Paris 2008: Le Pre Catelan

While Frederic Anton's Le Pre Catelan is a bit hard to find (at least the taxi drivers claim), nestled in the middle of the Bois de Boulogne (a la The Boathouse in Central Park), it is well worth the search. Once you arrive at this fine set of mansions buried in the park, the staff quickly whisks you into a set of uniquely-styled rooms (I dined in the art deco parlor room) to begin what will undoubtably be one of your more memorable dining experiences.

Several dedicated waitstaff hovered helpfully (i.e., not too intrusively) around the table, helping make such critical selections as type of water, butter and wine.

While the salted butter doesn't top the rich Normandy crafted slab at Taillevent, the experience and food compared favorably to that perennial favorite of mine. To start, the approachable and direct wine master helped me to choose a half bottle of Puligny Montrachet to start (guided me to the 2005 for a clean and subtle white to start the meal) and was then quite patient as I hemmed and hawed before choosing a rich Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste 1990 to go with the main course, which was a bit tart but very good.

I would describe the meal as traditional French with flair; not going so far as the experimental cuisine that is avante garde these days, but sticking to 'versions' of classic, rich French cuisine.

An amuse of onion cream with pea soup was served neatly in a saucer shortly after my wine order(s) were placed. The onion flavor was very soft, and the pea pronounced. This amuse was a wonderful initiation, and, as I would later realize, it was highlighting two ingredients that would span throughout the meal; across various dishes, the chef sought to use fresh ingredients and maintain a consistent theme of the season.

My dining partner was kind enough to split both appetizers and entrees with me, so I was able to get an even deeper sense of the menu the chef sought to create.

For appetizers, we chose the "La Langoustine" and the house special "L'Os a Moelle". Both were superb in form, creativity and execution. A stunning set of courses.

The four large prawns were each served separately, in four dishes with four tastes and preparations. The first was in a ravioli with mint foam and cracked pepper; then "hot stone" grilled (and left on the searing hot stone on the table); a tempura with a spicy chili sauce that evoked the best dim sum houses in the world, and a liquefied romaine salad which balanced the chilies; and finally and baked with broccoli foam (which seemed almost 'plain' after the other three, but was indeed delicious and perfectly cooked).

The L'Os a Moelle was a triumph and coalesced many of the themes the chef was trying to evoke that evening. Three large bones, each half the length of the last, arranged in a bouquet. The tallest and widest bone full of rich, warm marrow, served with a small side dish of sea salt to melt the flavors into the palate. The other two bones, with some marrow gravy, we chock full of spring peas and chanterelles, both fresh and nicely paired against the richness of the marrow.

After this grand display, the balance of the meal seemed 'normal', but in fact continued as a highly stylized exercise of the best French cuisine has to offer.

We chose two rich specialties of the house: the pigeon and the sweetbreads. Despite the warning by the waiter that the chef's pigeon, the specialty of the season, might be too 'gamey' for mere Americans, I took the plunge and was not disappointed.

The pigeon arrived in two courses; the first was a top a crusty, long sliced baguette, with morsels of breast meat pasted down by a rich foie gras 'dome' covering the dish. The head, neck and leg of the pigeon were also presented, with the head split and the brain left in, sauteed for dining pleasure, all surrounded by a single, long macaroni with a paint of spring pea puree. The dish outwardly appeared gamey and adventurous, but was a good reflection of a French peasant delicacy. The second course of pigeon arrived in a silver domed bowl; two succulent pieces of breast meat, cooked medium rare, in a broth of truffles and (again) spring peas. This was topped off with a pigeon meat ravioli.

My dining companion chose the sweetbreads (which she had never tried, and I applaud her enthusiasm for this new experience). These were served in three decadent ways: a generous portion (think a large crab cake) fried with parmesan (almost seemed American!), another large slice fried with mushrooms, and a set of small 'bites' with celeriac puree (my favorite). Overall, two exciting and sinfully rich courses.

