Jeanne and Gaston part deux

You may recall that back in May I visited a relatively new restaurant Jeanne and Gaston. I enjoyed my meal and looked forward to returning to enjoy the outdoor garden dining.  I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to do just that.

The space has really turned out well.  The evening was perfect. We had a light breeze and the sunlight lasted just long enough to brighten our meal.  I usually don't feature bread, but this was worth focusing on.

The bread was warm and tasted great.  It was even better when I tried it with the duck pâté.

Our meal started with the Charcuterie. Normally I stay away from this part of the meal because there usually isn't something on there for me.  But this time the duck pâté stared at me and I couldn't resist.  It was phenomenal.  It had a creamy texture and was rich but had a lightness when spread on the bread. It was the perfect way to open my palette.  We moved on to the Calamari.

It was perhaps the most impressive and well executed dish of the evening.  The gazpacho had a cool spice that was unexpected. The marinated zucchini strips were carefully crafted and cut so thin they reminded me of cucumber but richer.  The grilled calamari was cooked to perfection, not chewy or overdone, which is always my concern.  I absolutely loved it!  Unfortunately, this was a dish that I never would have ordered given the bland description on the menu.  Hopefully Chef Claude revisits the menu soon and spruces up this star dish!  While everyone else munched on their meat, I was delighted when my Scallops arrived.

The two perfectly seared diver scallops were served "tarte tatin" provencale.  The scallops were heavenly! They were rich and well seasoned.  The sauce was also great and the tomatoes were just right. The focaccia at the bottom just didn't do it for me.  When the Duck Magret arrived, my mouth started watering. I could barely wait for the plate to hit the table.

It was a perfect slice of duck with broccoli tempura and a mango emulsion. The sauce was an unusual choice.  It's not often you see mango with duck, but this was done perfectly!  The duck was tender and the skin was perfectly crisp. I ate every bite and wish I could have had seconds!  I was already stuffed so it was time to switch gears and open my second stomach for dessert.  My favorite dessert was the Vanilla-Raspberry Vacherin.

This was my first time eating this lovely layered dessert. The merengue alternated with raspberry sauce, sorbet and vanilla. I enjoyed eating each layer separately as well as eating them together.  If you've never had one before, I highly recommend it! 

My revisit to Jeanne and Gaston was well worth it!  The outdoor space is beautiful so I urge you to head over there before the weather betrays you.  The restaurant recently began an all night happy hour from 4pm to close.  The bar is beautiful and if the French windows are open, you'll be able to gaze out on 14th street and watch the foot traffic.  

My recommendation from last time stands.  Jeanne and Gaston is a great restaurant with lots of great options. The $40 Prix Fixe dinner is a great deal!  There are a lot of high points on the menu and the space is beautiful.  Enjoy!

Hungry yet?

Muriel's Jackson Square

After spending several months looking forward to my escape from NY, I was psyched when Ms. O and I finally made it to New Orleans. It is definitely one of my favorite cities in the US. As Tennessee Williams said, "There are three great cities in the US, New York, San Francisco and New Orleans...everywhere else is just Cleveland."

We started with a tour that helped us get acquainted with some of the sites we would return to later during our trip. For dinner our first night, we decided to dine at Muriel's Jackson Square. We were greeted by the hostess and immediately escorted to our table. We had two servers. One person for drinks and another for our food. They take their drinks very seriously in NoLa!

We immediately encountered a problem because the menu had too many great choices!! We decided to order as much as we thought was reasonable. Our first dish was the Creole Tomato and Crab.

The display was enough to make me melt a little bit. We were there during the height of the Creole Tomato festival. These were some special tomatoes. It was like heirloom infused with an extra level of sweetness and freshness. The jumbo crabmeat was mixed with avocado and tossed in a tarragon tartar sauce. The tartar sauce initially threw me off because it was creamy and reminded me of mayonnaise.  The dish was well balanced but definitely a little rich, which isn't surprising when you mix crab with avocado.  Of course Ms. O ordered a salad.

