FINALLY tried Sel. I had some friends visiting from Denver this past weekend and was trusted with picking the Saturday night spot for dinner. We were early for our reservation so we sat at the bar for a drink. This place is pretty small but the decor is incredible. It was modern and sexy, bright white walls and bar top offset with a purple fuzzy back wall. It truly was beautiful to look at. I learned that Sel translates to "salt" in English after thinking to myself "are those really mini salt shakers sticking out of the tile wall in the restroom?" The level of detail in the decor transcended to the food preparation and presentation as well.
The Four course Prix Fixe menu was fabulous and interesting. Between the four of us we had:
First Course:: Wild Mushroom Ragu "Crouton" and Blue Point Oysters.
:: The goat cheese mousse and truffle lemon emulsion were harmonious and added a great tang to the mushroom Ragu.
Second Course:: Rabbit Confit Ravioli and Red King Crab
:: The king crab was my favorite of the two, composed partly of wasabi caviar and foie gras sauce you cannot go wrong
Third Course:: Winter greens
:: Bacon and candy stripe beets, need I say more?
Fourth Course:: Crispy Skin Wild Striped Bass, Hemp Seed Crusted Scallops, Lone Mountain Wagyu Hanger Steak, and Grilled Octopus
:: The squid ink risotto and sweet chili chimichurri took the octopus dish to the next level. It was absolutely perfect! The waygu was cooked to a perfect medium rare with the blood orange hollandaise and banyuls beef stock reduction complimenting the flavor of the meat. My friends said their bass and scallops were very good as well.
Supplement:: Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras
:: Melt in your mouth good! Just how it should be
This was not a cheap meal, but it was a celebration with friends and we found it to be worth every penny.