Sunday, March 28, 2010

CARLA (HALL) Can cook--or a TOP CHEF comes to town (3-28-10)

Upon our return to DC we had the pleasure of hosting TOP CHEF Carla
HALL at our home for a small dinner party as part of a charity event
purchase. We have known Carla for many years, and indeed she had
cooked at our home several years ago before her television fame.
This time it was even MORE fun, getting all the dirt and hearing all
about TOP CHEF itself! What a treat!
We filled up on champagne with FOIE GRAS MOUSSE with FIG SYRUP on a
crostini, SHRIMP BEIGNETS (fritters of Tiger Shrimp) with corn
kernels, red peppers and a superb Calypso Sauce, Roasted Red Pepper &
Zucchini Tartlettes filled with veggie custard and topped with sauteed
zucchini & pepper brunoise with black flake salt.
She had already won "our" show by this point and we had not even sat
down at the table yet!
We served Miner Viognier with her creamy rich WILD MUSHROOM SOUP with
caraway seeds and parmesan caraway crisps and then enjoyed a Rhone
white blend with SEARED ROCKFISH in CARROT GINGER BROTH with
lemongrass and micro cilantro. The fish was superb and we all could
not stop raving about the intense, but not overpowering flavors of the
broth.
BRAISED SHORT RIBS with extra virgin olive oil, wine. veal stock,
tomatoes, garlic and seasonings were sprinkled with gremolata and
served with buttered Egg Noodles. This dish was another blockbuster
worthy of any TV or anywhere top prize and I was happy to serve it
with a super BAROLO from 1999 from my cellars.
A refreshing Salad of ESCAROLE with Apples, Candied Walnuts & MT. TAM
Cheese came with Shallot & Apple Cider Vinegar and stood out for the
fresh ingredients and the tasty tangy creamy triple-creme style
cheese.
Many LAYER NAPOLEAN with Lime Cream and Sour Cherry-Thyme Compote was
a perfect light, refreshing and innovative dessert, and as if this was
not enough CARLA's famous COOKIE COLLECTION (which can now be
purchased online at Alchemy Caterers (www.alchemycaterers.com) which
is her company. These miniature-sized buttery rich cookies are worth
their weight in gold as is having Carla as a friend, as she is truly
one of the kindest people in the food biz we know!

Friday, March 26, 2010

the last mexican Supper-cautious at CASA DEL LAGO at Rosewood Mayakoba (3-26-10)

Our final meal in Mexico was at the elegant Casa del Lago in the main
building of Rosewood Mayakoba with our friends and clients (Frank &
Angela) who I had booked there at the same time. We originally had
intended to treat them (they are very good clients), but the pool
fiascos of the day ended up with us all getting a completely free
dinner!).
We were led in and told our party had already arrived and the hostess
tried to seat us with some strangers! Now that was a first! After lots
of conversation about the day we chose a superb CASA GRANDE CASA
MADERSO Chardonnay from Parra in the state of Coahuila which was so
good, we took a second bottle (well, we weren't paying!). Our red was
a magnificent GABRIEL (named by the owner-a retired US banker- for his
deceased son) from ADOBE GUADALUPE in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja
California. This 2007 wine was indeed the best Mexican red ever, now
giving us two yummy ones we will look for in the future.
The amuse was a goat cheese (mousse) with sundried tomato vinaigrette
which was okay, but no show winner for sure. I loved my MAINE LOBSTER
CARPACCIO with Tomato Bread Sherbet, Olive Oil, Lemon, Watercress &
Olives. It was light after a hot long day and so refreshing. The
SHRIMP were sauteed and served with RICOTTA GNOCCHI in Parmesan Cream
and Madeira Wine reduction. Tasty--but very rich and heavy. Yes, it
might have been late winter/early spring, but the high 80 degree temps
make this food hard to take.
RISOTTO with PORCINI MUSHROOMS and Idiazabal Cheese Fritters, Wild
Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs Essence was also a heavy duty dish. The main
courses were also quite large and rich: SUCKLING PIG (leg & ribs)with
Apple Ravioli had a yummy Onion Compote and Jus with Peanuts. RED
SNAPPER came with Sea Urchin Vermicelli and Light Garlic Cream, but
the recommended SOLE in PAUPIETTE with Soft Pancetta and Low
Temperature Cooked Egg with Morel Sauce (recommended by the server)
was a dud...bland as could be.
Sauteed DUCK BREAST came with Portobello Carpaccio, Roasted Apples and
Mesquite Smoke and worked well...
We enjoyed a bottle of SANTA JULIO TARDIO dessert wine which was nice,
but the desserts were iffy:
CHOCOLATE CAKE with Caramel Cream over Intense Hazelnut Praline with
Macaroon Pistachio Ice Cream was the best, the APPLE CRUMB CINNAMON
Roll Ice Cream was decent and my "TORRIJA" with Rhubarb and Strawberry
Compote and Key Lime Pie Chilled Cream was more like creamy meringue
with very little fruit in evidence.
It was okay-but I am sure glad we didn't have to pay!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Rosewood Mayakoba's beach place PLAYA BONITA is a deal (3-25-10)