The romaine lettuce tossed with a roasted garlic and Parmesan dressing with shaved red onions and herb croutons was inoffensive. It looked good but I refuse to acknowledge salad as a part of my meal, especially when Escargot is an option.

The Escargots Orleans was phenomenal.  The tender escargot with fennel, leeks, and oyster mushrooms simmered in a roasted garlic butter were served in a flaky vol-au-vent shell. Definitely melt in your mouth goodness. The contrast of the buttery snail and the flaky crust made every bite perfect.  As though the appetizers were not rich enough, we went for the gold with our entrées.  Ms. O ordered the pan seared maple leaf duck breast. 

Any one who has read my duck related entries knows how weak my knees get when duck lands on the table. This dish was a double dose because it was served with duck confit dirty rice, leeks and baby carrots with a blackberry gastrique. Holy Moley!! 

The duck confit dirty rice was the most spectacular rice I have ever eaten. I fully intend on recreating this masterpiece.  I had a little bit of food envy but that was quickly dismissed when my Blackened Redfish arrived. 

The large filet of fish was a bit intimidating.  It was perfectly seasoned but I especially loved the peppery Louisiana Crab stuffing. The stuffing was moist but not watery. The best bite was the combination of the fish and stuffing swirled in the accompanying Blue Crab butter sauce.

Muriel's you wowed me in a way that I will never forget. I genuinely enjoyed every bite on every plate. My only regret was my inability to finish my entrée.  I will definitely be back next time I'm in New Orleans!!

Hungry yet?

The Hudson House

I heart my mama bear like no other. For her birthday, the family got together and had dinner at The Hudson House in Nyack.  It was a spectacular affair and we had a wonderful time. We started with a few small plates. The Gnocchi of the day was my favorite.

Bite size pieces of potato gnocchi with arugula in a light tomato sauce.  As I write this, my mouth is watering a bit. The Surf & Turf also made its way onto our table.

A 4 oz Filet Mignon was served on a bed of spinach and topped with one shrimp. It was also served with crabmeat tater tots. I generally stayed away from this dish but couldn’t help but pop one of the “tater tots” into my mouth. YUM! That warmed up my taste buds to devour the Lump Crab Cake.

It was jam packed with crab and served on a bed of shaved fennel.  Scrumptious! They also had a special small plate that night, Pheasant. 

It was perfectly crisp and served on a bed of mushrooms. I didn’t care much for the sauce but the bird had perfectly crispy skin and was incredibly tender inside. Yum! Soon after our entrées started arriving.  With all the beef eaters in the family, it was no surprise that steak was a favorite on our table. 

The massive Porterhouse was apparently quite tasty as were the potatoes, however the broccoli rabe was underappreciated.  Even more steak arrived on the table.

Apologies, but when it comes to beef I can’t say I know the difference unless I’m paying attention.  This was also a tasty cut because by the time I turned around, there was no trace remaining on the plate.  Mama Bear ordered the Rainbow Trout.

It was a good-looking piece of fish, served with warm fingerling potatoes and sautéed spinach. I was quite pleased when she let me sample it.  The potatoes and spinach were perfect. The crispy skin of the trout was delicious. I only wish it was a bigger piece of fish. Not to worry, I was thrilled with my Duck two ways.

The delicious confit and the slices of duck breast were laid on a bed of sweet potato puree. There was also some Brussels sprouts on the plate. I pretended they didn’t exist. Just too green for my liking. The Free Range Chicken was quite impressive.

I’m usually unmoved by chicken, but this one, served with a side of potato & leek gratin was remarkable.  It was moist and flavorful. The chicken vinaigrette was excellent and likely why the chicken stayed so moist.  

The experience at The Hudson House was nothing less than fabulous. The food was excellent and I realized I shouldn’t have had such low opinions of Rockland County dining. Hudson House often has a lot of specials, so you will likely have to deal with the server spending an inordinate amount of time reciting the long list. Once you get past that though, there are great options and you will certainly enjoy your meal.

Hungry yet?

Fiorini

On one of the many mild winter days that we’ve had, I enjoyed a fabulous press dinner at Fiorini.  Owner, Lello Arpaia, designed the restaurant.  

