Music man to finish the treat yourself celebrations April 2022! #masa #michelein #nyceats #omakase #hughjackman #broadway #doughdonuts #harrypotter #maman (at Winter Garden Theatre (1850)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdABnV4s6c7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
When living in London there can be nothing more relaxing than a lovely mini break in the Home Counties. A la Bridget Jones, I packed my bags, started up the car and drove the hour out of time and down the M4 into leafy Berkshire. It’s amazing how quickly you can get into the countryside from central London. Considering I will spend an hour on the tube to get to Shoreditch door to door, in the…
This past week I was fortunate enough to dine at Grace, helmed by Chef Curtis Duffy. Recently named Chicago's Best New Restaurant by Chicago Magazine, I was happy to get a reservation (even if it was at 10pm).
Grace offers two tasting menus: Flora, which highlights vegetables, and Fauna, which highlights proteins. I went with Fauna.
The meal began with an Amuse Bouche of various small bites served on a used bourbon barrel stake.
On the right was a citrus gelee coated in rice puffs. Next was some pasty filled with a flavor I can't recall. To it's left was a tapioca chip topped with lardo (yes please). Lastly, a lime wedge stuffed in a date and coated in hibiscus sugar. This last bite was my favorite.
Osetra Caviar. meyer lemon, kamquat jam, CHIVE.
This course was light but very delicious. The cavier was subtle and not overly briny or fishy. The texture of the meyer lemon 'custard' was smooth and contrasted very nicely with the rest of the ingredients.
Kampachi. golden trout roe, pomelo, THAI BASIL.
This dish was actually 7 years in the making. To eat, you begin by using your spoon to shatter the ginger citrus ice cylinder.
The combination of Kampachi sashimi, basil, and citrus was very refreshing. The trout roe was a little 'fishy' for my taste, but the dish was a lot of fun to eat.
Scottish Salmon. crispy red cabbage, citrus pudding, MARIGOLD.
The salmon was poached in olive oil at 110 degrees for 20 minutes, creating a texture that was delicate and unlike any I've had before. The flavors were subtle, like salmon sashimi.
This may have been one of the most surprising dishes of the night, as I am not an artichoke eater. However, the flavors were well balanced and the textures caught me off guard. There were AT LEAST 4 different preparations of artichoke on this dish, with possibly others I didn't even notice.
Miyazaki Beef. king trumpet mushrooms, salsify, MASHUA LEAF.
The first of two meat courses was delicious. The beef was high quality wagyu with deep marbling throughout the meat. I just wish their was more meat on the plate!
Lamb. kale, parsley root, MINER'S LETTUCE.
My favorite dish of the night was the lamb neck. It was rich and fatty in all the best ways. The meat just feel apart with the back of a fork. The sauce was unctuous and added deep meaty flavor.
This was the 'amuse bouche' of the dessert courses. It was light and sweet. A beautiful transition from savory to sweet.
Caramelized Sudachi. toasted cashew, asian pear, NASTURTIUM.
The first official dessert course is quite difficult to describe. Sudachi is a japanese citrus fruit similar to yuzu or key lime. The flesh of the fruit is turned into a custard-like consistency. One of my dining partners said it tasted like cooked sweetened condensed milk. Either way, with all the tasty fruit and crunchy cashews, the dish was delicious.
Young Coconut. lime, huckleberry, AFRICAN BLUE BASIL.
This dessert was fantastic. Other than the herb sponge cake, basil gelato, and lime zest, everything else on the plate was some form of coconut. The textures were playful and the flavors were spot on.
To end the meal we were given Dark Chocolate filled with Lavender Caramel and a sweet sugar shell filled with lime juice. The caramel was delightful, but the dish on the left literally exploded in your mouth. It was a fantastic last bite to a truly unique dining experience.
We kind of closed the place down (as you can see, the kitchen is empty). However, we did get to go say hi to Chef Duffy while he was having a staff meeting in the private dining room.
One of my dining partners and close friends (What's up Dan!) is unfortunately very allergic to seafood so he started off his meal with a few beautiful courses from the 'Flora' menu.
