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!

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!!

Palisade's Bistro ARACOSIA is amazing Afghan just blocks from the house(11-13-18)

Bistro Aracosia has become a neighborhood fixture of the famous parent restaurant in Springfield, VA and we heard the other night that McLean, VA will be the next benefactor of this family's wonderful dining spots!

We headed there Tuesday with friends visiting from Vietnam as we figured it was convenient(just minutes away) and novel for even them. It was a treat for all 6 of us. We ordered a bottle of yummy 2016 Cotes du Rhone La Colline de la Cabotte to enjoy while we perused the monstrous menu (always a problem) and our server Karen suggested we head right to the specials; always a good idea. Sam enjoyed a Mint Sour Cherry Mocktail and we decided to share a bunch of starters while we waited for one of us to arrive in traffic and headed towards three veggie options that we thought Sam would enjoy as well. Indeed, the veggie options here are huge and varied.

-Boulanee are Potato & Leek Turnovers served with an avocado chutney dipping sauce and have to be one of the best starters, although we had the other greens filling(sabzi) last time which were awesome as well.

-Aushak are Leek & Scallion Dumplings which come in a rich dill yogurt sauce that while delicious was a bit overpowering for some of us. I am not a huge dill fan, and it seems that Sam is even less. I guess it's best to ask how strong the spices(even if just dill) are before choosing! David, the manager, always offered to make the dish less or more spicier as well, but that is usually with the spicier main dishes as well.

Speaking of spices, while we sipped the wine we had plenty of that yummy Afghan pita-like bread with the four dipping sauces. ("The mildest was the Avocado/Yogurt with spices and they progress very quickly in spice levels to the Red Chile then the Thai Pepper & Green Herbs(almost tomatillo-like) and the intense Mango Sweet & Spicy, definitely the hottest, but still superbly tasty." is from my review earlier this year).

-the bread is also super with the final starter we choose, Barta- a simple tasty roasted eggplant puree akin to Baba Ganoush but more flavorful and smoky.

As if this was not enough, David also brought out a complimentary plate of the signature Grilled Lamb Chops which are seasoned so perfectly and seem to have not a touch of fat on them!

When we moved on to the entrees we also switched wines to a more full bodied Valravn 2016 Sonoma Zinfandel, which is probably the best lower priced red on the menu suited for the spice. Some of the wines here can get quite pricey!!

Will was leaning towards a sweet & savory stew, but ended up choosing a Chicken Lawaan which he said was a bit uninteresting, but then who orders chicken in a restaurant (unless it maybe pressed Amish style). The Lamb Chop Duo was a huge portion of 2 French ribs and a shoulder which were marinated to perfection and served with julienne carrots, raisins and roasted eggplant. The Mix Grill Mazza  has lamb chop, beef tenderloin, salmon fillet, and seekh kabob all with that wonderful avocado chutney dipping sauce. It's truly a meat eater's delight, while Sam's veggie choice was a Spicy Risotto with Eggplant, Butternut Squash, Chick Peas, Lentils and Mung Peas with and Eggplant & Butternut Squash Bouranee. Saffron Salmon is still a huge portion and while it sounds light, it has  Emerald rice and veggies and can really fill you up. My Veal Sabzi Lawaan was indeed on the specials menu and was a perfectly cooked veal stew with yogurt, greens, basmati rice, carrots and raisins. 

Dessert was not even in our thoughts as we were all stuffed and headed home knowing that on a cold winter's night (yes, they are already here), Bistro Aracosia will always warm us up with delicious fare and friendly faces.