Wednesday, May 2, 2012

GNO on a work night baby!!!

When I can, I LOVE getting together with my girls.  New and old, don't matter to me!  Of course at any function with me invovled, there MUST be great food and drink! 

I'm a HUGE fan of Chef Tom Colicchio!  His staff is always very warm and unobtrusive, but then you would be too if you knew the wrath of God, aka TC, would come down upon you if you didn't act accordingly working in his restaurant...apparently he's a it scary to his employees....

Onto the food!

We all decided to do the 4 course pre-fixe at $69.00.  Not a bad price at all for a 4 course.


I love how they make you feel like a "VIP" diner in a sense by bringing out the daily chef prepared amuse bouche to try :) 

First amuse bouche was a english pea salad. very clean tasting and crisp

Second amuse bouche was a cold white asparagus soup with a little chip of pickled cucumber.  So refreshing and light with just amount of seasoning to bring out the sweet asparagus flavor

Third amuse bouche was a warm liver pate puff...I was the only one who enjoyed it at our table I think...the rest didn't seem to appreciate the little gamey flavor that came through once you bit down on the little puff...oh well their loss :)

Sadly I only got a pic of the salad and was too busy eating to get the shot of the other 2!!! :(


Oh and we couldn't get enough of the warm buttered dinner rolls!!  We got it sent to our table 3 times!



Here's the Menu:


Four Course Menu (choose one from each course)

SEARED TUNA

YUKON GOLD POTATO & LEEK VINAIGRETTE

OR

FOIE GRAS, RHUBARB & CANDIED WALNUTS


LOUP DE MER

ENGLISH PEAS, MANILA CLAMS & GREEN ALMOND

OR

MEDITERRANEAN PRAWN CHARRED SQUID & BRAISED FRESH PEANUTS


LAMB LOIN

CHICKPEAS & CARAMELIZED YOGURT

OR

ROASTED & BRAISED SUCKLING PIG POLENTA, FAVA BEANS & SHOOTS


CHOCOLATE CAKE DOUGHNUTS HAZELNUT BUTTER, WHITE CHOCOLATE

My choices were:

First Course: FOIE GRAS, RHUBARB & CANDIED WALNUTS
The Foie Gras was shaved onto alternating very fine wafer crisps.  Really light in texture and flavor and the candied walnuts & thick Rhubarb jam went nicely as well...just enough sweet to balance out the dish overall :)



Second Course: MEDITERRANEAN PRAWN CHARRED SQUID & BRAISED FRESH PEANUTS
My least favorite dish sadly...It all sounded really good...come on squid and prawn is a winning combination...but for some reason the pairing was just not right int his dish.  The charred squid flavor overpowered the prawn so it made the dish kinda taste like what you would imagine a dirty gym sock or bad B.O. would taste like...I know weird analogy but it was that bad.  The boiled salted peanuts did nothing for the dish as well...



Third Course: ROASTED & BRAISED SUCKLING PIG POLENTA, FAVA BEANS & SHOOTS
This dish was just alright.  It came with 4 different parts of the pig: belly, mini chops, face, and loin.  You definitely tasted the pork flavor, which I liked but I wished the skin on the pork belly was crispy instead of soft...the polenta lacked seasoning but the again I guess that was done so that the pork flavor would stand out.



Fourth Course: CHOCOLATE CAKE DOUGHNUTS HAZELNUT BUTTER, WHITE CHOCOLATE
Who can say no to doughnuts!  wish the 'nuts were a tad warm..they were a little bit too dense since they were a bit chilled.  The rest of the dish was great :)



They brought out a final round of amuse bouche: little round shortbread cookie (so good!) and little dark chocolate cherry bon bon like things, again very good!



Overall, I would go back...both the Tap Room and the Main Dining room menus are worth a visit :)

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