Philadelphia's LAUREL is an awesome and amazing experience in every bite (1-25-19)

A quick trip to Philly to see a client and friend sing with the Philadelphia Orchestra ended with an amazing dinner for four of us at the famed LAUREL which is a tiny place holding only a dozen or so tables, but offers up some of the best tasting menu meals found anywhere; definitely a winner from Chef Nicholas Elmi and his awesome Chef de Cuisine, Eddie Konrad, who is presently competing on TV's Top Chef! I settled in with a cocktail called, "No Turn on Red" made from tequila, red pepper, honey, lemon and yellow chartreuse. I am not a fan of the latter, but this mix was super and my dear friend Johnny O. called his "Liquid Luck" from Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Chamomille, St-Germain and Yellow Charteuse "the best cocktail I ever had!"  "Sleeping with Sox On" was gin, Humbolt's tamarind, lemon, cinnamon and Amontillado sherry.

Our servers Sarah & Melissa were a super team and helped us choose the wine for the 10-course menu that was preceded by an Amuse shot of Birch Kombucha with green apple and mustard seed. Our first wine was the Meinklang Foam White sparkling Pinot Gris from Burgenland in Austria that was made without yeast, but still had hints of it. It paired excellently with the first course of Cured Halibut with Fermented Strawberry, Whipped Verjus foam and Horseradish snow. It was a miracle in a dish with a hint of salt and a nice kick from the horseradish.

Next came Bowfin Paddlefish Caviar with Philadelphia style ice cream(made without egg from Lancaster milk) with crispy potato(remember all these photos are on my FB page). Next was a divine dish of Braised Burgundy Snails with Melted Leeks and crispy black onion crumble dotted with borage leaves. Called their take on Vichysoise, this was way better than the boring potato soup. 

we moved on to a Christophe Thorigny 2016 Vouvray from the Loire which had a mineral boosted Chenin Blanc. Again the servers nailed it with the pairing with Seaweed Sourdough Tartine topped with Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, fermented blood orange, finger lime and nasturtium. It was like a little open faced sandwich that delivered so much flavor. Two of our guests were a bit offset by the urchin, so quick replacement sandwiches were delivered with smoked trout instead! What service and more for me to eat!

Kabocha Squash & Ricotta Gnocchi with black truffle, pumpkin seeds and oil and Grana Padana was an extra dish we chose to order and share and well worth the detour from the main menu.

Roasted Scallops with Sea Grape-Green Pepper(cornito & shishito) Ponzu and Umeboshi, a Japanese plum jam sauce(not sweet) arrived  with a plate of Machine Shop Boulangerie Seeded Rye Bread with House Butter(Green Meadow Farms) and Bay Leaf Salt. The bread was warm, crusty and divine and the scallops were a revelation. Just as delicious and impressive was Slow roated Tilefish with Celery Root puree, Sauce Americaine(made with Lobster, port and Madeira!!), Calamansi, Sweet Potato & Quinoa.

We moved on to Yannik Amirault "Le Gros Clos: 2016 Cabernet France from Bourgueil in the Loire that was earthy and another amazing pairing with the Roasted Peking Duck(from Long Island) with endive, winter Maitake mushrooms, blood orange puree, grilled duck jus and shitake mushroom jam, the latter being an impressive taste blast to the perfectly cooked duck. The "main" meat was New Zealand Venison with fermented cabbage, roasted beets, juniper jus and whole grain mustard chip. Again, the meat was cooked perfectly and declared by all some of the best venison ever eaten by any of us! The second red was a Pacina Sangiovese blend Chianti Colli 2012 from Senesi that was made for the venison.

A yummy Foie Gras Bonbon arrived with Sea Buckthorn white chocolate and pickled green peach that was a wonderful pre-dessert again loaded with flavors as every course and bite was for the entire 5+ hours we were there!

Dessert was Parsnip Paw Paw Creme Glace with Hazelnut Puree and Crispy Bread. The puree was a hazelnut butter that beat any peanut butter ever as well. A glass of Los Bernejos Malvasia was perfect for dessert with a richness that surprised us coming from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands!!

