and leadership required to wipe their approach to food and service clean and start over, something that scarcely happens in restaurants like theirs. Darwin’s theory of evolution suggests that the most adaptable (fittest) organisms survive the test of time and adapt the restaurant did!

This is where Chef Jason Franey comes in. A friend at Eleven Madison Park in New York raved about Franey, her former colleague who served as executive sous chef at the restaurant prior to taking the helm at Canlis. She suggested that I visit Franey and have the chef’s tasting menu. It was excellent advice. Franey joined Canlis in 2009 after Brain and Mark conducted a national search for what would be the fifth executive chef in the restaurants history. He took on the role of executive chef with full confidence and commitment and hasn’t looked back. His kitchen, much like Eleven Madison Park, works like a Swiss watch with an ergonomic design (Brian and Mark rebuilt the kitchen for Franey) and sequence of production nothing short of perfect. I stood to the side in the kitchen as Franey seamlessly organized and expedited each order while carrying on a conversation with me. To say he is comfortable in this kitchen is an understatement. Franey is of medium height and build, wide around the shoulders, and radiates pure confidence. He is a culinary athlete in the major leagues just about to hit the top of his game. Delighted, I head back to the dining room.

Soaking it in, I begin to relax as the setting sun casts an orange glow through the long row of windows. Several smartly dressed couples from Seattle’s young, urban and wealthy community hold hands and chat while leisurely sipping cocktails and sampling Franey’s fare. In the distance I spot a single-engine sea-plane taking off from Lake Union below. The plane makes a wide circle around the lake gradually gaining altitude until it floats level with the restaurant, a bright flash of yellow paint passing between the tall evergreens just outside the window. My amuse bouche magically appears in front of me (I didn’t even notice the server who brought it) and I forget the day, the stress, the traffic, the early departure in the morning and feel wrapped in comfort and care. Canlis has grabbed hold of me and I feel a depth of professional and authentic hospitality rare in the world today.

I have no way of gauging the quality of today’s Canlis compared with the original operated by Peter in the 1950’s but I bet Peter would be delighted and the Canlis of today could very well be the best yet. As my time at Canlis comes to an end I find my car waiting right outside the front entrance. Peter Canlis believed in anticipating the needs of his guests and surprising them by staying one step ahead with service. Having your car ready when you exit is one of the traditions preserved along with many others – no claim check required. Congratulations to Brian, Mark, Jason and the whole Canlis team! I leave relaxed, sated, and truly inspired.

 Chef’s Tasting Menu

Amuse Bouche: Melon and Dungeness Crab

 

Peas and Carrots, Farm fresh goat cheese and a morel mushroom crumble

Duck Egg Slow poached with asparagus, watercress, and uni

 

Black Cod Pan seared, with fava beans, nettles, and fermented black garlic

 Short Rib Braised for 48 hours, with ramps, broccoli rabe, and smoked bone marrow

Strawberry Fizz

Rhubarb Tart Strawberries, fennel ice cream, and Champagne espuma

Canlis Restaurant, Est. 1950

2576 Aurora Avenue North   •  Seattle, Washington 98109

www.canlis.com

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