Monday, December 31, 2018

Hambleton Hall is a highlight of our trip in the British Midlands(12-29-18)

Hambleton Hall is  located just outside the very beautiful and old town Oakham in the Rutland district of the central midlands of England. 

 Originally built as a hunting lodge for a wealthy man it went into disrepair over the years and was purchased in the 1970s by the couple who have made it into one of the most beautiful and simple retreats that belong to the Relais et Chateaux group.  Chef Aaron Patterson has earned a Michelin star here making this a definitely 1st choice overnight stay for anyone heading from North to South or vice a versa.



 You were welcomed into the bar or drawing room before dinner starts and offered a multiple choice of cocktails along with some small hor's d'oevres.

 As is typical with English country houses you then get to peruse the menu and order before you were escorted into the dining room;  I also consulted with the sommelier, as we were not driving anywhere and could enjoy both a bottle of white and red wine.

 There a tasting menus and 3 course and 4 course menus and many options to choose from and the menu changes on a daily basis.

We ordered a Saint Peray 2106 Biousse from Yves Cuilleron,  whom I had the pleasure of meeting some 20 years ago and is one of my favorite wine makers in the Rhone Valley.  It's a delicious creamy terroir driven 100% Marsanne wine that goes superbly with so many things.

 Spelt, Beer, and Brown and White sourdough bread arrived with creamy rich butter as we enjoyed our amuse of Cauliflower with granola which was really a warm puree of Cauliflower glistened with truffle oil and touched with unsweetened granola and puffed wild rice along with pumpkin seeds.

 Will and Sam started with the black Winter truffle Risotto which disappeared in seconds, while I savored my multi-faceted Mosaic Terrine of Sweetbreads, Chicken, Foie gras Quince fruit and gelee and puree as well as Blackberries. It was amazing with the Marsanne.

 Samuel enjoyed a second course of Spicy Israeli Couscous which came from the full vegetarian tasting menu but was substituted for the fish course on the main menu. Will and I adored the fresh Poached Fillet of Brill Nicoise with Quail's Egg, Sauce Vierge(tomato based), white anchovy and sea asparagus.  Many delicious vegetables accompanied the dish, but we could never figure out what was inside the deep fried tempura may be a string bean?

 We moved on to our red wine which was a 2007 La Rioja Alta Gran reserva 904 which was in amazing form after aging for 11 years.  We've had this wine before but I can't recall drinking one aged so well.

Samuel and I both enjoyed the amazing and unfortunately way too big portion of moist Roast Pheasant with sweetcorn Risotto, Japanese artichokes both sliced and fried as well as a Madeira sauce with a hint of cherry. Puffed rice and grilled corn accompanied the dish as well as what is known is sea rosemary. Will was  equally happy with his short rib of beef which had been cooked for 30 hours and served with smoked potato puree and red wine sauce although he asked for them to please keep the horse radish off the plate...how un-English.

 While we had seen the cheese tray go by and literally lost our minds over the gorgeous cheeses, we decided that we all needed to share one dessert so Sam chose the Prune and our Armagnac souffle with Prune and Armagnac ice cream which was the perfect finale to art amazing evening here.

 Service was top notch from start to finish but extra kudos go to Laura who was an amazing server and so totally kind and friendly. When we found out she was from Barcelona we immediately told her of our favorite restaurant there.

 Because we were only here one night we were not really able to enjoy the walking paths and hiking around the beautiful man made Lake which surrounds the entire peninsula that the mansion house is on.  I guess this means will have to go back when the weather is better!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Jose Pizarro Tapas in London for a lark (12-16-18)

We wanted a lighter meal after the previous night's degustation and everyone at the Shangri-La at the Shard, where we are ensconced for the weekend, suggest Jose Pizarro Tapas in Southwark. We had been told there were no reservations, which always scares Will, but we arrived and a table had just opened up. The place is tiny with no more room for thirty diners and the team of servers move fast to get the food from the miniscule open kitchen facing us to the floor.

We ordered in spurts which was smart as everything comes out quite fast and the first round was Boquerones with Parsley & Garlic that we oohed and aahed over and by chance the Sicilian server brought another plate by mistake and said is was gratis! Sam chose the Pan de Tomate which oozed with EVOO and also asked for Gordal Olives, which were huge green juicy olives in an herby oil with grapefruit slices and a kind of pickled veggie(okra-ish?).