But it didn't end there, of course. A monstrous cheese platter (perhaps 20 selections) was wheeled to the table. We loosened our belts and selected a Comte, a Camberet, a Monbier, and an Essbier. Great to a one, and served as a good accompaniment to finish off the wine.

For dessert, we asked for guidance of the house, and were admonished to quickly order the "best souffle in Paris". We also selected an espresso cake (just to make certain we could write a complete assessment of the restaurant).

As I imagined a warm souffle perfectly prepared, the sommelier selected two dessert drinks, a Vieux Rivesaltes, Recolte '74 and a more recent vintage Chateau Coutet, Sauternes.

When a large, glassy-looking apple arrived topped with silver foil alongside the molten cold chocolate and espresso ice cream tower in a clear, thin sugar glass, I expressed confusion. However, this delicate green sphere certainly was the "best souffle in Paris". A cold, citrus souffle in the sugar apple hid even more surprises: similar to the more edgy Homaru Cantu dishes, the chef had included a pastry bottom laden with "pop rocks" providing a fun and unique end to a fabulous meal.
All I can hope for is that I am able to find this oasis in the park on my next trip to Paris.

Chicago 2008: graham elliot

In the gutted space that was once home to my first real fine dining experience (the sadly passed Harvest), a new modern foodie paradise has sprung up. Ranking top among the Summer 2008 new arrivals on the Chicago scene, the cool, rough hewn interior of graham elliot (after the chef, Graham Elliot Bowles) is as refreshing as the lemons and limes framing the room. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are showcased simply in frames in lieu of art, and elicits an immediate wonder and anticipation of the meal. Don't go here if you, like so many poor souls, have an irrational fear of citrus - or if you don't dig music a bit too loud during dinner - as these are critical elements of the laid-back ambiance of the dining room.

The service was very attentive and the servers quite pleasant, clad in jeans and black tees for a more casual feel, but still getting the hang of things (as expected in a new restaurant).

As the occasion was a going away dinner, we were anxious to try the much ballyhooed (no, I don't really know what that word means) wine list. There is a good selection of value-priced bottles and glasses, well laid-out in order to allow the uninitiated to pair wines by food type. However, the reserve list for the more savvy wine enthusiast is lacking; limited list and only newer vintages. All said, we had a wonderful bottle of champagne (Rose Laurent Perrier) to start and a decent Neyers 'Ames', Napa Cab '05 (which was too young to drink, but very tasty).

After several great suggestions from our waiter, the food began rolling out. Replacing the traditional bread and butter on the table was a fresh bowl of popcorn with a savory tomato and cheddar flavoring. For starters, our table tried a range of salads and hot appetizers, including heirloom beets served with a whipped goat cheese; a "non-traditional" caesar salad served with "twinkie" croutons (a toasted brioche filled with liquid cheese); well-cooked scallops with peas and a carrot yogurt sauce; and an amazing truffle gnocchi.

The fish entrees we sampled were good, but not great. The Hawaiian Wahoo and the BLT Salmon were both well-prepared but overly strong on flavorings. The chocolate brownie dessert was an excellent finish to the meal.

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.

Chicago 2008: Sixteen

The new gem in the half-finished Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago (the coiffed man's first namesake project in the Windy City) is a fashionable addition to the Chicago culinary scene. Sixteen is located on its namesake floor in the hotel portion of the new Trump, and stepping out of the elevator makes for a dramatic entrance, with a hallway ensconced by the well-stocked wine cellar of the restaurant. The architecture and interior design generally is quite impressive, with a bar, side dining rooms and a main dining room that feel both intimate and expansive at once; excellent views from any perch, and well-chosen decorative art placed in the various angular and curved coves that define the form of the dining space.

The impressive view of the fine wine list becomes less impressive when one sees the prices - with a New York buyer perhaps come New York pricing on very recent vintages; some are quite mispriced, as it seems whoever laid out the cellar priced the list for shock factor and by name alone; a modest vintage of a well-known French wine, for example, exceeded by multiples some of the finer vintages of wines that most wine lovers would agree far outshine the former. That said, the new sommelier guided us through an excellent pairing with several wines I had never had - and was also good humored and knowledgeable (more on that later). The service, generally, was solid and very attentive waitstaff (if a little new to the menu) met our every need.