We are stopping here at Rosewood for two nights on the last of our
three stays on the Riviera Maya. After gorging ourselves on the super
food at Grand Velas, getting shocked by the prices as Banyan Tree, we
were thrilled to hit PLAYA BONITA an adorable little indoor/outdoor
beach spot just a block from our suite here.
Samuel started off with Los verduros preferidos de Bugs Bunny, a bowl
of steamed carrots, zucchini and tomato which he adored and went on to
the Penne Pasta Bolognese, followed by Raspberry/Apple/Mango Sorbet
trio. He was in heaven.
We started with a bottle of SAUVIGNON BLANC from Los Vascos in Chile
that was refreshing after a hot, humid day. Chips arrived with salsas:
Tomatillo-Molcajete Mexicano with Jalapeno, Dried Guajillo Chile with
Peanut (which was superb), Red Tomato/Molcajete and Jalapeno and
finally a traditional Pico de Gallo. We devoured all with gusto, but
eventually stayed away from the real spicy ones.
The theme here is tapas style Mexican food and they do it great
charging about $6 per plate, which is super for a luxury hotel and
great fro kids as well.
SAUTEED SHRIMP with Butter, Garlic & Guajillo Pepper on Soft Tortilla
with Farm Cream and Fresh Cheese sounds bit like the traditional
shrimp in garlic, but this was a dreamy dish with all those great
local ingredients Mexican style for sure.
CRISPY DOGFISH QUESADILLAS were also so yummy that Will ordered a
second plate!
CEVICHE YUCATECO de Caracol y Pulpo was another dream ceviche from the
are made from tender octopus and conch.
DUCK TACOS with MOLE--need I say more?
Our wine steward, the handsome Andres was a genius when he suggested
MARIATINTO 2007 a Mexican red from Ensenada in Baja California made
from Cab, Syrah, Petit Syrah & Grenache. The wine had a plum jammy
sense from the Syrah and opened up maginificently. What a treat!
We ordered two of the local GUISADOS or stews, also in small portions
which were good, but not as great as the other tapas.
CHICKEN in PUMPKIN SEED & PISTACIO SAUCE was the best and a side of
Arroz Verde (green rice form the coriander) was great. The TINGO de
RES was shredded beef and tomato sauce which just did not win a prize
as almost everything else did.
TRES LECHES con Chile Habanero confitado was a spice & sugar meringue
that was too hard to even cut with a habanero chile confit style due
to infused sugar cider. While the dish sounded interested, it fell
flat on the plate.
It was so great to eat well for less than a fortune and enjoy the
ambience too. Well, at least after Sam got over the one mosquito he
saw as we sat down and promptly threw a fit.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

say yes to YAXCHE for a Mayan meal in Playa del Carmen, MX (3-24-10)