Will and I started with a glass of 2017 Mervayon Godello and realized the by the glass approach was a ripoff and ordered a bottle of a superb red chosen by the one Spanish server who said we would love the Solanera 2015 , a blend of Monastrell/Cabernet Sauvignon/Garnacha with an amazingly jammy rich flavor.

Croquettas of melt in your mouth ham and cheese were amazing as were the Norwegian Cod Fritters with an amazing spicy piquillo salsa. Sam raved about the Patatas Bravas with two sauces of tomato and garlic aioli, which he would not even let us taste a bite of, so we ordered our own! Jamon Iberico was a letdown as it was quite fatty, althought he nonfat jamon was impressive. Better was the Grilled Pluma Iberica 5J, a grilled pork loin that was spiced gorgeously, but a bit oversalted. We told the server that some of the dishes tended to be oversalted and she agreed. The same was with the Pulpo alla Gallega, perfectly grilled octopus on abed of mashed potatoes.

Padron Peppers were delicious, but I fear a bit out of season, so quite small.

The Torta Espanola, here called a Tortilla was of potato, egg and onion and was a bug winner with Sam; I can't ever recall seeing one so high(check the FB fotos).

Jose Pizarro apparently has multiple locations and I can see why he is a big success. He would win superstar status with a bit less salt!

It was a great preparation for Spain as we board the Queen Elizabeth tomorrow headed to the Canary Islands!

the Ledbury in London is truly a luxurious experience(12-15-17)

Each time I have set foot in London for the past decade, I have made the point of dining at The Ledbury.  This trip we only have two nights here, so we landed, rested for much of the day and then headed across town for our two Michelin star experience.
 
I had already advised the hotel Sam was vegetarian and they had their tasting menu for that, and it was no issue when we asked them to add in poultry. The only choice on Saturday is a 6 or 8 course tasting and we were fine with that...
 Will and I settled in with cocktails called Mezcal tonic of Ilegal Joren Mezcal, thyme and FeverTree Lemon Tonic, while Sam ordered a mocktail, of which he had many throughout the meal paired with all of his courses.
Canapes or Amuses arrived in droves:
Sea weed crisp with smoked mussel
and for Sam the veggie Sunflower crisp with artichoke and lemon.
 We all had the Guinea fowl puff with mead jelly which was amazing and then we had the
Warm  Crumpet with Brown crab butter and potted shrimp while Sam's crumpet had Tamworth cream and crispy shallots.
 Everyone here works in a team and it's really amazing how you are never ever left on watched or in need of anything. Javier and Steph were our lead servers with sommelier Patrick doing all the pouring and in many cases reporting the refills, which were never refused.
 We had not been to The Ledbury in several years and of course right after we went last time they had the horrible under riots which resulted in a lot of damage to the front glass windows and dining room.  It's been redone and redecorated and now they're a beautiful chandelier is which were decorated with branches and blown glass droplet ornaments hanging from the branches, still maintaining the original feel and again with only a handful of tables. Zalto crystal is now used which is classy, but a bit too light for my tatse; I like to feel the weight of the wine glass. Our first wine was a 2016 Alvarinho, Deu La Deu, Adega de Moncso from the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. It's the first time I had an oaked Albarino and it was spectacular and it was the first of many brilliant pairings with Marinated Sea Bream (tartare)with horseradish, seaweed oil and a light cream.
Samuel's first course was a gorgeous Artichoke salad.  He moved on to a white beetroot baked in clay with goat cheese and hazelnut which was paired with an Afghan rosebud spritzer.
Our next course was the same White Beetroot,  But it doing with caviar salt and smoked eel. The wine was a 2016 Riesling Trocken, Clemens Busch from Mosel; a bone dry organic wine with loads of mineral flavors from the blue and black shale terroir.
Warm Porridge Sourdough bread arrived with a thick crunchy crust and Goat's Whey butter with molasses!!  There are tons of pictures on Facebook but I think I forgot the delicious bread.
I think we all agreed that our favorite course of the evening was of the Warm Bantam's Egg with celeriac, Arbois, dried ham and chestnuts but for Sam instead of the ham he managed to get shaved truffles!!  The magnificent egg just used all over the place and it was truly an amazing dish. Sam's paired tail was made with Apple lemon and fennel while we enjoyed a 2014 Rully Vielles Vignes, Gresigny 1er Cru from Vincent Dureuil-Janthial in Burgundy that was much thicker than any Rully I have had with gorgeous lines and legs in the glass!
 
