My s.o. (significant other) and I decided to go nuts and make a weekend of eating. And not only eating out, but eating WELL. I had planned this a few months in advance, making a grid to divide the time we had there and mixing the menus so we wouldn't be eating French twice in a row, and the culmination of my efforts began with dinner our first night at Jean George.
Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008 - 9:45pm - Jean George (Vongerichten)
Our whirlwind trip began with a nice surprise. Upon check-in at our hotel, we received a complimentary bottle of champagne, fresh fruit and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. It was 4:30pm, I was hungry, and dinner wasn't for another 5 hours. I was about to ring for Room Service when the server rang our doorbell. It was perfect timing and I couldn't have asked for better. (Note: Be careful what you wish for... stay tuned.)
Though I have normally found champagne to be uninteresting, I have discovered really nice ones lately that has opened me up to enjoying a flute or two of the bubbly goodness. The strawberries especially went well with it on my very empty stomach. We took a short (though unintentioned) nap and rushed out the door at 9:10pm to walk to Columbus Circle. Forget the fact it was one of the coldest weekends in NYC in a long while and we didn't know exactly which building the restaurant was located in, but we made it on time.
Not knowing what is what, I had chosen the formal dining room when making the reservation, and we were whisked away promptly towards our table after checking our coats. The room was intimate and nice, fancy without being stuffy, and the servers moved in-and-out of the tables with speed and skill.
When we were finally seated, we took our time to review the menu, but we knew that a first visit at any "great" restaurant usually means taking advantage of the Tasting Menu. Our initial reaction to reading the menu online was a bit of a "meh" with shoulder shrug. That is not saying we thought it would be dull or boring - far from it. We just thought everything sounded reasonable and we were looking forward to seeing if it was real or hype. The best endorsement came from a friend who I will refer to as Winston. (She had become a great litmus test for us when it came to food in that she, too, felt that most Citysearch and other boards were unreliable. We seemed to agree that not all poor reviews were reflective of the quality of a place, nor were good reviews - even Michelin stars - a great guide as a Must Try locale. But I digress...)
Winston said Jean George is one of her favorite places to eat, so we now had something to look forward to, and another gauge to which we could test her palate to see if it still continued to match our own.
Of the two Tasting Menus, we opted for the seasonal choice, over the Chef's Assortment. While there was no selection of a Wine Pairing, we asked our server and went for it (blind to the prices which would come back on us at night's end. Ha).
It began with an Amuse Bouche trio eaten in the same order: a single Porcini mushroom, artichoke soup, and a sliver of salmon belly. It was WOW. Never have I had such an explosion of flavors from such a single bite.
The first item was Egg Toast, Caviar and Dill. I hate dill. But this is a fine establishment so of course I will eat it. I figure they have to know what they are doing, and they did not disappoint. The toast was very fluffy rectangles of brioche (think tiny little tea sandwiches) with probably two small quail eggs, topped with creme fraiche and just a sprig of dill. For once I could appreciate what dill does for a food item, versus being drowned by it.
The other incredibly memorable course was the Crispy Peekytoe Crab, Green Apple Puree with Wasabi. There were just three round, fried morsels on a long plate over green sauce. When food is fried right, it is amazing how it is a completely different item. Fried usually implies heavy and oily. But when it is "crispy" at a really good establishment, it is like eating a crunchy bit of air. The apple puree only added to cutting through the salty and the wasabi was so subtle to elevate the flavors all around. Again, we looked at each other with wide eyes of surprise, joy and bliss.
Sadly, it went all downhill from here. Not the food - me. That earlier bit of champagne celebratin' really came back on me. Adding that half bottle to the now three different wines and a cocktail has created a blank in my memory. I remember being incredibly happy with the food and the wines, but I don't even remember what else I ate!
I tried to be like a good Roman and excused myself from the table to purge, so I can gorge some more, but my idiotic fear of this process has created the worst possible situation for me whereby I can not find an immediate release. All I could do was go back to my table, walking back to the table very carefully so as not to fall over, and sit concentrating so I don't pass out or get sick right then and there.
My poor s.o. had to ask for the check, and the wait staff were kind enough to box up what was available from our dessert order so that we could leave. They had already poured our dessert wines too, but I sadly I did not even get to try one sip.
I slunk back out into the cold and walked off the headiness of wine and gluttony as quickly as I could without tripping over my own feet. For once, I could properly use my favorite phrase from "The Simpsons" accurately: I was actually wallowing in my own crapulence.
By the time we got to back to our room, and I had relaxed for a good hour, I was totally sober and full and tired. My sweetest s.o. fed me as I laid on the bed and I ate the delicious morsels of petit fours and cakes they packed for us. Hey, I guess I got to eat like a Roman afterall.
No comments:
Post a Comment