While shopping in town today we stopped in at YXCHE
(www.mayacuisine.com) in downtown Playa del Carmen, just off the main
shopping street (5th Ave.) and we were glad we did. While Sam was less
excited about the food, he chose chicken fingers and fries and loved
the smoothie made from Strawberry, Orange and Mango Juice called
"Tulum" for the ruin south of here. Will tried the Chayamade which was
a lemonade made with the green chaya that we have come to love in the
veggie juices served at breakfast (jugo verde). My margarita was one
of the best and biggest so fare made with Tequila Reposado and costing
65 pesos on the menu (just over $5) which is about 75% less than at
the hotel! Indeed, halfway thru the meal, our friendly server came
over with another saying that at this lunch it was 2-4-1. WOW-$2.60
for a super drink!
The chips that came to the table were the best so far on this trip and
came with a deadly habanera salsa, a creamy garlic salsa, that Samuel
adored and a yummy pumpkin seed paste that was also quite tasty and oh
so local.
Will opted for the Ka'naab Hana, Fish stuffed Tortillas in a yummy
green salsa and I went for the Chixchulub which was described as
fettuccine pasta with chaya (that local green veggie), shrimp, squid
and scallop (bay) flambeed (not at table) with Xtabentun Mayan Liquor
in a special chef's sauce, which turned out to be very alfredo-like
and quite rich, but delicious. I would have preferred a lighter sauce
at lunch, but everything here was superb and the whole meal rang in at
about $43 with a tip.
The decor is very traditional with a ceiling murals of blue and golden
orange of Mayan figures and lots of faux Mayan engravings on the
columns that are most convincing. The place is spotless, as are the
restrooms...so give this one a try next time you are in the
neighborhood.

Playa del Carmen's JOHN GRAY's PLACE is not so pretty (3-24-10)

After being shocked by the prices at Banyan Tree we headed out on our
second night to town to a place well known for it's chef. JOHN GREY's
PLACE now has four locations in the Yucatan and the ex-Ritz Carlton
chef has created a mini-Mexican empire. This Playa del Carmen spot is
nothing to mention visually, and it was very crowded and very noisy,
making for a less enjoyable evening overall.
The wine list is small, but we found some for under $50 that were
quite good starting with a Lagar de Cervera ALBARINO from Spain that
was sour apples and gooseberries all over, but needed a bit more
chilling. We felt rushed as the food came fast and with no breaks; we
knew they just wanted to turn around the table so more diners could be
fed.
While Will's STEAK TARTARE starter was yummy, it was the slightly
mustardy traditional French fare with zero points for presentation as
it looked like a pile of dog food in the bowl! My ESCARGOTS in
PORTOBELLO & RED WINE SAUCE were divine and tasty as well.
The main courses were varied and Will had the GRILLED SWORDFISH with
HERB BUTTER that was only okay; just nothing novel really. The sides
of GRILLED ASPARAGUS with Coarse Salt & Balsamic and the CRISPY
POTATOES were excellent. My Fresh Local CORONADO (known at homeas
Amberjack Fish) was cooked in a yummy Black Olive Butter and served
with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Again, about a 2 (out of 10)
for presentation, but the fish was firm and tasty and overall. I loved
it.
Will ordered the MOCHA CREME BRULEE which I tasted and it was nice,
but we left feeling that John Gray is no longer a food destination.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

SEN LIN & more in Mexico, the modern Mexican ORIENTE at Banyan Tree Mayakoba (Riviera Maya-3/23/10)

Hi folks,
I must apologize profusely for losing all my notes on the SUPERB meal
the three of us had on our last night at GRAND VELAS' SEN LIN Asian-
inspired restaurant. The decor was elegant and very Zen-inspired
relaxing, the service superb as it had been in all the Grand Velas
venues, and the food again truly excellent. The local and Asian
infused ingredients made all the dishes tasty, novel and exciting. The
presentation was also on the level of any top notch luxury restaurant.
Our three dinner, lunch and breakfast buffets and just everything made
me confident that an all-inclusive resort can conjure up great dining
experiences.

Yesterday we moved right next door to the MAYAKOBA complex where we
will spend the rest of our stay here. Our first stop is the one-year
old Asian inspired and truly beautiful BANYAN TREE MAYAKOBA. The just
over 100 suites/villas here have the choice of three dining
experiences and we chose ORIENTE, the modern Mexican spot. It is a
silly name as they have a Thai spot, which would be more "oriente,"
and our server actually could not explain why the Mexican restaurant
was named as such!

It is a large place with slate and mosaic floors, huge woven rattan-
like chairs with big pillows and lots of wrought iron, especially in
the chandeliers. We ordered a bottle of CHATEAU d'AUGLES Rousanne-
Marsanne from Coteaux de Languedoc 2006 which was quite yummy,
although the price list has no more than several wines ringing in
below $50. The glasses here are Schott (modern style) as opposed to
the restaurant Riedel next door at Grand Velas, and we had to
constantly asked to have thee glasses filled. Failure #1, even though
we kept telling them that we drink fast!
A small cylinder of BEEF TENDERLOIN TAQUITO arrived as an amuse with
CHILMOLE (a mole made with local chiles) and cheese that was a yummy
one bite pop in the mouth. Samuel's beef tacos arrived and the meat
was top quality fajita style lean beef. The rolls looked basic, but
when we opened the small buns they were filled with a mushroom
duxelles-like paste made from the local HUITLACOCHE that was divine.
Samuel thought it was pesto and gobbled it up until the words local
mushroom were mentioned. So much for his continuing to eat something
he likes when he thinks the ingredient is something he DISlikes.

