Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
NoSoup,

Excellent report. Coincidentally, tonight at dinner my friend and I talked about how the only place neither of us had been that is on both of our current lists of "must-go" places is Masa. I recently read The Reach of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman (so-so book, nowhere near his amazing book The Soul of a Chef) where he described a Masa dinner in a way very similar to your description, but in much more length and detail. I'm going to go on an upcoming trip to NYC and I'm super-excited about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bribe, cajole, plead, whatever it takes -- but absolutely make sure you have a seat at the sushi bar. Don't let them put you at a table.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

High-end diner specialists,

After browsing the thread, I am down with "The Dining" @ Ritz and Restaurant Gary Danko in SanFran. I will be taking my gf out for a special night. El Diablo has commented that "The Dining" has a more romantic setting albeit older crowd [I don't mind the old, stuffy characteristic] while Gary Danko is his favorite SanFran restaurant.

I can't decide. Help. Thanks.

PS. I am also thinking of Ame if anyone wants to make a case for that over the other two options.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

I was a bit underwhelmed by Gary Danko. Everything is nice, but just nice. I got the sense that they weren't pushing themselves as much as I expect in a place like that. On the other hand, if you like cheese, their cheese course is absolutely amazing. They have a decent selection, but more importantly the cheese is served perfectly ripe. I eat a lot of cheese and I can never find it in the peak quality they have at Gary Danko. Overall, I would say GD is a very good dining experience with solid food and better than average service, but I doubt I will go back (except maybe to the bar for some cheese).

The Dining Room at the Ritz has better food, though they may not be as consistent as GD. In my 9+ course meal there, I found a few courses amazing, but a few not so great. While the atmosphere might be more stuffy than your standard SF restaurant, I found the service to be spot on and better than GD. They definitely adjusted to the fact that we were half or 1/3 of the age of most of the other patrons. If you go, get the foie gras if you like it-- probably the best foie dish I've had. I also highly recommend the wine pairing.

Ame, while also good, I would probably skip. Neither the food, service, or experience is in the same league as the above two. I enjoyed my meal there, but it's also another place I probably won't return to.

If I can throw in another place to consider, I might think about Coi. I actually have not yet eaten inside the dining room at Coi, but after a few trips to the lounge where you can order a la carte off the tasting menu, it is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The servers are awesome and really try to make your experience great. The other night I went there after a bad dinner, and even though it was 11pm and the kitchen was closed, the waiter went into the kitchen and put together a tasting of 3 ice creams for us. On top of that, he paired a different glass of sherry with each ice cream for the price of a single glass. Finally, before we left he gave us another dessert on the house of a vanilla milkshake with a pistachio financier.

So overall, I'd recommend The Dining Room for a nice, all-out, romantic dinner in the city. For something more casual, but with food nearly or just as good, check out Coi.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

Thanks mrface!

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

At $75/plate I do expect my peanut butter to be crunchy, if I do so desire. I also expect a crinkly straw at my request (if applicable).

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
WD-50 in New York.

Wylie Dufresne's restaurant.

[/ QUOTE ]


I recently went to Tailor with my girlfriend. The chef is Sam Mason, former pastry chef at wd~50. Here's my review:

---

This is one of the best atmospheres in which I've ever eaten. The design theme is that of an old tailor's shop, with a little leather cutout in the middle of the table and lots of charcoals and browns, but there's still a strong modern feel. The servers wear gray flannel looking things and brown striped shirts. The design works really well; it's comfortable and stylish. The dining room is reasonably quiet, which I like because I want to feel relaxed, but there's enough music (I remember hearing Talib Kweli, Beatles, and Cranberries) and activity to keep it from feeling dead.

The service is outstanding. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and helpful with recommendations, they tried to find out the name of a song I liked, they folded our napkins for us while we were away from the table, they were quick to refill water and replace silver without just hovering around. The bill came with a clothespin on it which you could use to clip your card in, which was a cute touch. Very professional without being stuffy. Food presentation is also excellent.

Tailor is a small plates place. The menu has one side labeled "salty" and one labeled "sweet," each with about six dishes, and you can order any combination you want. Girlfriend and I planned to share six plates total, four salty and two sweet, and they decided the order in which we'd receive pairs of plates for three courses. Tailor also has about twelve specialty cocktails and some house-made liquor infusions.

Prices are around $15 per plate and $15 per cocktail. They offer a seven-course tasting menu for $85 or $120 with wine pairings.


Now, the meal itself:


<u>Bread</u>
Walnut raisin: Good, standard.
Green olive: Buttery olives and the right texture made this one stand out.


<u>Complimentary amuse-bouche</u>
Fig with bay leaf and pine nut foam: Like eating air if air were bursting with flavor. Very nice sweet fig with a little nuttiness from the foam.