Just when we thought we were finished Chef Eddie arrived again with a Butterscotch pudding, rhubarb jam and sea salt, the perfect ending to the perfect meal in every bite indeed.

X2O marks the spot at X2O Xavier's in Yonkers, NY (1-22-19)

Just about 9 years ago the chef at X2O Xavier's won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the region and for some years I tried to get into X2O located on the Hudson River with its magnificent views of the Palisades across in New Jersey as well as the George Washington bridge and on a decent night, the Manhattan skyline. After pretty much everyone I knew left Westchester County or passed away, I gave up trying to get in, but happened upon the name the other night as we were overnighting in Yonkers before a nearby family funeral. The place seemed a bit dated with worn fabrics and a large central 80's chandelier on the second floor, but we settled in for a fine meal and great service.

Will ordered a Rock the Cashmere made from Slovenia Vodka(featured here), pomegranate liqueur, Grand Marnier and Cranberry while I opted for the Misha with the same vodka, Meyer lemon and ginger syrup. They were slightly sweet and we asked for them less sweet, but still tasty. Homemade roquefort cheese biscuits arrived and I was hooked and then came a nice amuse of Potato Blini with seared halibut mango puree and micro greens.

We decided to order a glass each of the Darby Viognier/Rousanne blend called "Le Deuce" 2016 from Columbia Valley in Washington State which was perfect with our starters:

Will chose the delicate Steamed Japanese Custard with Warm Shellfish, Santa Barbara Uni and Tempura Haricots Vert. A warm dashi broth was poured over the small cup tableside, and while Will thought the dish not too excited, I had to admire it for its complexity and the yummy shellfish chunks. I chose the Spaghetti Chitarra with Uni Butter, Shrimp & toasted crumbs which had a really nice spicy kick and a rich thick buttery sauce.

The restaurant is not huge, but the one large square room(you need to get a table on the south wall for the prime view, and ours was the best) was fairly full and with a large menu to start, I was surprised there were so many specials. Will and I settled on two from the main menu(I was tempted by the crusted venison special) to split:

Veal Sweetbreads with Roasted Figs, Parisian Potatoes & Hen of the Woods Mushrooms with a Madeira Creme Fraiche and Leaf Spinach which was extremely rich, but tasty and the meat cooked to perfection, lightly breaded and tender as could be. The Long Island Duck Breast with Togarashi, Sushi Fried Rice with Confit Leg, Snow Peas, Peppers and Shitake Mushrooms, Hakurei Turnips and Black Miso Jus seemed to be in the leaning of the chef's yin/yang French/Asian fusion. You couldn't decide if you were eating French or Asian, but the meat was perfectly cooked to just past rare with a nice crunchy skin crust. An "Alfar" Rioja Vendemia Seleccionada 2012 from bodegas Gardi Grande was a brilliant Spanish medium to full bodied red with smoky overtones that was ideal with both dishes.

We ordered a side of Crispy Cauliflower with Nuoc Cham(fish sauce)butter that was delicious but less crispy than it should have been.

The chef sent out a complimentary side salad for us both of Grilled Broccoli with shaved Anjou Pear, pomegranate seeds, caramelized pecans in a honey-cherry vinaigrette that was rich and yummy but a nice foil at the end of the meal subbing for our dessert for sure! We felt very French having this afterwards.

As if it was not enough Mango Sorbet arrived in cones and then roasted almond Truffles with almost liquid centers. At the door was a giant jar of almond brittle, but we were stuffed, so they packed up a bagful only after giving us a giant box of about 15 of the truffles to take home as well. The staff was extremely helpful and kind, but kudos goes to Victoria who made us feel as if we were at home. It was a nice diversion after the long drive to NY and we will have to return when Sam heads to boarding school nearby next school year.