Both starters were huge and of top quality ingredients as well. CONFIT
PRAWNS, Vegetables & Avocado Ice Cream was oh so much more with a
poached-egg looking yogurt, asparagus, cucumber, carrots, beet and
onion all arranged in an Asian-like salad around the huge prawns with
the yummy ice cream as a "sauce" scoop on the side. Will's Shredded
BEEF CEVICHE was again tender meat on crispy CORN TORTILLA with Ranch
Aged Cheese. There was not much cheese and a squeeze of lime might
have made the salsa with sour cream a bit more exciting, but the dish
was delish.
We ordered a second bottle and it took about 10 minutes for them to
tell us it was all gone, so we settled for a very buttery ESCUDO ROJO
CHARDONNAY from Maipo in Chile. Will had the VERACRUZ Style Grouper
with Creamy Zucchini and Blossom Rice which was a delish fish as it
should be for $33 (the prices here ranged from $14-21 on starters, and
$28-36 on mains). My choice was indeed the $36 Seared CARIBBEAN
LOBSTER TAIL with the CHILMOLE & Tomatillo Sauce, Sauteed Veggies,
Portobello, Oyster & White Mushrooms. The sauce was excellent, the
vegetables superb and the tails HUGE but sadly cooked a bit too much
to a slightly dry stage! DAMN! The attention to this mos important and
quality ingredient in the kitchen had totally failed.

We decided to share a dessert of CHURROS with Mexican Chocolate dip
and Mexican Coffee Ice Cream. At $16 this was about 7-8 churros with a
thick and gloppy chocolate sauce that just didn't do much and the ice
cream was nice but won no awards. At this point we really were glad we
decided not to dine at the adult only Tamarind (where cold starters
run $13-21, $31 for foie gras terrine;warm starters $19-25, and mains
$31-47) in the resort tonight, but instead head into town.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Found notes re SEN LIN at Grand Velas Riviera Maya is SUPERB!(3-22-10)

FOUND THE NOTES !!
Yes folks, I am way behind and I just found my notes on the superb
ASIAN dining spot at Grand Velas in Mexico from our recent vacation.
The service was elegant and superb as it was at every Grand Velas
dining option, and we were graciously offered a FRENCH 75 (Grand
Marnier, Cognac, Champagne & 7UP) to start. The glasses were Riedel
and the plates were gorgeous. Samuel asked for a plain non-lettuce
salad and got a magnificent Asian construction with a soy dressing
that he fell in love with. We got an amuse of SALMON TARTARE with
Oyster Sauce, Wonton Crisp & Black Sesame and then another of CHIRASSA
PEPPER with a Cream of Dill, Paprika & Yello Curry. This was an
ingenious use of the local ingredients fused Asian-style.
TORI TEPANYAKI was Sam's main course and was a Chicken with
Vegetables, more Soy and Udon Noodles...he loved it so much that he
said he wanted soy sauce all the time. when we suggested he try sushi
with soy sauce the next day he said he would; alas, he did not!
Will had the okay TOM YAM SOUP a spicy seafood with coconut, lemon
grass and Krachai essence which was similar to our Thai version at
home; nothing spectacular. My PAK CHOI TAKO was hearts of bok choy,
carrot sprouts, lily flower salad over vacuum packed baby octopus with
Eucalyptus Tears (dressing) with air of black tea with rice honey. It
was too salad-y and needed more seafood.