<u>First course</u>
Foie gras terrine, cocoa dust, peanut soil, pear paper: Tastes a lot like a Reese's peanut butter cup with the nice texture of foie gras. Interesting, impressively original, and good, but not earth-shattering. You mostly taste the chocolate and peanut butter, so I felt like the foie gras wasn't as noticeable as I wanted.
Duck tartare, marjoram pesto, cashew, chocolate tuile: Where else am I gonna get duck tartare? Gamey and tasty, but again, not brilliant. Marjoram pesto very good and created interesting flavors. Crumbly texture. I keep thinking about it a few days later though, so maybe it's secretly hypnotic.


<u>Second course</u>
Passionfruit-poached arctic char, mushrooms, spaetzle, coconut shavings: Astonishing. Girlfriend thinks this may be the best thing she's ever eaten. Fish cooked perfectly, sauce wonderful, tiny mushrooms add just a little something extra that really works, coconut adds a little crunch.
Pork belly, butterscotch miso sauce, green apple sticks: Ungodly great. Pork was the perfect texture and saltiness, and the butterscotch adds the right amount of sweetness to it. I had to force myself to slow down and really make sure I was tasting the food rather than just shoveling it in. Girlfriend said it was vaguely reminiscent of bacon and maple syrup, which excited our waitress. It reminded me of sugar-cured bacon if bacon weren't as crunchy but was on another plane of tastiness. And bacon is my favorite food, so it's hard for me to see how it could be improved upon, but man.


<u>Third course</u>
Black olive cake, blueberry reduction, yogurt sorbet and foam: Tasty, especially the blueberries. The yogurt sorbet was a great texture but not very flavorful. The blueberries were amazing. Cake was good with a nice texture and balanced flavor. It didn't taste much like olives to me, but maybe it's not supposed to be strong.
Roasted banana, mustard ice cream, brown butter rum, crispy thin lengthwise slice of banana: Mustard ice cream?! Love it--the mustard was fairly subtle with just enough bite. I'm not usually a huge banana fan but this was probably my third favorite dish. The banana and mustard was an unusual and delicious combination. Girlfriend points out that bananas are "earthy" even though no one ever says that, which may be why they work well with mustard. And again we have something to add crunchiness.


<u>Complimentary dessert</u>
Red bell pepper petits four: A little sugar coated gelatinous cube. "Zantar is a gelatinous cube that eats warriors in a village." --Noah Vanderhoff, Wayne's World Much softer texture than a gumdrop. Tasty and interesting. I think this is a common ending to a meal at wd~50 as well.


<u>Drinks with meal</u>
Chanterais (walnut cognac, dandelion Cointreau, lemon juice): I like cognac, and I loved this. The walnut was subtle but noticeable if you're looking for it. It has some bite to it with the lemon; Girlfriend thought it was too much. Knowing cognac reasonably well probably made me appreciate this a little more.
The Waylon (100 proof bourbon, smoked cola syrup): Liked it even though I don't usually like bourbon. The smoked syrup really took the edge off the alcohol without being overwhelming.
Blood and sand (scotch, sweet vermouth, bitter orange sorbet, redbach beer): Girlfriend's favorite. I don't remember this one terribly well but it was good. Don't like "blood" as part of a food or drink name.
Agua verde (tequila, tomatillo, cilantro, habanero): Very spicy! I liked it a lot because I like hot stuff.


<u>Drinks at downstairs bar afterward</u>
Bazooka (vodka, bubble gum cordial, house sour): It's supposed to taste like Bazooka gum, and it really did! You have to taste this just for the novelty. Not a lot of sourness, but still would have liked less--I wanted for this to be pure sweetness.
Antoine's sazerac (cognac, peychaud bitters, absinthe): Very alcoholic, but still good. Tastes more like sour mix than I thought it would, and not bitter. Also, I thought absinthe was illegal so I assume this is some substitute, but that's fine.


<u>Summary</u>
This was one of the few truly great dining experiences of my life. The meal was excellent, except for the second course, which was blisteringly, indescribably awesome. The service and the environment were absolutely top-notch. The company was great as well. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


I highly recommend Tailor for delicious, innovative food as well as excellent service and atmosphere.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

Thanks for the review MCS. I have been meaning to go here since it opened, and after this review I will hopefully make it happen soon.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

MCS, price?

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

def going to tailor.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
MCS, price?

[/ QUOTE ]

Prices are around $15 per plate and $15 per cocktail. They offer a seven-course tasting menu for $85 or $120 with wine pairings.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

MCS,

Excellent report. Our waiter at WD50 was quite knowledgeable and we had some good discussion w/ him about food and restaurants. Chatting w/ him after the meal, he highly recommended Tailor as another place to try.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

i am definitely going to add tailor to my dining list...

