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!