UNAGI KABAYAKI TIBIO was a magnificent warm LOBSTER dipped in creamy
Masago(urchin roe) Sauce with Picasso Eel reduction, blue fire garam
masala smoke and a small spoon filled with crab and crunchy slaw. I
was in heaven. MAGURO GOMA for will was a rare tuna with Black Sesame
Crust over Shitake Sauce, Edamame, Jasmine Rice and Citrus Infusion.
The ingredients were all of the highest quality here making for an
even better experience. PEKING DUCK was pretty top notch too!
The Ichiban Sake served was quite nice (you could have this cold or a
cheaper hot version) and Will stuck to beer. Desserts were nice too
with SAIGON SALVAJE being roasted strawberries with Vietnamese black
pepper and Cardamom Ice cream and PRIMAVERA being a spring roll with
banana, Mango, Soybean Honey Glaze & Ginger Ice Cream.
Lychee flavored Sake finished us off for sure and we left our final
dinner at Grand Velas knowing that we will come back for more!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

more great vittles at Grand Velas (Mexico)- PIAF (French adult dining with a flair -3/21/10)

Our second dinner at Grand Velas here on the Riviera Maya was just
next door at the Grande Classe Suites section which is adults over 12
only. We gave Samuel a room service dinner of Tomatoes (beautiful ripe
and plenty) with a Pesto Vinaigrette followed by Beef Tacos. He wolfed
all the tomatoes and 4 tacos down as well. Off to kid's club for the
evening with his friend Maia (who arrived that day) and we headed two
steps away to PIAF, which was as quiet as could be, elegant and classy
as well. All black lacquer, black marble floors and hints of red
flocked velvet walls and chairs gave a slight bordello feel with huge
Venetian-like crystal (probably Mexican) chandeliers as well.
While the wines were a slight improvement as three "champagnes" were
offered up with the same standard cheap stuff. We tried the IVAN
LESCOMPTE Brut from Baja Mexico which had a odd beer yeasty taste and
reminded me of the DT Beer I had a week before at Sur La Place in DC!
I moved on to the LOUIS PERDRIER Brut Rose which had a big strawberry
taste, Will stuck with the Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc.
A tasty amuse of baked OYSTER in SABAYON cream with Salmon Caviar,
Fennel and Fresh dill was an exciting bite for sure. There was live
music again in the form of a solo violinist, which just sounded a bit
sad as he played alone and the violin alone is a bit high for my
tastes. The breads were DIVINE with a Roquefort filled POPOVER
starring and wonderful butters, one made with shallots and white wine
and the other a punchy one with garlic and parsley. Fine LOBSTER SALT
was also served, but was indeed VERY salty.

I started with the PETIT SALADE de Lentilles aux Poires which was made
with Lentils (I guess they are called pear lentils, as there was no
pear in the salad!), medallions of langoustine "a l'Etouve" translated
as "neutro stew" which our super charming server Alejandro explained
was a basic cooking style., Caramelized Hazelnut Vinaigrette and
"Harmonie de Feuilles du Jardin aux Huiles Parfumees." I giggled at
the translations feeling they were like a Chinese restaurant back
home; this turned into "leafs from the garden and perfumed oils
harmony."

Will opted for the PACIFIC Ocean TUNA in Black Pepper Crust
"Unilateral" Style over Perfiollo Sauce Mirror, "Keta" Caviar and
Light Smoked Eel Caramel, which was superb and top notch quality tuna
to boot.

Alejandro said we must try the soups, so Will went for the French
Onion with Gruyere which got raves and my Veloute of Lobster with
Cognac was served over a chunk of lobster and was not as thick as
bisque making it less filling and truly excellent as well.
We moved on to the better quality Chianti House red and the main
courses were again perfect productions, as virtually every dish in
this resort is. Again, outsiders are welcome with reservations in
advance, but beware the prices (our meal for Piaf rang in at over
$400). Will had the Black Angus Fillet, Rosemary Sauce, Potatoes au
Gratin Dauphinois with Glazed Baby Onions and Mushrooms and my French
DUCK BREAST over Lombardia Style Red Cabbage (which was slightly
sweet) came with Lacquered Orange Sauce. On the side was Roasted
Garlic Cloves over Guerade thick salt (think bigger and saltier than
kosher!).

The dessert menu translated Creme Brulee as burned cream, but we opted
for the Tartelette Normandie Chaude flambe a votre table avec cognac
et calvados. Will said the warm apple tart was good, but still did not
compare to Kinkead's at home. It came with a Sorbet a l'Estragon et
Julienne de Jingembre Cristalise, which translated as "saffron sorbet
with crystallized ginger. Funny, I always thought "estragon" was
tarragon in English?
My Croquant aux Noix d'Acajou, Creme Legere de Citron Jaune and Fruits
de Bois was a yummy (if a bit rich) Lemon Chiffon in a bird's nest of
macadamia nut pastry with red berries. On the side was a tiny spoon of
Tomato & Grey Goose Vodka Granite that was a bit odd and the whole
thing sat on a yummy bed of Mexican Vanilla Creme Angalise.
We enjoyed every bite and again the superb service, ingredients and
use of them made for a novel and local version of superb French-style
cooking.