It is a beautiful space with colorful seats, it boasts a full bar and the columns are covered in fabric to keep the noise level down.  I felt quite at home in the space, as did many of the other patrons dining at the same time. The restaurant was moderately full on that particular Tuesday.  Each dish at the restaurant is prepared at the moment and there are 5 - 10 specials available every night. After settling comfortably into my seat, I leaned back and waited for the food to arrive.  The Antipasti selection began with the Polpo al Ferri.

Those plump Mediterranean octopus were perfectly grilled and served with tomato, caper berries, olives, arugula and red onions.  The portion was extremely generous. The grilled octopus was succulent and well seasoned. I was definitely more impressed with the Burrata.

A plate of creamy imported mozzarella, roasted peppers and asparagus.  I nearly slid off my seat when I started eating this dish.  The roasted peppers were my favorite part. They were well seasoned, possibly soaked in balsamic vinegar. I LOVED IT!  Once we moved on to the pasta, I was very excited. When the perfect plate of fettuccini landed in front of me, my eyes reacted and my stomach knew what was coming.

The pasta literally melted in my mouth. Admittedly, the sauce was not spectacular but the past was so tasty that it just didn’t matter. By far my favorite dish of the evening was the Risotto Al Frutti di Mare.

The risotto was perfectly cooked in seafood broth with crabmeat, diver scallops, shrimp and calamari.  There were huge pieces of crabmeat and the scallops were to die for! I was especially impressed with this dish because of the level of skill required to pull it off well. Considering all the different types of seafood have varying cook times, it is easy to screw it up. This dish was perfectly executed and I highly recommend ordering it. The seafood was generally fantastic. The Pan Seared Scallops were another favorite.

The crust was crisp, but the inside was tender.  The sauce was a simple white wine sauce with lemon, caper berries and fresh parsley.  Another well-done dish that left my tummy satisfied.  When I first reviewed the tasting menu, I was really looking forward to the Petto D’Anatra. When it arrived, I was quite pleased.

The pan seared duck breast was served with poached pears in a dry vermouth sauce.  OH. EMM. GEE. The flavors really shined through on this dish. Duck is a fantastic meat and Fiorini definitely knew exactly what to do with it.  As though the meal wasn’t fabulous enough, the dessert really was over the top.  We started with the Zuccotto.

A slice of three chocolate and passion fruit mousse cake. It was remarkable.  The chocolate was rich but the passion fruit helped to balance so that it was not overwhelming.  

I loved it.  Our grand finale was the Baba.

An authentic Neapolitan dessert, it consists of a sponge cake that is light and airy and filled with mascarpone cheese custard. The cake is also served with a bit of rum that the diner can add. Apparently some people complain about how much or how little is included in the dessert.  My experience as Fiorini was incredibly enjoyable.  Lello joined just for part of our meal and as he spoke about his restaurant experience and his family, it was clear how much he loves the business. He is planning on running a special Neapolitan menu in the near future. I will definitely return to try the dishes offered from that menu!

Hungry yet? 

Chinatown Brasserie

Wow…it’s been a really busy month at work. I can’t believe this is only post number 2 for January! Yikes.  I have been eating though…sort of.  Well before the month got crazy, Ms. O and I made plans to dine at Chinatown Brasserie during Restaurant Week, which is extra long this year.  I hustled out of work to make it for our 7:30 reservation, as I was walking south on Lafayette, I got a call from work and stood outside for 10 minutes on the phone. ::sigh:: Thankfully that didn’t throw off our reservation too much. We were seated pretty quickly at a cozy half moon booth in the back.  Ms. O raves about this restaurant so I was super excited to try it.  The Restaurant Week menu was very generous, so we decided to stick to it, for the most part.  I selected Dim Sum Assortment A.

Looks yummy right?!  Clockwise from bottom left: lobster dumpling, crunchy vegetable & peanut dumpling, shrimp & snow pea leaf dumpling, and shrimp dumpling.  I tried to take at least two bites of each dumpling so I could truly savor the flavors.  One bite was sans sauce and the other I dipped in one of the many sauces that arrived on our table. 

