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| - Once walking into the restaurant, we were immediately seated in the bar section of the restaurant. We were told we would remain in this area for the first 5 courses.
The first 5 courses had the theme of:
"Bar bites"
The first course was a Papaya ring, spiced plantain chip, lotus flower ring, and prosciutto chips
-so delicious, and a great, light start.. the "chips" were of varying textures/flavors of sweet and salty (2 of each kind)
Prickly pear Peach Bellini with a paprika spiced rim
-it was refreshing, in it that it was cold, but the flavor was just okay.
Cornmeal crusted green tomato slice topped with korean tartar sauce and tandoori fried bacon.
-great crust on the tomato, sweet and salty with the bacon, tartness from tomato, and the creaminess from the sauce.
Mini taco with homemade tortilla, apple, lemon balm, salsa
-not one of my favorites, tortilla tasted homemade, but all I could taste was tomato
Shisto peppers with togarashi/fried/sesame seeds
-Sweet with a little heat, what a delectable bite or two!
Wild boar ribs
-sticky sweet/peanuts, my only complaint was that it was not hot, not even warm. That was unfortunate.
Pork pastrami slider with potato chips, rye bun with cocoa, cabbage slaw with watercress, mustard
-The smell so amazing and pungeant, the meat was so tender and sublime, chips were lightly fried/thinly sliced (in my opinion they needed more salt)
After the first five courses, we were then moved into the dining room. Next was:
Smoked creme feaiche dip with squash blossoms, with fresh dill. Served with fried taro chips
-smoked was only notable with the smell, but very creamy, fresh herbs galore, taro chips were crisp/ delicate, presentation was beautiful
Black garlic brioche with goat butter and black garlic "salt"
-tangy with the butter, brioche was soft and perfect, the black garlic finishing salt was inventive
Panzanella salad with peeled tomatoes, wild asparagus, puréed tomato sauce, country sourdough
-tomatoes BURSTED with flavor, acidic but not overly so, so fresh tasting
Melon salad with goat cheese, radishes, yuzu juice, watermelon, and radish sprouts
-so refreshing, crisp, delightful , the radish added some Pepperiness.
Alaskan king crab with fennel salad/oil/orange segment/orange yogurt/fennel pollen, liquid nitrogen with orange blossom water
-Yogurt pairs perfectly surprise! Added that sweet citrus to the crab/ fennel salad, was a lovely cleanser, the presentation was other worldly!
Charred Eggplant with shiitake mushrooms, ponzu broth, pickled ginger, cilantro, and oyster leaf
-brightness with the cilantro, ponzu pairs brilliantly with the meatiness from the eggplant, mushrooms added some earthiness, ginger added the depth and complexity, very palate cleansing as well.
Soft shell crab chicken fried with celery slaw, red pepper aioli
-my least favorite , the slaw underneath was great though, the fried part was overdone and just hid the crab, kind of chewing on a rawhide. Once again another dish that wasn't presented hot. I asked for more of the slaw and sent the crab back..they granted my request for more slaw!
Grapefruit, lime, and rosemary soda
-smelled like soap, tasted like a savory soda
Kebab green garlic, black truffles, and mushrooms, with puffed rice
-reminded me of a scorched marshmallow, deliciously crunchy and perfect salt balance
Paprika yoke agnolotti filled with carmelized onions and mascarpone, duck consome, duck prosciutto, corn, fava beans, and morel mushrooms
-filling is sweet and creamy, pasta was slightly underdone to my taste; a bit chewy, duck prosciutto was bursting with flavor
Slow cooked hazelnut fed pork loin, cherry chimchurri, walnuts, bark gnocchi, cherry with walnut butter filling
- tasted like Christmas, pork was delectable and rich., gnocchi was soft and addicting, walnut butter tasted like walnut butter
Infusion : digestif tea
-very cool setup, tea was very soothing to a very full stomach
Frozen fruit "soup" with strawberry consume:
-strong, upfront berry flavor (presentation and taste reminded me of a sophisticated adult dip'n dots)
Black pepper beet creme brûlée
-sweet, crunchy and very yummy
Vanilla date cookie with yellow curry ice cream sandwich
-very savory...
Foie gras Whoopie pie
-Was my least favorite dessert.
At the end of the meal, we were given a gift bag. This included coasters, a copy of tonight's meal, and a container of fresh tomatoes.
My only critique is that I wish that some of the dishes served were hot instead of room temperature.
Overall, it felt like I was at a show with all the tables facing the same way; an interactive presentation with the main stage being the kitchen. Also a very cool moment was being allowed into the kitchen to watch the chefs execute each dish. I had a lovely time and really appreciated Chef Binkley taking the time to talk to us about the courses and the ingredients. I really felt at home and very comfortable in his restaurant and can't wait to return!
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