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

MCS,

Nice trip report, but from the descriptions of the dishes, I would worry that they tend overly sweet (cocoa, butterscotch, apples, coconut, passion fruit, etc.). Was it balanced?

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
Nice trip report, but from the descriptions of the dishes, I would worry that they tend overly sweet (cocoa, butterscotch, apples, coconut, passion fruit, etc.). Was it balanced?

[/ QUOTE ]

It generally was. The passion fruit was more fruity than sweet, if that makes sense. The apples were green apples. The coconut was subtle. Of course when you order desserts, you expect sweetness, but even those had the sweetness reduced a bit. And the duck tartare had pretty much no sweetness outside of the choclate tuile, which wasn't terribly sweet itself anyway.

The thing about Tailor is that the salty dishes aren't all salty, and the sweet ones aren't all sweet. There are elements of both in most dishes, but the whole point is balancing things and finding new flavors. If you think they will be tending too sweet, then just order the least-sweet stuff you can find. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

All,

Found a couple of pics of things we had at wd-50:

http://www.wd-50.com/images/food/duck.jpg
Corned duck, rye crisp, purple mustard, horseradish cream

http://www.wd-50.com/images/food3/yuzu.jpg
Yuzu curd, shortbread, spruce yogurt, pistachio

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

I haven't heard anyone review L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and it was the last great restaurant I went to, so here it goes...

The first choice when making a reservation at Robuchons is your seating preference. It is about half tables. The rest of the patrons sit around a bar that surrounds the kitchen and views the food as it is being prepared. While i would find it cool to watch such fine food prepared, I knew my friend would not care much of it, and would prefer a little more personal space than the bar affords. The tables were nice, and probably more comfortable for a long meal than the bar.

The menu is set up slightly differently than some other high end places. While there are a la carte appetizers and entrees, there is also a large section devoted to small plates, like you find on a tasting menu. The beauty of Joel Robuchon is that you can design your own tasting menu and also mix and match small plates with appetizers or entrees. After conferring with our waiter to determine the size of each category we settled on 4 small plates and an entree.

My first course was a fresh langoustine carpaccio with poppy seeds and olive oils. It was cool and had a nice texture but was not nearly as good as my friend's langoustine dish, Crispy Langoustine Papillote with Basil Pesto. His was a marvelously crisped shell around tender langoustine with a light creamy sauce. His dish simply worked.

My next dish was a sea urchin in a lobster gelee with cauliflower cream. Im not normally a big fan of uni, but the waiter recommended it and I was feeling adventurous. I was not disappointed, it was not bland and gooey as other sea urchins I have tasted. The broth/foam/gelee combination provided an exciting taste, one that I cant explain in any relative sense as it was truly unique to me.

My next dish was Crispy Frog Legs with Garlic Purée and Parsley Coulis. I have a thing for frogs legs, and these were good, but not astounding. They were a little too fried for my liking, but the sauce was excellent. (I was spoiled by an earlier frogs legs served with young garlic soup from Jean Georges over the summer)

My next dish was Beef and Foie Gras Burgers with Lightly Caramelised Bell Peppers. These were wonderful little sliders of maybe 3 bites each. The meat itself was so tender and then with a slice of foie gras on top, they went from so tender to whatever the next level of tenderness is. The dish also cames with fries that were very good, i didnt want to fill up on fries as I eat enough of those, so i ate a few and left the rest.

For my entree I got one of Joel's famous dishes, Free-Range Caramelised Quail Stuffed with Foie Gras, Served with Potato Purée and Summer Truffle. It is one of those dishes that simply reading it off the menu alerts your palate of what is to come. It was marvelously rich and not gamey at all. The Potato Puree (mashed potatos) was the best I have ever had anywhere hands down. Trying to describe them is between difficult and impossible because the texture is so extraordinary. Its as if a stick of butter (or 4) was dropped into a cloud and then someone made into mashed potatos. Also, if you don't like quail dont order it just for the potato puree. While it is the only dish that comes with potato puree, everyone gets their own little pot of them during your last course. This is a wonderful touch and ensures that you will leave full regardless of what you have eaten.

Im not a desert person at all, so for brevity's sake, I'll just say I nibbled on some of their house desserts and had a tasting of sorbets.

I had champagne with my small plates and a glass of wine or two with my later plates and entree. My friend was drinking vodka. I believe the bill was around 525 w/ tip.

It was worth the price, and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

N,

Nice review. I assume you went to the one in NYC?

He has a L'Atelier in Vegas as well. I want to go to this place in Vegas: http://www.mgmgrand.com/dining/joel-...estaurant.aspx

"The Potato Puree (mashed potatos) was the best I have ever had anywhere hands down. Trying to describe them is between difficult and impossible because the texture is so extraordinary. Its as if a stick of butter (or 4) was dropped into a cloud and then someone made into mashed potatos."

