New York 2008: Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Tarrytown)

Tucked into the beautiful preserve of the Rockefeller Estate in Westchester County, Stone Barns is a working farm in a carefully manicured setting. When arriving at the Blue Hill restaurant, which occupies one side of the sprawling stone barn compound, your mood is set by the sight, sound and smell of this largely organic cornucopia of natural ingredients from which chef Dan Barber picks his nightly menu.

Blue Hill is wildly popular not only with the denizens of the wealthy Manhattan suburbs in which it resides, but also legions of young, hipster foodies who trek to the rural setting of Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills (just outside Tarrytown) to sample the fresh and unique tasting menus.

So, be prepared to make a reservation far in advance and wait a bit for your seating. That said, strolling the grounds and absorbing the natural scents of the farm, or retiring to the cozy bar area set with rustic furniture just outside the converted dairy barn which is the main restaurant to enjoy with a signature cocktail helps alleviate any stress born of the frenzy of the host stand. The one major complaint I had about the evening, however, was the achingly slow service in the bar area; inattentive servers made waiting for one of the bartender's inventive seasonal fruit and herb based cocktails a tad uncomfortable.

This was, happily diametrically, opposed to the service in the modernized barn that we were led to shortly after our appointed time. Greeted by an efficient waitstaff, each with an area of speciality, our journey into a rather unique tasting menu began. The creative menu layout (no courses proffered in the two tasting menus, just a broad list of farm-fresh ingredients) allows one to specify things that might be off-limits (for example, our party had a woman infected with that pregnancy thing that seems to be going around, so several of the more adventurous fish and cheese ingredients were no-nos). Of more importance and unique to this dining experience versus other "tasting menu" spots, they asked which of the ingredients listed that we might like better than others. Kind of a tasting menu that is completely customized to the customer. Finally, after guidance is solicited to help the chef create a perfect tasting for you, there are two other courses that can be added to the five or eight course menu - a charcuterie and a cheese course. Both were excellent and true to the organic, local farm spirit of the menu.

In addition to the novel take on a tasting menu, Blue Hill has a solid wine list, including a few unique and older wines. The sommelier is very knowledgeable (but prone to peacocking, he needs direction or will give you the full history of every wine, vintner and vintage on the list with equal enthusiasm) and the list is clearly his creation and the wines on it are sacrosanct. We enjoyed a very nice White Burgundy to begin, a 2004 Domaine JM Boillot (Puligny-Montrachet) which had a light, mineraly taste with just a scent of grass, followed by a truly special 1976 Rioja from Vina Bosconia Cosecha, which could have passed for a Grand Cru Burgundy or even a light, well-aged Bordeaux.

In addition to the rather unique menu concept of personalization of fresh ingredients, the dishes themselves further informed the talent of the chef and the connection to the land.

We began our march with a few well concocted amuse courses, including a tomato and cherry water gazpacho served with fresh peas (in the pod); asparagus "pops" with pancetta and fried sesame: and spring pea "burgers" w/ light mint mashed into a sweet mini bun. The final amuse was a razor-thin disc of "pork face" bacon, crisp and served standing on edge in a slotted wooden board.

The breads (of which I consumed far too much) were simple but perfected; country-style bread slices served with a farm-made butter and little dishes of salts (celery, asparagus) to self season.

The aforementioned charcuterie plate was a great mix of fine meats, well done toasted bread. Truly craft copa, bologna and pate were a great harbinger of the meal to come.

The dishes that followed did not disappoint: delicate Bonita sashimi with pickled rhubrab; an unspellable (by me right now) Chinese vegetable that was a combination of Bok Choy and something more leafy with a hint of pepper in the stalks, wilted with morels and a soft-boiled egg; Blue Hills Pork (Belly, Boudin Blanc and Loin), with fava beans (just a bit undercooked on belly, but a tremendously flavorful Loin). The (unanimously voted) star of the evening, however, was the Ricotta Ravioli. The house-made Ricotta was of the perfect consistency, temperature and flavor: sweet and salty at once on the tongue. Ensconced in a hand-prepared, al dente ravioli shell, and served with nettles (they really are edible), peas and royal trumpet mushrooms. I have to mention further the peas - they were so fresh and well (lightly) cooked that they were reminiscent of caviar "popping" on the palate, a truly well put together dish.

Our memorable evening ended with the cheese plate (a nice selection from organic farms around the country), a cherry and elderflower sorbet, and strawberries and cream merengue with goat cheese ice cream.

In summary, the dishes were uniformly well-executed and presented; the waitstaff was helpful and knowledgeable but not intrusive; the venue is truly special. A very worthwhile trek to suburbia, even for those who frequent the best the Big Apple has to offer - and perhaps, upon reflection, why the bar service mimicks a New York hotspot's practiced ignoring of the guests - to help ease big city folk into this little slice of gourmet in the country.

The experience ranks this restaurant in the Cress_Travel top 10. I must thank my suburban friends for dragging me to this amazing spot late on a summer's eve.

Cleveland 2008: Downtown 140

Cleveland, well, more specifically, the small town of Hudson, Ohio, has been graced by "big city" dining. For years, my travel to my hometown of Cleveland had been plagued by no fine dining; then by some solid, but perfunctory steak and Italian upscale joints; most recently, a rash of "hip" and "trendy" restaurants have exploded, but they have mostly been the type that couldn't have made it in a major metropolitan market ~ second tier spin-offs to a land of untested palates. Finally, at long last, the real deal has arrived in this idyllic New England-looking village in between Cleveland and Akron.

Shawn and Tiffany Monday's Downtown 140 is an amazing respite from the fine dining chains that have cornered the market on meals costing more than $25 a head in the Cleveland area. Amazing dishes crafted in a tiny open kitchen are a testament to Shawn's creativity and efficiency, whilst Tiffany manages the crowd and has hand selected one of the best wine lists in country, literally.

Shawn proffers hand made soups to order, amazing "by the piece" tastes (grilled figs wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with goat cheese, tempura shrimp, market fresh sashimi with delightful spicy sauces), and a range of ever changing appetizers and entrees, with a focus on organic, local ingredients (I have had excellent fish, steak, veal, chicken in my numerous visits there). The dishes alone put this restaurant into my "Global Top 10" alongside names such as Alinea, MOTO and Bouley Bakery.

To further inform my comment on the wine list, I did indeed say it - this is one of the best wine lists in the country, period. I said it - a robust selection of not only the "French standards" (think Latour, Ducru, Margaux) and new world high end wines (such as Quintessa, Cheval des Andes, Nickel & Nickel) but also up and comers that Tiffany has introduced me to - which I consider (perhaps with some hubris) to be no small feat. I saw wines such as Rocket Science here before it came to frequent the lists of New York and Chicago fine establishments, as one example.

These two are a team which solidified my decision to put them on the Cress_Travel top 10; it has the powerful combination of Shawn and Tiffany to seize the imaginative palate and delight the oenophile, and a well-trained, friendly and knowledgeable staff that makes my increasingly regular meals here when in Cleveland as enjoyable as any in the major culinary capitals of the world.