I love the whole concept of Cycle and Jeff Kraus and his crew hit it out of the ballpark tonight with Experience. I started with the Tiramisu martini which was somehow even more fabulous than it sounds. Luscious and creamy, they (yes, plural) went down too easy.
For a starter I had the frog leg lollies which would change the mind of any one turned off by frog legs. I could eat those everyday. Perfectly crunchy with just the right amount of sauce and nestled in a pillow of bleu cheese foam- seriously, how could you not like that? I plucked each delicious little morsel of meat off that froggy femur with delight.
My first amuse bouche arrived- a prosseco rimmed in pepper- with a lightness that really helped to set up my next course, the "Not a Frisee aux Lardon". The peppery arugula and perfectly poached egg was highlighted by the crunchy, salty bits of pig's ear. I scooped up every last bite with the brioche.
Another amuse of peach sorbet and basil was a nice palate cleanser. Dessert was a difficult choice between the skillet cookie with wild turkey creme or the nitro sundae. I went with the nitro sundae and could not have been more pleased. A truly beautiful dish, the crack of the perfect chocolate sphere revealed a gorgeous custard. The crystallized strawberries, caramel, almonds and chantilly finished this dish off with the perfect ratio of crunch and cream. I hear Jeff is looking for a brick-and mortar place. Even in this tough market, I have no doubt he'll succeed.