Published recipes say it's 250g of butter for every kg of potato. However, multiple sources claim that there's an almost 1:1 ratio of butter:potato in it at his restaurants! The multi-step puree process is also pretty crazy. It's amazing that this guy is able to take something as basic as mashed potatoes and take them to a level that gets top chefs and foodies around the world raving about them.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

yes, i went to the new(ish) one in the 4 seasons hotel on 57th st in NYC...

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

citanul we need to take our girlies out to some high end ish in Chicago ASAP!

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
N,

Nice review. I assume you went to the one in NYC?

He has a L'Atelier in Vegas as well. I want to go to this place in Vegas: http://www.mgmgrand.com/dining/joel-...estaurant.aspx

"The Potato Puree (mashed potatos) was the best I have ever had anywhere hands down. Trying to describe them is between difficult and impossible because the texture is so extraordinary. Its as if a stick of butter (or 4) was dropped into a cloud and then someone made into mashed potatos."

Published recipes say it's 250g of butter for every kg of potato. However, multiple sources claim that there's an almost 1:1 ratio of butter:potato in it at his restaurants! The multi-step puree process is also pretty crazy. It's amazing that this guy is able to take something as basic as mashed potatoes and take them to a level that gets top chefs and foodies around the world raving about them.

[/ QUOTE ]

The desserts are l'atelier are hands down the best I've had. My girlfriend got this dessert that was called something like "Chocolate Raspberry Surprise" and the presentation was unreal. They brought out a dish with a thing that looked like an oversized truffle in it and then poured a warm sauce over the top and the top melted away to reveal fresh raspberries inside. That description didn't do it justice at all. It was really cool and really delicious.
I also really enjoy the tapas-like approach they take to their menu. They have small plates that are sized so that two people want to eat something like 8-10. Its fun getting to try so many different things in one meal.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
N,

Nice review. I assume you went to the one in NYC?

He has a L'Atelier in Vegas as well. I want to go to this place in Vegas: http://www.mgmgrand.com/dining/joel-...estaurant.aspx

"The Potato Puree (mashed potatos) was the best I have ever had anywhere hands down. Trying to describe them is between difficult and impossible because the texture is so extraordinary. Its as if a stick of butter (or 4) was dropped into a cloud and then someone made into mashed potatos."

Published recipes say it's 250g of butter for every kg of potato. However, multiple sources claim that there's an almost 1:1 ratio of butter:potato in it at his restaurants! The multi-step puree process is also pretty crazy. It's amazing that this guy is able to take something as basic as mashed potatoes and take them to a level that gets top chefs and foodies around the world raving about them.

[/ QUOTE ]

i have done both robuchon places at the mgm all this thread is doing is making me want to go back, especially to L'Atelier. great trip report for the nyc one. ty.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

Morimoto Philadelphia.

$120 omakase with $85 drink pairings.

This came with some sort of sharp/crisp white wine. I kinda suck at drinking wine so don't pay attention to my comments on the drinks.

Toro tartare. Good. Nothing incredible. The tartare had some scallion tempura on top which added a very next textural contrast.

3 kumamoto oysters

Fish sauce + jalapeno

Not very good.

Something salsa

Good and refreshing

Cilantro ceviche

Good, my friend's favorite. I liked it equal to the salsa.

Came with a morimoto martini, not bad. A lot less strong than I expected. Morimoto sake + vodka, with some cucumber slices.


2003 savignon blanc from new zealand

New style sashimi. Ginger and garlic scallops "seared" by pouring hot oil over it and finishing with yuzu soy sauce (isn't that just ponzu?). Super super super delicious. Chris says check mark for wine pairing. I have no clue. One of the two stand out dishes.

1993 Chardonnay France.

Sashimi salad. Skipjack sashimi with carrot sauce and yuzu. Micro greens and a shaved and cured piece of bonito. Almost like a jerky.

The fish is good and very fresh, and the sauce is pretty good. I think it needs a little more seasoning, but good. The jerky is pretty unpleasent in taste and texture.

The wine is too strong for me, but Chris loves it. He says its his favorite.

Black vinegar cream soda intermizzo. Its like cream soda. It's in a little shooter glass, but comes with a straw. Sipping it it wasn't very good, but I took the last 3/4 of it as a shot and it was pretty good and refreshing. I wish they didn't put the little straws in this.

2004 something riesling? Germany

Espice lobster. Pan roasted half lobster with 8 spices and yuzu creme friache. The sweetness of the wine cools the spiciness of the lobster. Pretty good. Like the small kumamoto oysters with fancy sauces, which I like less than new england oysters with some cocktail sauce; I prefer my lobster simple with a little melted butter. But it's lobster and is well cooked.

Our first red wine. A pinot noir form South Africa.

