avant-garde

Before we get too off track I just want to say that I'm really only interested in the basics of the dish. The molecular aspect of the cake and ice cream are not that important to me for where I'm going with my inquiry. I suppose one could easily steep kaffir lime leaves or the zest of a lime to impart flavor into an ice cream and hopefully eliminate a great deal of the acidity aspect. I doubt that's what has been done here, but... I only asked about the dish because the presentation kind of makes it hard to determine what is what. Ultimately, and I probably should have said this before, I mostly want to know about the avocado element of the dessert since I can't really make it out. I can't tell if it's in the form of a sauce, a pulp, or something else. I've thought about making a flourless chocolate cake and taking a simple syrup pureed with tons of fresh mint to make an intense little sauce to dot on the plate. But now all I have to do is figure out the avocado part of this to see how I could interpret it into my own dessert.

Just wanted to clarify that I did not take the photo in case it appears that I did. And thank you for the info...I'm anxious to see what others have to say in addition to your comments.

I was wondering if anyone who has eaten this can describe it for me. I'm fascinated by the combination of chocolate and avocado, but even moreso when they are both combined with mint. Is the avocado represented in a sauce, the ice cream, etc? How's the lime introduced (if other than just a sprig on the plate)? And is it a chocolate cake? Thank you in advance. By the way, I have to also say this is one of my favorite food photographs I've seen. Very nicely done.

Awesome. Thank you. I actually have a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from NZ. I'll use that. Very good point about the acidity of the Balsamic. For my test run last night on this course I made the Balsamic Vinaigrette with equal parts oil & vinegar and it was a bit much. So slimming up on the vinegar should definitely assist. Thank you. For the salmon, I still may opt (for better or worse) to go with a Chardonnay I have simply because the salmon is buttery and I'll probably make some sort of beurre blanc for the sauce. But this certainly all gives me great ideas. Thank you for the recommendations everyone. Here are pictures of the first two courses I've tested so far... Tomato/Mozzarella Salad Asparagus Soup

My wife and I are having two other couples over for dinner in a couple weeks. I already have my menu set (see below), but I'm having problems with what type of wine to serve with the courses. We have a nice port to go with the dessert, so that course is taken care of. Can anyone recommend a type (i.e, chardonnay, pinot, cabernet, etc) to go with each of the other three courses. I'd really appreicate it. Tomato & Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette & Fresh Basil Asparagus Soup with Caramelized Onion, Almonds & Goat Cheese Salmon with Braised Red Cabbage, Mushrooms, and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Warm Chocolate Cake with Chambord-Marinated Raspberries & Pink Peppercorns

JWest: I couldn't agree more with your observations here. My wife and I ate there this past week and I felt myself picking everything apart. In a nutshell, the evening went like this: We arrived to two waiters leaning against the hostess desk, while one said (as if we interupted his play time) "Can I help you guys?" To which I responded, "Uhhh...yeah! My wife and I would like to order dinner. Are you open?" WOW! What a horrible first impression. After being seated the server came to wait on us. She seemed a little nervous and unsure of herself. She had also not tried any of the dishes; thereby not being able to recommend anything to us. Not a good move on the kitchen's part. We ordered a couple tapas and basically sat alone in the restaurant while listening to a bunch of drunk (and loudly cursing) patrons in the bar/fish tank area. I know the chef heard them because he turned around and looked at them like "what the...?" As an owner or chef I would have kindly asked them to leave; that's how bad they were. The food was not excellent, but it wasn't bad either. I enjoyed most of it, as did my wife. There were some things that really needed some attention, though - obvious things like the thick skin on the pot de creme, cold haricot verts, etc... After dinner, we sat and just kind of observed things for a bit while having some coffee. At this point, I'd say there were maybe five or six tables that had been seated in the time we'd been there. Here is my biggest complaint about Tonic. I believe they are focusing too much of their attention on being a bar AND restaurant. Half the time I felt like I was eating at a club. I feel they need to decide which of these they're going to be, because I won't pay $70.00 (for two) again to listen to a bunch of loud parties carrying on. Half the decor is very beautiful, but the other half looks like your typical trendy nightclub. The good news is that Tonic definitely has potential. However, in this day and age (especially in Kansas City), you have to really hit all the points very well if you want to succeed. I love supporting restaurants like this, but I expect them to deliver excellence on many levels, not just one or two small things. It'll also have to be much better next time for me to even consider a third visit. Perhaps I'm sounding a bit harsh, but I know from experience what will make it or not here. I desperately want Kansas City to become a better place for fine-dining. When I worked at the American, I believe it was the only "fine-dining" establishment in the city. Only now has it started to become somewhat interesting (Bluestem, 40 Sardines, etc), and if places like Tonic want to be a part of this, they're going to have to step up to the plate. Otherwise they'll be closed in a couple years. Food: *** Service: ** Atmosphere: **1/2

Sorry to ask a question that may have already been discussed, but how do you suppose one peels a grape? I'm just curious. Very interesting idea that must take time and lots of patience.

That's awesome. Great news for my first time posting. Thanks for the heads up.