And then the food and libations - my dining companions and I opted for the mysterious and alluring "blind tasting" (with aforementioned wine pairings). The waiter noted to us that we might not want to partake of the homebaked bread and excellent butter, given the girth of the tasting menu, but we ignored him, finding a nice selection of rolls just the thing to start the meal (although this certainly did add to my girth).

The blind tasting was artfully done; a well-timed (rarely does the kitchen do it as well as Sixteen's does) set of ten dishes. A small amuse of Melon Soup with scallop cerviche was a decent first course, but should have been served in a shot glass to better mix the flavors rather than with the wee spoon. A gazpacho with raw oyster and and tomato sorbet was paired with a 2006 Shaleur Estate Sauvignon/Semillion Blend, which worked quite well. The fabulous-sounding braised beef shank tortellini with split peas needed a bit more tenderness in the pasta, but was complimented by my favorite wine of the evening, an Elio Grasso, 2003 Barolo, which had a great nose and a light finish. We switched back to a sweet white Alsatian Riesling by Hugel for the next dish, a scallop with corn vinaigrette, palm souffle and vidalia tart. A Lupe de Mer served with confit of potato and fava beans was quite nice, although the potatoes were a bit ho-hum. The crowning dish of the tasting, "Pork Three Ways" was delicious and paired with a wine, to quote the personable sommelier, that "technically doesn't suck", a Domaine du Grand Tinel. The balance of the well-portioned tasting included cheeses and sweets with ports and muscats. All in all, a very nice evening. I commend the new chef and staff on a top-tier service and culinary experience in a world-class venue - and hope to be blinded again soon by their next tasting menu.

San Francisco 2008: Dry Creek Kitchen

Well, ok - not really San Francisco. Sonoma, a bit of a drive from the cosmopolitan environs of SF, has developed its own culinary scene in an understated way which mimics the rural landscape. Much to the delight of visitors, Charlie Palmer has come to the region and started a "city class" restaurant in Dry Creek Kitchen (albeit with some weaknesses that are not evidenced in his other locations).

While the food was well-prepared, I do have some misgivings about this attempt to transplant world-class fare into the laid back, insular Healdsburg community. The location, on the town square of Healdsburg, is ideal - and the design of the restaurant is becoming the stature of the named proprietor. However, upon making a complicated set of reservations for a relatively large group, we were greeted with aloof service and management, a big disappointment and uncharacteristic of this beautiful part of the country. The night began and ended with waitstaff and management that seemed hasty, and a touch this side of rude, despite a number of attempts by this diner to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Enough said - it may have been a bad night, and the restaurant was quite packed. The dinner service started with a pleasant cheese puff amuse - delicate and well plated. I then opted for a surprisingly light Gnocchi with almost no sauce, but which well-represented the flavors that the chef was trying to evoke. A solid Sea Bass entree followed, paired with spring pea risotto. This was a decent, but not excellent, dish. I also sampled the lamb with a Moroccan spice, it had no taste of game, and carried the sauce well.

Continuing my gripes with the service, the sommelier, who was sent over once my wine order seemed too complex for the server, was a bit flaky. He had no real opinion on the wines on the list, and after we finally were able to order a few bottles, he returned 10 minutes later dejectedly to tell us that they were out of our chosen wine. Once we re-ordered, about 20 minutes into the sitting, we finally received the wine, which was spilled on me while pouring for the taste.

All in all, this is probably a nice restaurant to enjoy for a nice meal on the Healdsburg "scene", but I would urge you to sample the food on a quiet evening and a small group, when the service is not so stressed.