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Bethesda's BLACK'S BAR & KITCHEN (3-7-10)

While we have been to Jeffrey Black's local spot BlackSalt here in the
Palisades, this was our first visit to BLACK's Bar & Kitchen
(www.blacksbarandkitchen.com) in Bethesda, and it is surely one of the
stalwart finer places in the area.
We settled in (again, if it's chilly, which it was not) you might want
to sit further towards the back. Black's has a warm feel and the staff
is sure friendly enough.
We did notice at the Black's website that Sunday was 1/2 price wine
and perused the menu with glee only to find out that the 1/2 price
deal extends to only ONE page on the back of the wine list. We opted
for the GODELLO 2008 from Vina Godeval in Valdeorras, Spain which even
without oak was a creamy tasty wine that anyone would enjoy alone or
with food. A yummy slice of complimentary Clothbound Cheddar with
toasted raisin bread and honey arrived to our surprise.
We then went on to some oysters. Will and I each had one of the five
offerings:
Chesapeake Bay
Daybob Bay (Washington State)
Stellar Bay (Wash State)
Kuchi
and Quilcene
(I think the last two are from BC?)
They were all superb and while Will loved the Daybob best, I preferred
the Stellar, Kuchi & Quilcene.
Our friends had the side of ASAPRAGUS with Local MUSHROOMS that was
yummy but lacked salt (easy to fix that!).

We moved on to a MANU Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Marlborough, New
Zealand that had one of the most intense grapefruit noses and tastes
that we loved with the oysters as well.

Our starters were WoodGrilled BRUSCHETTA with White Beans, Roasted
Garlic & Prosciutto which suffered only from way too much oil making
it soggy. The Organic BABY BEET SALAD with Baby Spinach, macerated Red
Onion, Toasted Pecans, Bruleed Goat Cheese, Pickled Pumpkin Bacon
Vinaigrette was a delightful salad, and did not suffer from being too
small or chintzy as beet salads can do. I went toward the heavier side
with the Oven Roasted Long Island DUCK BREAST with Quinoa Risotto,
Golden Raisins, Macerated Shalltos and Port Demi-Glace which is indeed
a huge starter and was really a treat as well. It filled me enough,
that I could enjoy the lighter mussels for my main!

We moved on to a delightful red from DW Hinman in Washington
State(Columbia Valley) called FIVE HERITAGE H 2006 made from 85%
Merlot and 15% Primitivo, a grape I have never seen in Washington
before (only Italy & Calif). It was just slightly spicy and was great
with two of the slightly spicy PEI MUSSEL dishes, which can be either
a starter or main. At first my CAJUN MUSSELS with Amber Ale, Tomato,
Tasso Ham, Crawfish, Oregano and yummy FRIED OKRA on top did not seem
to spicy, until I actually sipped the tasty broth. ADDIE's Mussels are
more traditional with Tomato, Garlic, Shallots, Lemon & Parsley, but
also had a slight spiciness.
FRIED CHICKEN looked superb, but was slightly dry and came with Sweet
Potato Waffle, Bacon Braised Collard Greens and a Molasses-Pecan Jus
that was not quite enough to moisten the meat. SEARED SEA SCALLOPS we
were told after ordered would be switched to the smaller BAY Scallops
(they ran out) with CRAWFISH-THYME Butter, Sauteed Swiss Chard and
Garlic Whipped Potatoes which was another success.

We wanted desserts but were filling up and decided to split two:
BANANA BREAD PUDDING with Caramel Sauce, Bruleed Banana and Peanut
Butter Ice Cream (we substituted Vanilla) was okay, but the star was
the CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL TRIO made up of Warm Brownie, Salted
Caramel Tart and Salted Caramel Ice Cream (which had an odd taste, but
did please). Aim for this and you will go home happy.
Our delightful server Eric Boxton (who goes by Boxton, not Eric!)
brought out some plain and chocolate fudgy Madeleine like spongy
cookies and we went home quite happy.
I do have to say that a number of the items on Black's menu are carbon
copies of those at BlackSalt, but we did not mind as we love them as
well!