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| - You'll have to go to the blog for the full scoop - 27 courses is too many to capture here.
With expectations tempered given the circumstances but certainly higher than with a traditional "interview" dinner my arrival at Binkley's was timely and finding the couple already present and waiting in the lobby we exchanged pleasantries before reservations were confirmed were quickly led through the spacious dining room to a table just out of view of the kitchen. With noise moderate and the front-of-house surprisingly smiley and professional yet whimsical and conversant from the moment we arrived I knew we would be in good hands (but little did I know HOW good.)
Seated at a comfortable four-top it would be mere moments after seating that our captain would greet us and after confirming water choices we were presented with a wine list and menus while the a la carte vs. 4/5/6 course tasting menu option was explained. With my co-diners having never experienced such a place and with many of the items on the menu rather novel to them we were left to decide and largely allowing them to dictate the pace we settled on the five course tasting...or so we thought as what followed would actually be a twenty-seven "course" three hour and forty five minute rollercoaster ride through the imagination of Chef Binkley and his team.
A few highlight dishes:
Brioche Cinnamon Doughnuts with Bacon Butter: piping hot and minimally greasy they were peerless, particularly when smeared with the umami-savory flavors of hickory smoked bacon.
"Deep Fried Butter" with Lobster Cream Cheese and Lobster Roe Powder, Chef Binkley's take on Lobster Bisque created by dropping a butter cube into the fryer and subsequently injecting it with the cream cheese before dusting it with roe. Sweet, creamy, intense and just like the sloppy joe a faithful recreation of the chef's intention...if this were served at the bar I'd go and order a dozen.
Foie Gras Beignets with White Truffle Cream and Foie Gras Vanilla Milk Shake with Blackberry Swirl and Blackberry Whipped Cream." Beginning first with the light balls of dough, each with a wispy crumb studded with whole cubes of duck liver torchon these bites were superlative on their own but even more so with the slightly sweet and ethereally aromatic cream. Taking a bite and then moving to the shake...yes, it was absolutely as good as it sounds - a smooth blend of blackberries and heavy cream with the gossamer of the liver always present yet slightly out of reach.
Entitled "Crispy seared Foie Gras with apple, raisins, pomegranate, spiced Brazil nuts, popover, chervil" and finished tableside with a spritz (literally from a spritzer) of cinnamon Ice Wine vinegar this preparation of duck liver would arrive as a linear stripe on a square plate and harkening the plating style of Michael Carlson the flavors would also compare favorably as the crackling exterior of the foie gave way to the melting interior and each bite lent itself to a new form of explanation with the accoutrements - most sweet, many smooth, and all interesting; particularly the popover stuffed with a creamy puree of liver, nuts, and aromatic spices.
For the next intermezzo all I can call it is a tease - a bit of dining refinement between novelty desserts that absolutely wowed - a two-bite Peanut Butter Souffle with Raspberry Jam every bit as "soufflé" as the sloppy joe was its namesake and along with the foie gras beignet perhaps my favorite bites of a great meal. Really - if this was offered on the menu I'd have ordered a full sized one in a heartbeat.
In the end Binkley's is a place that no matter where it was located would be special and a place that I'll undoubtedly return to with frequency if my career path should indeed land me in the desert long term.
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