After eating the sampler, I realized I definitely need to make my way to a dim sum restaurant stat! Ms. O ordered Assortment B.

Clockwise from bottom left: spicy lamb dumpling, chicken & shrimp lollipop, pork potsticker, and vegetable spring roll.  Being the glutton that I am, I was thrilled when Ms. O suggested we add another dim sum.

The Spicy Duck & Flowering Chive Wontons were phenomenal! Crispy crunchy goodness on the outside and tender flavorful duck on the inside.  The best part was that it wasn’t greasy!  The Restaurant Week menu had several great main course options, but after being deprived at Petite Abeille, we definitely were not turning away the Lobster.

The Wok-Sautéed Lobster was served with asparagus. The sauce was sweet and a little spicy.  Every bit of the lobster was enhanced by the sauce. 

The lobster was also easy to eat because they had done most of the cracking for us! I must say it was one of my favorite lobsters.  Once our plates were filled with nothing but shells, it was time to move on to dessert. Ms. O ordered the Custard Bao.

These little steamed balls of custard were surprisingly flavorful. They were airy and had a smooth texture.  I was more interested in my Chocolate Mousse.

I lit up when the cake arrived, because I was definitely not expecting it.  The cake was excellent. The chocolate trio combination was perfect and the cookie crust was just the right touch.

Chinatown Brasserie was amazing and I definitely see why Ms. O is a fan.  Even though I had to return to the office after dinner, I had a smile on my face thanks to that fantastic meal.  I can’t wait to go back!

Hungry yet?

Seared Duck Breast with Chili, Honey & Ginger Glaze

Smorgasburg was so awesome not just because of the food I got to eat there, but because of what I got to take home! I took home two lovely duck breasts from Hudson Valley Duck Farm’s stand. Ms. H was coming into town so I decided to make magic.

Yup, that’s magic.  I was very excited to make the duck so I searched high and low for a recipe that was to my liking.  As always, my Epicurious app came up with this amazing recipe for Seared Duck Breast with Chili, Honey & Ginger Glaze.

Ingredients

2 whole magret duck breasts, approximately 1 pound each, available from specialty meat markets

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 small dried ancho chili pepper soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes (I couldn’t find ancho chilis so I used a Jamaican hot pepper)

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 tablespoons warm honey dissolved in ½ cup port wine

2 scallions, chopped, about 1/2 cup

With the point of a knife, score the skin side of the breasts in crosshatch pattern, being careful not to pierce the flesh of the meat.

Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute before adding the breasts, skin side down. Cook skin side down over medium to low heat, for approximately 10 to 12 minutes to render the fat from the skin before turning the breasts over. 

When the duck has rendered its fat and the skin has taken on a crisp exterior quality turn the breasts over and sauté the flesh side for 3 to 4 minutes.  Duck is reeeeallly fatty! I used the reserved duck fat to make asparagus and also mixed it in with the mashed potatoes :-)

Carefully remove the duck from the pan, place on a platter to keep warm.  Place the chili into a blender and begin to pureé, adding as much of the reserved liquid as necessary to create a smooth and thin paste-like texture.  After removing the duck breasts from the pan add the onion to the still hot pan and return to the heat. Add a tablespoon or two of reserved duck fat. Sauté the onion briefly before adding the ginger and 2 tablespoons of the chili paste. Add the honey and port to the ginger chili, stir to combine and cook for one minute.

The breasts have rested for several minutes and should now be medium rare. They can be sliced lengthwise or cross-wise and several slices placed on each plate. Drizzle the warm glaze over the duck or for more impact, brush some on the duck breasts before slicing, run the duck under a hot broiler for 1 minute, caramelize the glaze and then slice and drizzle.

Oheemmgeee! The duck was amazing! I served it with asparagus and mashed potatoes.  I definitely will be trying this recipe again.  I must say that one duck breast was plenty for two, but being the glutton that I am, I had no problem eating more.

Hungry yet?