Will's birthday was this week so five of us gathered again at NE Washington's Gravitas where we have had three fabulous evening out now since the beginning of August!
It's a super and safe experience and the food is always divine, and there are a ton of new items on the tasting menu as well for the fall season. There are still two multi-course tasting menu options of $115 and $150 with wine pairings available at $95 each. We decided on cocktails and our own wine bottles which allowed for alot more fun with 5 people.
I started with "A Cocktail A Day" made with Avua Cachaca, Cold Pressed Ginger, Honey, Lemon and Elderflower which was yummy, but intense of the ginger(so beware). Will chose the Violeta which was Rayu Mezcal, Pear, Ginger, Purple Cabbage, Lime & Cynar(an amaro bitter) which he loved and said had no ginger flavor(as he is not a ginger fan like me!). "When There's Smoke There's Fire" arrives at the table with a dome and smoke release presentation of the Bar Hill TomCat Gin with La Quintiniye Vermouth, Benedictine and Laphraoig!!
We got our celebratory glass of Gruet Champagne and after what seemed a veryn long time our Canapes arrived which were different for the two different priced menus(I like mine better). The Chef's menu got Squash Soup Shooter, Oyster Mushroom Conserva & Salmon Mousse while ours were Texture of beets(poached,foam and syrup), Gruyere Tuille with whipped Ricotta and Date Jam and a to DIE FOR Lobster Veloute with Espalette Pepper & Apple Shooter!!
I did bother our fab server Jon and amazing sommelier Donnie alot with wine questions, but they kept up with the bottles coming and pourings so amazingly! We starrted with a Surrau "Sciala" 2016 Vermentino di Gallura from Sardinia which was more "orange-y" than crisp simple white that Vermentino usually is, but we loved the wine and it paired well with the amazing Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi with Soy Vinaigrette Shaved Jalapeno, Black Vinegar Aioli, Crispy Shallot and Garlic(photos on FB). The Fall Vegetable Salad of veggies, herbs, white wine vinaigrette and goat cheese espuma is always gorgeous and tasty; Will said he did not want to eat it since it was so beautiful!
We moved on to a Juan Miguez "Gran Leirina" 2015 Treixadura Blend(80% Treixadura and 5% each Godella and Albarino) from Ribiero in Spain. I know I have had the varietal before, but it is not something you see very often here in the states. It was perfect for the Hamachi Crudo, now a signature dish, with grilled onions, apples, roasted beets, shiso and rice wine vinaigrette. Adorable cucamelons(a cross between a watermelon & cucumber the size of a grape) was something we had all never seen before!! Our Butter Poached Lobster was again one of the best lobster dishes ever(like before) with the whole tail sitting atoop a Ragout of Heirloom Beans with Sunchoke Puree and Uni Emulsion....again TO DIE FOR!
Our next wine was a huge Kenami Vina Otano 2012 Rioja Reserva which was 100% Tempranillo and was hard to follow(but we managed). Our next dish was again a BIG winner with Crispy Sweetbreads that oozed Southern charm with Sweet Corn, English Peas, Chanterelle Fricasse, Charred Onions, Potato Espuma dn Banyuls Jus. It was like having sweetbreads fried just like chicken, but WAY better. The other options were a Braised Veal Risotto with Creme Fraiche, Red Wine, Rosemary and aged Pecorino Sardo while the birthday boy went for the Gruyere Cappellacci(pasta) with Fall Mushroom, Roasted Vegetable Demi Glace and of course the supplement for Shaved Black Truffles!
The main courses were very varied from Crispy Berkshire Pork Belly(no fat at all) with peaches, Mojo Verde, Heirloom Beans & Saffron Rice to a bit too salty and very fishy Pan Roasted Red Snapper with Baby Radish & Cucumber Salad, Avocado mousse, Cilantro and Vietnamese Glaze(tamarind & lime). Three of us went for the super Roasted Pheasant Breast atop Oyster Mushrooms, Sweet Potato Puree & Huckleberry Jus. Again, some said it was a bit salty, but I loved it as is....perhaps my salt intake is so high(with high blood pressure not good) I was immune. I was looking at some Spanish wines, but Donnie came up with a brilliant suggestion of a 2017 Ridge East Bench Zinfandel that we loved and was neither intensely alcoholic or spicy for a young zin!
The Granita was ginger with baby carrot ribbons and shiso which was a novelty and some were not crazy, but the two bites did indeed cleanse my palate!
There is always the yummy chocolate ganache birthday cake and we all loved the desserts of Chocolate & Caramel Pave with Candied Almond, Caramel-Cinnamon Ice Cream & Sea Salt or the "Apples & Fig" ewith spiced apples, poached figs, fig black pepper gelee and Fuji Apple Sorbet(forgot photos!). I went the cheese route and was nuts about every one. Boxcarr Cottonseed from North Carolina is a soft gooey cow/goat blend that had me in ecstasy. The St. Stephen cow from NY was also delish, while we all love that gooey blend of cow/goat/sheep from Italy called La Tur. A new cheese from Virginia was Nottingham Gouda and then I always love anything from Rogue River, Oregon and this was their Rogue River Blue.
Our dessert wine was a novel Barolo Chinato from Cocchi that had the bitterness to cut the chocolate or cheese intensity. Will called it "Campari on crack!" The wine was realy amazing with the mignardise of Amaretti Cookies and PassionFruit Marshmallows!!
I can't rave enough about the team at Gravitas led by Michelin-star chef Matt Baker and they way they handle every need, food allergy or dislike, and us as clients.