Cornish Cod with Toasted Grains,  Parsley and Cauliflower puree was next, while Sam has a Salt Baked Kabu Turnip in Padron Pepper sauce with dried olives and Ewe's milk ricotta.
Our wine was a South African 2017 Tin Soldier Semillon Gris from Thorne & Daughters in Swartland.  We had this amazing rose while in Africa and have come to love it.
 
The next course was simply called Agen Prune as the prune comes from that place in France. Ours was with an unreal Earl Grey Tea and Bacon Sauce and was stuffed with Guinea Fowl stuffing!! A 2015 Cuvee Maisons-Dieu Domaine Violot-Guillemard from Burgundy was our first red and a magnificent Pinot Noir that was earthy and less fruity than the ones from the US.
Sam got the Roast Cauliflower with Chanterelles and Yeast paired with Jasmine tea with Lemongrass and Yuzu, a kind of sweet and sour drink that mixologist Dan created on the spot; he was brilliant behind the bar!
 
The "main" course was a perfectly cooked just past rare Aged Pigeon from Anjou, France which had been presented while at the table earlier on a nest of hay as it was roasted over that for flavor. It was served with Endive cooked in Grilled Oil, red leaves (radicchio,) and veggies all in a thick pigeon jus with truffle cream that had hints of BBQ flavors. On the side were 3 small skewers with grilled heart, liver and wing which were a triumph of flavor in themselves. Alas, Sam, newly a poultrytarian(?), had to surrender his to me! Sam drank stem ginger, cranberry and lime while we adored gutsy 2015 Saumur-Champigny, La Folie from Chateau Yvonne in the Loire that we just had to get refills on.
 
Pre-dessert was a Pumpkin (Custard)Chantilly with Dandelion ice cream and Whey Caramel that we all loved and Sam went on to the regular dessert of Christmas Tart of clementine and nutmeg which at first he didn't seem to like but managed to gobble up. Will and I chose the cheese trolley as Steph carefully explained the spread and we chose, but I opted not to write down the choices(look at the FB foto and try and guess!). The wine was an Albert Boxler 2012 Grand Cru Brand Riesling from Alsace that was fascinating with lots of minerals hidden amongst a trace of light sweetness.
 
 As if this was not enough a happy 10th anniversary plate of chocolate and crunches arrived, Even though I had explained to the staff that it was not Will and mine 10th anniversary, but my 10th anniversary of first coming to the Ledbury!!
 Of course mignardies arrived and these were exquisite chocolate eucalyptus truffles, but even better were the crispy caramel, lime and juniper sticks!! What a way to go home!
 It would take a lot to make me change my mind that there is a better restaurant in the British Isles, indeed The Ledbury  is surely one of the finest dining destinations I can think of on Earth.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

NYC's Gabriel Kreuther garners its 2nd Michelin star and still shines (11-23-18)

I adore Gabriel Kreuther in NYC and wanted to share the experience with my family as I knew the team would welcome them and make it special for Sam with a vegetarian tasting menu.

We arrived in the bitter cold and immediately were served the gorgeous Savory Scallion Kougelhopf with its chive fromage blanc so rich and creamy.  Our favorite water, Badoit, arrived and Will chose the Garden Terrace, a drink with Grey Goose, honey & dill, Sam chose Le Carrousel, a mocktail of hibiscus, passion fruit, turmeric and lemon, while I enjoyed a Jean Velat hampagne "Lumiere et Craie" Blanc de blancs from Montgueux.

We asked the sommelier, Philippe, to pair wines as this is so much more enjoyable. You can choose a la carte or a 6-course tasting for $195 or 9-course for $235. The wines are priced at two levels for the six ($105 & 155) and the nine ($145 or $230), so the prices do build, but it is worth the splurge. We chose the 6 with prestige wines.