Flash seared kobe beef with soy reduction and basil oil and some abalone mushrooms. Quite good and goes well with the wine, although I don't like reds very much. The soy reduction was just perfect and the kobe beef was great. This and the scallop dish were the best.

Sake. Very strong. Chris liked it better than the martini that was sake + vodka + cucmber; I much preferred the martini. Like I said earlier, I am bad at drinking alcohol.

Sushi. The o-toro is good, but I don't like o-toro as much as most. Chris liked it very much. Kanpachi is good, I skipped (lol?) the skipjack and enjoyed the red snapper and giant clam. Nothing extraordinary though. Chris didn't like the clam. I get some really good sushi at a small local (Providence, RI) place so sushi courses always seem like a bit of a waste at a place like Nobu/Shintaro/Morimoto for me.

5 year mediara something?

Sweet potato cake with sweet japanese red bean whipped cream, with some of the beans, and a sweet potato chip.

The sweet potato cake is ok and so are the beans. The bean whipped cream is excellent though, and so is the sweet potato chip. The wine thing is good too. By the end of this dish the sweet potato cake has grown on me and is nice and moist, sweet but not overbearlingly. This was a good dessert. I finished the whole thing, and I'm not a very big eater.

Cliff Notes:

I like Nobu better. 2 very good dishes, 1 good dish, and all the rest were ok. There was no dish that was bad.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

Went to one of Gordon Ramsays places yesterday. The Savoy Grill, head chef there is Marcus Wareing .

On sundays they do a sunday menu that is absolutely fantastic value for money. 3 courses for £25 or 2 courses for £18. You'd be hard pressed to go to an Indian place for a curry and dessert or an Italian for Pizza and dessert/starter for that price in London, so that is really quite amazing value in a Michelin starred restaurant. I know lots of you are ballers and that price doesn't matter to you, but this is highly recommended for those who are on a budget. Or have friends who are.

For starters we had:

Foie gras parfait with toasted brioche and spiced fruit chutney. Absoultely lovely. Not the most inventive dish, but you can't argue with the taste.

Scottish smoked salmon and gravadlax, served with classic accompaniments. Which I'm told was also fantastic.

Mains came:

Roast rib-eye of Scottish beef with Yorkshire pudding, roasted vegetables, potatoes and beef sauce. Which was a brilliant piece of meat cooked perfectly. Once again, the chef didn't really take out his most fancy moves. But it's good food prepared perfectly.

Seared sea bream with fennel purée, buttered spinach and tarragon glazed carrots. The fennel purée was absolutely top notch. Creamy and full of flavour.

Desserts:

Chocolate brownie gateau. Wow! Chocolate bomb, not too sweet. Perfect.

Passion fruit brulée. Often when I get brulées with some exotic taste they hardly taste anything but regular creme brulée. This was different, lots of flavour.

Service throughout the evening was spot on. Helpful and always there when you needed them, not too stiff. Always with a smile and a joke.

Really recommend this. But know what you are getting on a Sunday. This isn't the most innovative food. Lacks the wow factor, just great food prepared by the best chefs. So not for you if you are looking to be blown off your chair, but if you want a piece of the fine dining experience for under half the price this is for you.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

I just wanted to say that I love reading the reviews in this thread...I don't get a chance to go to upper end restaurants very often myself, so I really do enjoy reading about it. Keeps me motivated to get to balla status in any case ;P

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
Morimoto Philadelphia.

$120 omakase with $85 drink pairings.

This came with some sort of sharp/crisp white wine. I kinda suck at drinking wine so don't pay attention to my comments on the drinks.

Toro tartare. Good. Nothing incredible. The tartare had some scallion tempura on top which added a very next textural contrast.

3 kumamoto oysters

Fish sauce + jalapeno

Not very good.

Something salsa

Good and refreshing

Cilantro ceviche

Good, my friend's favorite. I liked it equal to the salsa.

Came with a morimoto martini, not bad. A lot less strong than I expected. Morimoto sake + vodka, with some cucumber slices.


2003 savignon blanc from new zealand

New style sashimi. Ginger and garlic scallops "seared" by pouring hot oil over it and finishing with yuzu soy sauce (isn't that just ponzu?). Super super super delicious. Chris says check mark for wine pairing. I have no clue. One of the two stand out dishes.

1993 Chardonnay France.

Sashimi salad. Skipjack sashimi with carrot sauce and yuzu. Micro greens and a shaved and cured piece of bonito. Almost like a jerky.

The fish is good and very fresh, and the sauce is pretty good. I think it needs a little more seasoning, but good. The jerky is pretty unpleasent in taste and texture.

The wine is too strong for me, but Chris loves it. He says its his favorite.

