Archive
Smorgas Chef: Not Ikea
Authors: Monte, Steven
Date: 10/22/2012
Occasion: Gilt deal
This is Ikea’s meatballs:
The meatballs at Smorgas Chef are so much better. Not that Ikea’s are bad, but Smorgas Chef’s are fantastic.
Steven’s Thoughts:
– Man, this deal sounded so awesome, but I wasn’t quite sure about the whole smorgasboard option. We tried the one at Aquavit a while back during restaurant week and we ended up liking the restaurant less because of it. So, I was hesitant. But Monte had the deal, so we had to go.
– One cool thing about this restaurant is that they started their own farm in the Catskill mountains to provide fresh, local produce for their guests. You can find more info here.
Monte: The Gilt City deal was a starter cocktail for each guest, and then a four course meal with wine pairings. The smorgasboard at Aquavit was a buffet style, but I’d much rather eat the tasty smaller portions at Smorgas Chef than eat til I was sick at Aquavit. Steven and I each ordered different courses so we could try more of the menu. Sorry for the dim photos, hopefully the writing makes up for it.
NYC: Le Bernardin (Nov. 2012)
Authors: Victor, Monty, and Tad
Restaurant: Le Bernardin
Exec Chef: Eric Ripert
Date: November 2, 2012
Dinner (Le Bernardin Tasting Menu)
Victor’s Notes:
-Some of the courses on the menu were repeats from last month’s “Chef’s Tasting Menu” (which is a little more expensive). I’m guessing that some of the favorites from the Chef’s Tasting end up as part of the next month’s Le Bernardin Tasting.
Tad’s Notes:
– Restaurants are like people: the chef’s pedigree informs the quality of the cuisine. In this case, Eric Ripert’s experience as chef poissonnier under Robuchon is undeniable in the renowned seafood preparations at Le Bern. Add to this his tour (heh) at La Tour D’Argent, and you have the culinary equivalent of an Oxbridge man.
– Ripert unabashedly characterizes his flagship restaurant as a “seafood restaurant.” So, although you may request duck or lamb options from the menu, I recommend you don’t. It’s like going to the Musée d’Orsay and not looking at the Impressionists.
Monte: I think it’s funny how much Bourdain just ruthlessly makes fun of Ripert. I do think Le Bernardin has delicious seafood – the fish courses here, as a whole, are epic. The sommelier was quite friendly but knowledgeable, and painted a picture of the wines that made me feel like I was traveling throughout Europe, trying French and Italian wines.
Chocolate Dipped Macaron
I’ve never heard of a chocolate dipped macaron, but I stopped by Columbus Circle’s Bouchon and stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw it glistening in the display. There were a few flavors available, including caramel and chocolate. I chose pumpkin, since I love fall flavors and pumpkin. Here’s a picture of the hockey-puck sized monstrosity:
It is absolutely divine. The chocolate coating was really thick – maybe a full 2 milimeters thick, revealing the macaron inside. You can’t tell how well-made the shell is since the usual flaky crunchiness was masked by the chocolate. The chocolate was still “crunchy” though in the way that chilled chocolate dipped things usually are. The pumpkin flavor was still really vibrant though and paired surprisingly well with chocolate. Shell aside, the crumbly delicate rich texture of the macaron was still amazing and I am now a fan.
Monte
Victor
tadv3
Happy Noms 