When in Yorkshire always jet off to JUDGES at KIRKLEVINGTON for a traditional British Country House experience(1-3-19)

Our final meal of this trip was with our best friends in Yorkshire, Sue & Steve, who have started a tradition of staying with us at whatever country home we choose while visiting Will's family. We returned to Judges at Kirklevington, just outside of Yarm(in Stockton-on-Tees) after a way too long absence, and the dining here is always top notch. The five of us enjoyed cocktails (although here a dirty martini becomes a dirty bloody martini with the addition of some tomato juice!) in the drawing room by a warm fire as we munched canapes of beetroot and passionfruit shooters and smoked trout pate on Sourdough toast, the latter was delish, while the former an interesting choice of combinations that somehow worked! We made our dinner choices, as one does in a country home prior to going into theConservatory/Dining Room, which was beautifully decorated for the holidays with blue lit icicles and more on the ceiling(check out the FB foto). We chose a Saint Veran 2016 Vers le Mont from Domaine Roger Luquet, which was an ideal white with all our starters and Steve's fish, while the red was a wonderfully aged 2009 Volnay Premier Cru Les Fremiets from Domaine Voillot that we all oohed and aahed over as we took our first sips midway through the meal.

Starters were all delish save for Will's Tempura Squid with Baby Rocket, Salsa Verde and Caramelized Lime. It was not bad, but why order tempura with a Mexican flair in an English country home! The Butternut Squash Risotto with Baked Feta and Nasturtium was a main, but they quickly adjusted the size for Sam's taste as he always heads for the risotto. Judge's Classic Crab & Prawn Cocktail with Compressed Melon, MarieRose(sauce) and Baby Gem was indeed a classic, while the Parsnip Soup with Honey was creamy and rich. My Hand Dried King Scallops with Pancetta and Sweet Corn Risotto was speckled with Braised Oxtail, Pickled Turnips and Nasturtium as was quite a large size even though it had only two gorgeous Diver sized scallops. The risotto was rich and creamy and perfectly paired with the little dots of oxtail.

Main courses were all perfection from the super Pan Fried Duck Breast with Fondant Potatoes, Kale, Baby Vegetables and Blackberry Jus that Sam & I chose. The duck was cooked just past rare and each piece was a s juicy as the next. Fillet of Halibut was tender and came with Lyonnaise potatoes, Butternut Squash, Chilli Puree for a little kick and Pancetta Butter Sauce, so this was a dish which paired with both the white and red wines so well.

Twice Cooked Pork Belly was a non-fatty cut with Butternut Squash, Pomme Puree, Black Pudding & Cider Jus; surely a choice for a cold winter's night as this was becoming.

Yorkshire Lamb Rump arrived with Parsley, Root Glazed Carrots, Celeriac, Fondant Potatoes, Pickled Turnip & Rosemary Jus. The chef obviously likes pickled turnip and it's a great winter choice to foil the richness of these dishes.

We ordered a bottle of Sauternes for dessert and they were out so substituted a less viscous and nowhere near as exciting 2015 Pacherenc du Vic "Bilh" from Collecion Plainot that we all could have skipped. Desserts were huge hits from the Sticky Toffee Pudding that Will seemed to have every other day while there, here served with Toffee Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. Dark Chocolate Fondant with Chocolate & Cardamom Sorbets came with Candied Walnuts & Blackberries while the Passionfruit Creme Brulee was accompanied by a Ginger Snap Biscuit and Lemon Balm. All were superb, but I headed right for the cheeses and got 7 winners: Montgomery Mature Cheddar was crumbly and orange and aged wonderfully, while the Ribblesdale Matured Goat was creamy and also aged for intense flavor. The French were represented by Livarot and Pont L'Eveque, while I joked that the French bishop's bridge was faced to the Brit's Stinking Bishop, one of our favorite cheeses of all times. Kiddarton Ash was a mild goat with ash and of course, no Yorkshire cheese plate is complete without Yorkshire Blue, which is one of th finest blues, but sadly not available much outside of the UK.

Mignardises arrived, but I had no room for the chocolates or gelees as we rolled upstairs to sleep knowing that we were headed home the next day. That said, we have already booked our summer stay and final dinner at Judges for this year!

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!!

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.