Black vinegar cream soda intermizzo. Its like cream soda. It's in a little shooter glass, but comes with a straw. Sipping it it wasn't very good, but I took the last 3/4 of it as a shot and it was pretty good and refreshing. I wish they didn't put the little straws in this.

2004 something riesling? Germany

Espice lobster. Pan roasted half lobster with 8 spices and yuzu creme friache. The sweetness of the wine cools the spiciness of the lobster. Pretty good. Like the small kumamoto oysters with fancy sauces, which I like less than new england oysters with some cocktail sauce; I prefer my lobster simple with a little melted butter. But it's lobster and is well cooked.

Our first red wine. A pinot noir form South Africa.

Flash seared kobe beef with soy reduction and basil oil and some abalone mushrooms. Quite good and goes well with the wine, although I don't like reds very much. The soy reduction was just perfect and the kobe beef was great. This and the scallop dish were the best.

Sake. Very strong. Chris liked it better than the martini that was sake + vodka + cucmber; I much preferred the martini. Like I said earlier, I am bad at drinking alcohol.

Sushi. The o-toro is good, but I don't like o-toro as much as most. Chris liked it very much. Kanpachi is good, I skipped (lol?) the skipjack and enjoyed the red snapper and giant clam. Nothing extraordinary though. Chris didn't like the clam. I get some really good sushi at a small local (Providence, RI) place so sushi courses always seem like a bit of a waste at a place like Nobu/Shintaro/Morimoto for me.

5 year mediara something?

Sweet potato cake with sweet japanese red bean whipped cream, with some of the beans, and a sweet potato chip.

The sweet potato cake is ok and so are the beans. The bean whipped cream is excellent though, and so is the sweet potato chip. The wine thing is good too. By the end of this dish the sweet potato cake has grown on me and is nice and moist, sweet but not overbearlingly. This was a good dessert. I finished the whole thing, and I'm not a very big eater.

Cliff Notes:

I like Nobu better. 2 very good dishes, 1 good dish, and all the rest were ok. There was no dish that was bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow I am surprised you did not like the Omakase at Morimotos. I had the one in NY about a month ago. We are not big drinkers to obviously we left off the wine. It also seems like our dishes were different than yours with the exception of the lobster. We were given uni over foie gras over a large oyster for the fourth course which was amazing, did you get that as well?

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

Everything I got I mentioned.

We went back the next night and got omakase again with a different menu (except they served the same dessert). No uni/foie gras/oyster for us. There was a foie gras dish on day 2 that was pretty good, but it wasn't with uni on an oyster.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

Go to second (third, fourth?) the WD-50 recs. Went there on first trip to NY and it was outstanding. Had the tasting menu, and while not every dish was a success, the whole meal was utterly memorable. The deep fried mayo and the shrimp and basil macaroons will live long in the memory, as will the noodle soup (you squrt the "noodle" into the soup as a liquid, where it sets immediately). Also Wylie Dufresne was in the kitch, seemingly having a great time, and had a ten minute chat with us at the end of service. Really nice guy.

I also want to go to Tailor, when next in NY though my immediate dining priority in London is a trip back to St John, which I've been looking forward to for ages.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

our meal had: toro tartare (there was no tempura), hamachi over micro greens, a white fish with a vinagerette, the oyster dish i mentioned, a tea course, lobster, kobe beef with some sort of wine reduction with potatoes, and then desert was a kind of pound cake served with peach gelato and red beans and some type of wafer crisp which was great. I would go back again too because I liked it that much.

On another note, everyone is always talking about steak houses and I would like to give my opinion. I have been to the majority of good to great steakhouses in Manhattan. It seems the majority of steak houses in the area very closely resemble Peter Lugers with similar appetizers and steak choices. This gets old after a while even though it is good none of these places are really groundbreaking so to put them in the class of a place like Gotham is an insult to such restaurants. One steak house I have found to be semi-different is Quality Meats http://qualitymeatsnyc.com/ which does deviate from the standard shrimp cocktail, sizzling bacon, porterhouse + sides you are usually ordering at steakhouses in the area. The other steak house I really like is Frankie and Johnnie's http://www.frankieandjohnnies.com/ . F&amp;J's has the best on bone rib eye I have ever had. Another tip if you go here, while it is not always on the menu you can ask for the Lobster Fra Diavlo which is amazing there and makes a great appetizer.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

X,

"I like Nobu better. 2 very good dishes, 1 good dish, and all the rest were ok. There was no dish that was bad."

I felt the same way. Here's what I wrote previously after my visit there:

"Dinner ended up being Morimoto. We sat at the sushi bar and had the omikase. It was good, but nothing extra special. Overall, that was a letdown. A few dishes were incredible (steak w/ mashed potatoes, toro, soup course), but it was definitely mixed and somewhat inconsistent."