New York 2008 - Moco Global Dining

Sitting in the last meeting of a terribly long week I was disgusted to receive an email telling me my flight back to Chicago was cancelled, there were no bookings available on later flights (and those were likely to be cancelled too, given the "Chicago weather"); I would need to spend my Friday evening in New York. Whilst I was run down from a series of back to back meetings and flights, it could have been much worse. I could have been stuck in my prior night's destination of rural Pennsylvania. Despair became opportunity.

I rang my good college friend and his very pregnant wife, who, bereft of social opportunities other than waiting patiently for their soon-to-be-indeterminate-sex-offspring, finally conceded to join me at a new, "experimental" restaurant in the otherwise "post-college professional" Murray Hill neighborhood.

I had heard of Moco Global Dining (no website) from a number of "what's new" reviewers in April; the chef of this small, understated establishment, Joe Kurauchi, had apparently trained at El Bulli, the Fat Duck and Stella Maris, among others. I was intrigued to see if his cuisine would be the next generation of the inventive, rich and savory dishes I have come to love at those establishments.

Upon entry I was . . . nervous. A sparsely populated bar, completely empty dining room (Friday 7pm) in an otherwise bustling block did not bode well. I had expected a line out the door (my hotel concierge had made me the reservation, I presumed 'pulling some strings' given the last minute nature). Unfortunately, it was not my "clout" that had gotten me in. They merely had no early reservations. A few younger folks were in the bar area, but when three waitstaff swarmed me as I moved toward the back dining section I grew even more uneasy - had I, a bona fide foodie, been fooled by some hype and now had dragged my poor friend and his nearly immobile wife many blocks out of their neighborhood for a second class show?

I was seated (another scary thing in a NY restaurant - seated without "the entire party"), a lone diner in a small (typical New York) dining room, at a lovely banquette. Very comfortable. The tables already looked quite worn (3 weeks post-opening: query - budget-style or budget?) and the waitress arrived promptly with water.

The drink menu was extensive (3 pages) and filled with ShoChu and Sake options; I was again dismayed by the bad english translations "Croudy" instead of "Cloudy" Sake, etc. However, when I ordered a glass of Ginjo sake I was pleasantly surprised - a real artistic presentation that was a harbinger of the food to come - a fine crystal class in a glass carafe, filled with shaved ice surrounded by a banana leaf. Very high quality presentation gave me a renewed sense of hope.

My friends arrive (I hope the expectant mother doesn't take offense to my earlier jokes, she is glowing, mobile and athletic despite being close to her delivery date) and sit at out booth. We are still the only diners, and they look suspicious, being denizens of this fickle food city. We order some appetizers and some more sake (of course none for the responsible mother-to-be, she was all seltzer and cranberry) as the crowd started to trickle into the dining room.

The appetizers arrived: squid-ink, jet-black calamari; steamed edamame; nya-nya chicken wings and a fusion bruschetta. All excellent. The calamari particularly show the chef's potential - crispy yet succulent center, despite the black coloring which evokes naturally a "burnt" vibe.

The pace of the dinner was very casual; waitstaff did not crowd us or hurry our ordering, but as soon as one looked up, they appeared to serve (I would note that our female dining companion, in more discomfort due to her biological situation, was less impressed with the speed of service than I). As we choose our main courses and sake was refilled, I was feeling somewhat redeemed in my choice of venue.

The entrees were excellent - an inventive green gnocchi with a butter sauce; soba noodles in a rich curry broth; several sushi rolls with varying levels of creativity and success (the spicy tuna was some of the best I have had; the "blue california roll" was interesting, but heavy-handed on the namesake blue cheese ingredient; the roll with salmon and eel a bit too smoky). All in all, an honorable meal with great style and flavor. A true glimmer of what this chef could do with, perhaps, some more coaching and a better venue.

As dinner came to a close, I reflected upon what makes a great meal. While I was not "wowed" by the restaurant, I had an excellent meal that married exotic tastes in a casual environment, resulting in a very fine experience with some good friends. While I think this chef's next incarnation may improve greatly with some marginal tweaking of location, style of venue and precision in menu, all in all a worthwhile endeavor. Someone to keep your eye on.