Three amuses appeared(photos on FB):

-Roasted Butternut Squash  with Sunchoke puree and crispy dulse seaweed

-Kuri Squash & Hazelnut Mousseline with Multigrain crumble in a shotglass

-Shiso leaf with chestnut hummus and roasted apples

All were novel and totally yummy.

Our first wine was an amazing Trimbach 2008 Gewurtztraminer, "Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre" with loads of mineral flavors and white pepper which was an awesome pairing with our first course of Foie Gras Terrine wrapped in crushed Marcona Almond Praline, Jackfruit pate de fruit, duck prosciutto and banana pain d'epices on the side to spread the yummy delight on; a brilliant preparation for sure.

Sam got Persian cucumber, ogo seaweed, wasabi & shiso and also got numerous paired non-alcoholic options which we requested and he adored.

I always love that the wine is poured before the course is served, but the pours seem to have gotten smaller, so we often had to beg for a refill when the food arrived or shortly thereafter, but we were always accommodated with a smile!

The second course was Langoustine Tartare with flying fish roe, cauliflower, macadamia puree and cayenne tulle, which I loved, but Will was not crazy about. The wine was a divine Domaine Vacheron Sancerre 2016 "Chambrates" while Sam enjoyed a Broccoli Rabe Ravioli with broccoli rabe in the dish whole roasted red pepper and bay leaf emulsion.

Wholegrain ficelles came with Bobolink Farm's Cultured Butter and we moved on tot he next wine, Xavier Monnot "Les Charmes" Mersault 1er Cru 2014, which I could drink forever with its intense mineral tones.

Green-Walk Hatchery Trout cooked on cedar plank and served with scallion cream over smashed Yukon Gold potatoes in a champagne sauce. On the side was a delish smoked trout served on the side on a rye cracker. Samuel had a Brussels sprout Tart with Sabayon and Applewood Smoke  that came with a glass dome releasing the smoke in a waft as it was uncovered.

Red Wine Risotto  for all three of us would win a prize here with a confit egg on top(we were told to taste the risotto alone first, and I actually liked it better without the egg). It came with toasted walnuts and a herbs de provence fondue.

Rosemary Buckwheat rolls came next with a Whipped Pork Lardo for Will & me, Sam used the butter and they were gone in seconds!

The "main" was a Black Angus Beef Tenderloin with roasted salsify, Roquefort Cheese and Red Wine Jus with roasted veggies while Sam had Stewed French Lentils with Cabbage Puree, Pecorino and Barigoale Sauce and got a pairing of cranberry, hibiscus, lemon and seedlip, which I never did seem to find out what it was! Our wine was a rich full bodied Mas de Daumas Gassac 1998 from Languedoc, a place you don't often think of buying wines for aging; it was aged perfectly1

Red wine was in order as a pairing with a Domaine Coillot 2015 Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes.

Pre-dessert was Ginger-Cilantro Shots with a Passion fruit marshmallow with jicama and lime on malt biscuits, which were spectacular and the main dessert was a Decadent Chocolate Caramel(you must see the foto on FB) with Mixed Media Crumble, Chocolate Mousse and Caramel Ice Cream paired with a Maynard's 1997 Cikheita Port which was dry and paired with the chocolate's sweetness ideally.

Petit Fours in the form of chocolates and more and we rolled home into bed.

I guess getting a second star allows for price increases, but the only thing I wish was that I did not have to ask for more wine all the time.  The service and attention here is always great though, and the team would never deny a refill! Thanks all to ending our Thanksgiving weekend in NYC!

Thursday, November 22, 2018

annual AI FIORI pre-Thanksgiving dinner in NYC is a fabulous feast (11-21-18)

Our Thanksgiving schedule has become a tradition and since we head first to Broadway for a matinee (Torch Song) we need to hang around in the city for dinner before heading to Long Island for the night where we stay near my brother-in-law's home. One year we tried to leave the city and meet him for dinner on the Island and the drive at 5pm took almost 3 hours. Last night at 10pm, it was under 40 minutes! That said, our visit to Ai Fiori on 5th Avenue in the Langham Hotel has indeed become a tradition as we all adore the elegant space, fine service and excellent Michelin-starred Relais et Chateaux dining. 