"I'm a huge Nobu fan and was really pumped about Morimoto, but had a very underwhelming (and pretty expensive) dinner there."

Also, here's a previous thread w/ other sushi reviews.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

I went to Gary Danko last night with the woman. Only the third real high-end dining experience I've had (other 2 were L'Espalier in Boston and Chez Panisse). It was fantastic:

We got to the restaurant about 20 minutes early. Sat at the bar and had a drink while waiting for our table, and wound up getting seated 10 minutes early.

The way Gary Dankos works is you choose 3, 4, or 5 courses ($65, $81, and $96 respectively). If you choose 5 courses you get appetizer, fish entree, meat entree, cheese course, and dessert. We decided to get one 4-course and one 5-course, skipping the meat on the 4-course meal (we just generally don't eat much meat).


This was the menu:

Autumn Menu
Caviar Service ~ 1 ounce. Black River Osetra $95 or Golden Osetra $125.

Appetizers
Glazed Oysters with Osetra Caviar, Salsify and Lettuce Cream
Lobster Salad with Persimmon, Chestnut Mousse and Pomegranate Seeds
Treviso and Romaine Salad with Banyuls Vinaigrette, Anchovies and Parmigiano-Reggiano
French Red Pumpkin Soup with Braised Rabbit Terrine, Pomegranate, Walnuts and Lavender
Seared Ahi Tuna with Avocado, Nori, Enoki Mushrooms and Lemon Soy Dressing
Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions, Seckel Pear and Huckleberries
Risotto with Lobster, Rock Shrimp, Fall Root Vegetables and Sage Oil

Fish and Seafood
Pan Steamed Shellfish with Thai Red Curry and Jasmine Rice
Pancetta Wrapped Frog Legs with Sunchoke Purée, Potato and Lentils
Striped Bass with Potato-Chorizo Risotto, Pearl Onions, Niçoise Olives and Sauce Verte
Herb Crusted Yellowfin Tuna with Parsnip Purée, Maitake Mushrooms, Shallot Confit and Flageolet Beans
Seared Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée, Roasted Cauliflower, Pistachios and Sour Cherries
Roast Maine Lobster with Yellow Chanterelle Mushrooms, Edamame and Tarragon
Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers

Meat and Game Birds
Lemon Herb Duck Breast with Duck Hash and Quince
Herb Crusted Loin of Lamb with Beets, Polenta, Escarole and Raisin-Pinenut Relish
Beef Tenderloin with King Trumpet Mushrooms, Potato Gratin, Cipollini Onions and Stilton Butter
Quail Stuffed with Porcini and Foie Gras with Sweet Potato, Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Gastrique
Guinea Hen Breast with Hen Sausage, Bacon-Butternut Squash Risotto and Apple-Sage Compote
Moroccan Spiced Squab with Chermoula and Orange-Cumin Carrots

Savory Tart of Seasonal Vegetables with Quenelle of Goat Cheese and Mesclun Greens

Cheese
A Selection of Farmhouse and Artisanal Cheeses Presented Tableside

Desserts
Trio of Crème Brûlée with Cookies
Saffron Caramel Pear Tart with Noyau Ice Cream
Huckleberry Buttercake with Oranges and Spiced Vanilla Cream
Chocolate Caramel Peanut Torte with Peanut Butter Mousse, Coffee Ice Cream and Caramelized Banana
Chocolate Cream with Passion Fruit Mousse and Black Tea Ice Cream
Non-Cholesterol Grand Marnier Soufflé with Blackberry Sorbet
Seasonal Sorbet or Ice Cream Sampler with Cookies
Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces



So to the meal:

Amuse-bouche was a small piece of seafood sausage sitting on fennel/mushroom cream. Sounds strange, but it was really excellent.

Appetizers: Woman had the oysters. These weren't on the shell, but in a little bowl with the salsify and cream and caviar. Absolutely spectacular. These are not flavors I am usually a huge fan of, but they really worked fantastic in this dish. Really one of those dishes where you "taste the sea." I had the lobster risotto, which was good but not fantastic. It was certainly perfectly creamy with a nice delicate balance of the flavors, but the rice grains did not have the perfect firmness.

Fish: We started by sharing the scallops. These were fantastic. With the accompanyments it was a really earthy, autumn dish. Very unusual for scallops, but it worked perfectly.

Fish and Meat: We had the tuna and the venison. Oh, now I see that the venison that we had is not on the menu I just cut and pasted from the website. It was juniper-crusted venison with braised red cabbage, cranberries, and some kind of strange fungus. That was really fantastic. The meat was perfectly cooked and perfectly complemented the sauce. The tuna was also great. Nowadays it seems like tuna is invariably done in an asian style so it was nice to have something different. This was also great. Like the scallops, very earthy, but in quite a different way -- sharper flavors but at the same time a bit heavier on the root vegetable feeling.

