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| - Fortune smiled on us as we were looking for a pre-concert dinner before a show at Pearl Theater. Another restaurant we were hoping to visit was closed on Sundays & Alize was our next choice......& now we couldn't have imagined a tastier option!
The Mr & I both wanted the Vegetarian Tasting Menu but our quandary was that we only had 2 hrs for 7+ courses.....not to worry though, as the staff made sure we got out in plenty of time
This was very close to a 5-star evening but for the ingredients.... 3 of the veggie tasting dishes contained animal-based gelatin..... which is a veggie no-no. Places like Michael Mina use veggie-friendly gelatin options but not everyone does, so always pays to ask.
We had advised the host when we made reservations about our no gelatin / no meaty broth restrictions but were still served animal-based dishes so ended up sending back 2 of the 3 "gelatin" dishes ( the chef came out after #2 to ask about our gelatin-aversion & then had us covered by dish #3 )
They were very gracious & substituted everything out but we felt like jerks questioning every dish & I'm sure the waitstaff didn't appreciate taking everything back either
If you're offering a vegertarian menu, please make sure it is truly veggie!
But enough venting - onto the good stuff!!
Amuse - Caramelized pineapple in balsamic glaze - the top of the pineapple had a nice brûlée coating & paired well w/ the vinegar
Vichyssoise - this was a vichyssoise-gazpacho mix....paired w/ creme fraiche & truffle oil w/ potato-based croutons like potato chips. Awesome! BUT - I forgot traditional Vichyssoise is made w/ chicken stock & they didn't disclose the stock as an ingredient, as they were telling us what was in the dish - I only HOPE there was no stock since this is *another* veggie no-no
Mushroom Soup w/ miso glaze. This was absolutely incredible - tons of mushroom varieties w/ heirloom tomatoes & something else I couldn't place. The rose wine pairing for this was particularly scrumptious - it was a Colombo from Provence
Heirloom tomato salad w/ tomato gelato, candied tomato & burrata. I liked how the cold gelato affected the little taste of heirloom tomato & intensified the flavor & add that to the creamy burrata.....
Curried cauliflower puree w/ roasted cauliflower scallions, pomegranate seeds. Paired w/ Oregon Pinot. Really brought out the creaminess of the puree
Soy glazed tofu w/ tempura tomato, asparagus, & brussel sprout. The tofu was really creamy & buttery & the soft chewy rice-cake like crust was a wonderful texture pairing
Cheese course had us trying out a goat cheese w/ fig walnut reduction, & a crisp w/ raisins. Super creamy & dense - we also got a dry swiss or maybe it was jack w/ apricot jam & zucchini ginger cake.....again, eye rolls!
Pre-dessert of meringue w/ grapefruit custard & poppy-seed boysenberry reduction - nice & fruity & cleansed the palette
Chocolate soufflé was the main dessert & it was light & chocolaty & the perfect ending on a fabulous meal
Although our visit was short due to our time restrictions, we in no way felt the least bit rushed. Staff was completely attentive & we felt very well cared for. Even w/ the hiccups, it was a super-enjoyable meal that I hope will be further enhanced for vegetarians & one we would look forward to repeating in the near future!
Totals:
2 PEOPLE
2 VEGGIE TASTING MENUS
2 WINE PARINGS
$500 Before Tip
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