Marrow Margin

Those eclectic influences? Alice Waters, Boulud, Keller, Adria, Charlie P. are all there in his food. Pack the place. I command you.

Thanks for that. Tommorrow, I'll review that old workingman's brasserie in the Lenox Square shopping mall named after the former owner/chef of Le Bernadin...Had a great lunch at Brasserie Le Coze this afternoon. Will report mannana.....

That's right, 17 courses (really, the kitchen intended to send 16 but I had to try the already infamous foie gras milkshake). Nine of these exercises in wild abandon and almost painfully brilliant restraint appear in print in the "five course" tasting menu, the other 8 just weave around the stationary menu like silken ribbons on a grand Douglas fir in December. The man behind such food cost blasphemy? Richard Blais of the newly opened Blais in Buckhead, Atlanta. Blais is an unapologetic Achatz/Adria disciple, having worked side by side with both, Achatz at TFL and the Spanish grand master flash as a stagiere at his little known culinary monastery on the Catalan coast. "Yeah, I think of it as a pilgrimmage (haven't heard that before)," Blais says of his spur of the moment and soul searching trek to El Bulli. "All of the 'kids' who were staging there hated the food, hated being there." Apparently, if the first 7 courses of our meal are an indication, El Bulli was a pivotal and important gig for Blais. Like many starry eyed future Kellers who return from Roses with a dream, he finds great intrigue in sleight of hand sight gags, contextual shifts and, the ever maligned foam. But he's no paper tiger. Most of his creations dance the hi wire so attractively that you forget your biases for gimmicks. If it tastes good, it ain't a gimmick. The restaurant is attractive, if a little dark, each dining room outfitted with a largish plasma television screen that intercuts live shots of the kitchen with Koyaanisquatsi esque racing sunsets, the pulmonary beating of city traffic at night sped up, and new aged/techno distortions that jive with the German based synth riffs on the CD player. Where was Ditter and his dancing sperm? Looking at the kitchen shots one realizes right away Thomas Keller's influence, how all spices are neatly stored in plastic containers visible as a vague collage or techni-color flag in the background, the blue aprons, the Paco Jet, and, uh, the air canisters. The staff was all young (uh, huh, Thomas who?) and appeared to have a common focus as they methodically put together the fruits of Blais' vision. These guys were bending their backs at odd angles just to get the brunoise cut right. That's dedication. You can't teach a guy to hurt himself. If he believes in your schtick as a chef he'll gladly earn that early wheel chair. The brunoise was a testament, if you will, to the philosophy of their leader.... The menu for Feb 2, 2004 Under the heading "Too many gifts from the kitchen." These amuses were verbalized as they were brought out. Indian Spiced Tea Shot with Meyer Lemon Jellies, Soy Bean Ice Cubes and Micro greens Grilled and Chilled Asparagus with Parmesan Foam and Caramel (This worked beautifully. The char of the asparagus was the liason between the caramel and parmesan flavors. A very telling walk on the dangerous side pulled off brilliantly. Trust me, if it sucked, I'd tell you.) Fried Calamari with Smoked Paprika and Harissa Foam Could have sucked down about 50 of these. Tender tentacles, nice spice, perfect with foam. Sangria Foam with Macerated Fruit Nah! Time to shift gears. We know you've got the foam thing under control. OK! One more. Cauliflower foam with Salmon and Salmon Roe. Keller taking an ingredient, redefining it through reduction and refinement (Cauliflower foam), Salmon, seemingly coming from left field but meshing on the palate so seductively I couldn't help but laugh at my cynicism. The salty roe must be some nod to Adria. The eggs burst on your teeth and give the dish a miraculous 4th dimension and bring the whole thing together as the salt opens on the tongue. Simple, well-executed, Michel Bras? Chicken Skin with Pheasant Veloute and Pickled Collard Greens We're in the south, and dammit if Southerners don't like chicken pot pie. But take what you know about pot pie--the starchy filling laden with Birdseye's finest, the soggy crust, the utter lack of finesse and give to Blais. On a silly yet intellectually tickling over-sized ceramic serving spoon comes a blonde yet evenly crisp chicken rind and a one ounce souffle cup filled with the simplist yet complex chicken veloute and a small sorbet spoon full of grilled and pickled baby collards (at least that's what they looked and tasted like). Just like Keller making Ruhlman crack up out loud at his Dr. Seuss like reinterpretations of American classics, Blais has enough intellect to be able to make that sentiment his own. That chicken skin defied reason. It should have