Cheese: We had both ordered the cheese course, but at this point we were getting pretty full and still had a ways to go. So we downgraded to sharing a single cheese plate. Gary Danko is famous for their cheese, and it did not disappoint. My favorite was a semi-firm French goat cheese, while the woman slightly preferred a firmer swiss sheep's milk cheese.

Dessert: We had the pear tart and the chocolate souffle. The souffle was merely decent -- actually not quite sweet enough (and I tend to like less sweet chocolate flavors). I didn't really want to get it, but felt almost obliged. Should have listened to myself. The pear tart, however, was fantastic. A perfectly crispy almost crackly-paper crust with a great balance of pear and caramel and saffron, and then intensely almond-flavored ice cream to accompany.

Petit-Fours: They brought a whole big plate of petit-fours at the end, which were also great. Favorites were some kind of fruit jelly (normally I hate these, but this was spectacular) and a tiny little passionfruit cream tart.

Wine: We got a bottle of fairly obscure california Pinot for $85. This was the only meh point of the meal. The wine list contains some spectacular choices, but the really good stuff is prohibitively expensive (like $350+). I wanted to try an Amarone but they had nothing under $400. So we wound up with one of their lower-end wines, which was OK but no great shakes. It would have been fine as a wine you bought at a wine shop for $15-$20, way overpriced at $85.

Service: Really spectacular from the moment we walked in the door. It seemed a bit stuffy for the first 5 minutes or so, but that was probably more us than them. After that it was excellent. They are perhaps slightly overly fussy (e.g. when I got up and looked around for the bathroom, I had not glanced left for half a second before someone asked me "bathroom, sir?" and directed me to the right place. When I got back, my napkin had been picked up from where I had dropped it on the table, and neatly refolded). But overall fairly unobtrusive while at the same time extremely attentive.

Overall: Despite the criticism about the wine, overall the meal was fantastic and worth every penny. Total came to $330 after tax and tip, and I'd definitely go back.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

if anyone ventures to northern NJ, might I recommend Lorena's. First-rate and reasonable. Chef from March, Daniel, Nicholas (also in NJ and likewise worth the trip).

http://restaurantlorena.com

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

I dine at your so called high end places quite frequently. recently I spent $250.oo for a meal for two with no bottle wine at this place called El Milano in ceasers forums Las vegas. Place cracks me up, they try to push $50 dollar plates of sea bass flown in from belgum. Now what makes this so special baffles me. I had the Lamb shank. It was a huge piece of tender meat with a bone that included a small fork to eat the xxxing bone marrow. has anyone ever tried the bone marrow?

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
I had the Lamb shank. It was a huge piece of tender meat with a bone that included a small fork to eat the xxxing bone marrow. has anyone ever tried the bone marrow?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, it's like a meat puree.

It seems a shame you didn't try it. As you can gather from the thread, most people like the high end dining as a way to experience new things.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
if anyone ventures to northern NJ, might I recommend Lorena's. First-rate and reasonable. Chef from March, Daniel, Nicholas (also in NJ and likewise worth the trip).

http://restaurantlorena.com

[/ QUOTE ]

Lorena's is great -- high-end NYC quality at NJ prices.

Another wonderful place along the same lines is Cafe Matisse in Rutherford.

They don't have traditional courses; instead, it's a "small plate" menu that you can mix and match. So you can pick a six-plate dinner and essentially design a mini-tasting menu of your own.

Also, they don't have a liquor license (Rutherford is a dry town), but there's an attached wine shop with a fantastic selection of bottles and no restaurant markup. Last time I was there I picked up a Leeuwin Estates Art Series Chardonnay for about $85.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

[ QUOTE ]
bone marrow

[/ QUOTE ]
Think meat-flavored butter. It's that good. Honestly, I would rather have marrow than foie gras.

Though neither compare to the Wagyu carpaccio that I had at Craftsteak earlier this year. Mmmmmm.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

Ate at Vitners Grill in Summerlin on Friday. Great food. Most notable was a caesar salad wrapped in prosciutto. ZOMG.

Re: High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews
 

went to bleu raisin in montreal last night. Small (10 tables) byob restaurant near downtown montreal. French or quebecer cuisine.

Entree was seared foie gras. Iv had it here before and it really is the best foie gras iv ever tasted. They serve it with a caremelized pear and sauce that is out of this world good. Drank a decent bordeaux but the name escapes me.

Main course was Maigre de canard. Another very good dish. They always nail the meats like duck, caribou and venison. My friend ordered the fish which he claimed was only average, but this isnt surprising since they are not known for their fish.

Desert was a chocolate cake and 10 yo port. Also very very good. Dinner with tax and tip ran to 84$ but we easily saved 35 a person on the wine. This is high end in montreal. Id say it was worth the cost.