We arrived a little before 530pm and enjoyed a glass of champagne (Cosmo for Will, mocktail for Sam) and waited for our friend Lauren as we munched the irresistible spiced popcorn! 

As we entered the dining room shortly thereafter I spotted the huge Italian white truffles on a table with a glass dome over them...we were tempted and lost this fight....read on.

I ordered a bottle of  2009 vintage Champagne Gaston Chiquet Brut "Special Club" from Dizy and it was ideal with the yummy amuse of Mushroom Duxelles, Ricotta & Mascarpone in a small pastry cup. We spent a long time catching up, perusing the menu and asking questions of our superb server Shana. Grissini arrived in tall glasses with EVOO and spices(thyme,bay leaves, etc) and while these are tasty, you can only double dip once by turning around the breadstick.

Sam decided on two courses and the rest of us chose the $108 four course menu which allows you to choose any antipasti, pasta, main and dessert, a real NY deal for this quality food indeed. 

I ordered a Sicilian Etna Bianco and the sommelier Ehren came back with bad news that they had sold out, but good news that he was giving us the Graci 2015 "Arcuria" instead for the same price(it cost a bit more) which was made from the same Carricante grapes we fell in love with on our trip to Sicily in the summer of 2017. Here the wine was intense in minerals yet creamy and rich and a true dream with the starters:

-Insalata di Astice a Nova Scotia Lobster Salad with shaved fennel, pickled chanterelles and citrus dressing and pieces that was excellent and full of flavor, and since I am not a fennel freak, I was thrilled it was mild shaved baby fennel.

-Vellutata of Lobster Veloute with one chunk of meat and Périgord Black Truffles and Tarragon

-Torchon of Foie Gras au Naturel with Apple Mostarda, Fig Puree, Oat crumble, Calvados and toasted brioche got a rave from Lauren save for the odd small dabs of sweet butter on the plate.

A reminder that there are photos of most of the dishes on Facebook.



Pasta was next and we all agreed on the White Truffles from Alba in Piemonte had to be on all four. Sam & Will chose the Tajarin or ribbon pasta with parmesan, while Lauren and I went for the White Truffle Risotto made from Riso Aquarello with butter and parm. Shana arrived with the huge truffles and shaved 4 grams or more on each plate as the aroma wafted through the entire place and we almost all had multiple truffle orgasms. The truffles were deliciously fresh and rich and also a perfect pairing as we finished off the white wine and then moved onto a magnificent full bodied Barolo (of course also from Piemonte, specifically La Morra) 2006 Enzo Boglietti "Fossati" was intense with coffee flavors and hints of chocolate.



Again the wine was perfect with the three meat mains:

-Vitello was a French milk-fed veal chop cooked to perfection medium rare with crunchy edges, broccoli-rabe, kohlrabi and gremolata

-Tagliata was a dry aged strip loin with pommes puree, spring onion and bordelaise, while

-Agnello was a rack of lamb en crepinette (a crepe-like crispy coating) with barley, sunflower seed pesto and long beans.

Samuel's veggie dish was a hit as well

-Torta de Ceci a chickpea panisse with fall squash and Hen of the Woods mushrooms



The breads that kept arriving were white, ginger & caramelized onion and olive rolls that were oddly a bit too chewy for me.

When you order a menu including dessert, you don't have a choice, but we were all quite full, so Lauren ordered a chocolate gelato to eat in house and the rest of the dish in cake to take home.

Will had the full plate of the same Cioccolato made of brandy, chocolate cake, jivara ganache, caramel and chocolate gelato.

I went for the Budino of chocolate & banana cremeux with caramelized banana cake with hazelnut and brown butter gelato. I let Sam have a bite and he could not resist finishing the rest as it was truly decadent, rich and tasty, but not overpowering or too big at all.

Before we headed out the mignardises arrived in Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Bonbons (which eerily resembled eyes out their sockets!), Grapefruit Marshmallows and my new favorite gelees made of Campari!!

It was a memorable and fabulous four hour plus feast to start off our annual NY trip for this holiday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!!