been golden brown and greasy. Very nice dish. Now we commence with the written portion of the menu Warm Smoked Hamachi, Cucumber, Radish, and Yuzu Dressing Watch out Ripert, there's a guy in Atlanta who's knocking at your door. Simple, light, all flavors were clean, you have a chaud/froid thing going on...a thinking man's carpaccio. "Vitello Tonnato" Raw Tuna, Pulled Veal I thought of Soul of a Chef and Keller. An immaculate and obviously quality tube of Bluefin stuffed with (get this) veal salad prepared a la grandma's Chicken of the Sea tuna salad--down to the prepared mayonnaise. A very classy updated nod to a classic, with a Keller garnish line of orange glace drawn on the plate for a new kick. Blais' subtle play with the context of the traditional left over dish worked amazingly well as a one bite symphony. The orange was a brilliant directive. Caesar Salad Two micro leaves of romaine heart with white anchovies, a perfectly square crouton, reggiano shavings and a tart egg-less vinaigrette served in a sardine tin. This dish didn't work. An awkward jerk from near flawless progression of courses. Flat, insipid. Pan Roasted Scallops, Edamame Ravioli, Carrots, Soy Butter Thomas Keller taught this young man well, or somebody did. What an intriguing dish. Blais seasons the otherwise bland edamame puree with a faint whif of orange--an echo of the previous course but in a totally different context--and stacks it under the perfectly seared scallop which, when eaten together with the soy butter, beurre monte poached baby carrot and brunoise made me glad to be partaking of this meal. This was absolutely gorgeous stuff. Reminded me of so many great chefs. The presentation was first rate. At this point, Blais sent out another amuse. This time a blatant Adria nod. "Mushroom" Fettucine with Agar Agar (Seaweed). I didn't get much seaweed but the dish zinged with mushroom butter flavor. I think this was waaaayyyyy over my head but the flavor was decent. Back to the menu.... Long Island Duck, Vanilla Puree, Turnips, Espresso Flavor The grill guy should have cut the duck thinner. My two segments were about half an inch thick and chewy. The espresso butter was tasty, and the vanilla potato puree was like a Vongrichten/Robuchon hybrid...well done, potatoes saturated with dairy, loose and delicious. There were pommegranate seeds strewn on the plate that served no purpose but to look pretty. The dish wouldn't have suffered without those. "Dynamic Beef Duo" Short Ribs, Kobe Rib Eye, Rutabaga, Smoked Mashed PotatoesThe ribs were like butter, imagine the livery and intense flavor of onglet but with the texture of a pulled pork sandwich. The rib eye was surprisingly tasteless and tough, even at rare. I've been doing smoked mashed potatoes for 11 years, so of course I started getting upidity about seeing that on the menu but Blais obviously has no idea who I am nor has he the first interest in ripping anyone off. The potatoes were subtle but oh so sexy. They sent out his controversial blue cheese ice cream to accompany the dish...a flavor and contrast that worked for me, but not for my companion. It ain't for the faint at heart, that's for sure. Foie Milk Shake It's supposed to be a complimentary garnish for Blais' mini version of the DB Burger. I didn't taste foie. I wanted to bath in foie so I was disappointed. Perhaps with the RB Burger it would have worked. Oozing Chocolate Cake with Black Olive-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream No ooze. The cake was slightly over cooked, at least mine was. The black olive ice cream didn't reveal any olive flavor. There was a perfect cube of beet jelly in the middle of the plate that didn't seem to serve its purpose. It was tasty just perhaps missplaced. Under the heading "Too Many More Gifts" Vanilla Egg Foam with Orange Segments NO!!! A non-sweetened vanilla flavored foam with two odd ball pieces of orange sunken at the bottom. It tasted as boring as this description. Sesame Vanilla Creme Brulee Brilliant. I thought for sure this guy was going to send out something that was redolent of sesame oil. Nah, Blais is smarter than that. Somehow he cooked the truest essence of sesame into the custard and it complimented the vanilla dead on. TANG. On a small rectangle came two perfectly cut cubes of jelled tang, no acoutrements, nothing. I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my chair. What a perfect ending to this absurdly enjoyable meal. Blais came out to the table and chatted it up about his pilgrimmage to El Bulli, working with Keller and other culinary topics. He's a class act with an intellect that, given some maturation, will give the gastronomic Mount Rushmore figurines a run for their money. I recommend spending some time with Richard Blais and his team...you may just get the best gut busting laugh you've had in years...and a damn good meal to boot.

Great little ditty Loufood.