Veni, Vici, Gluttoni

[GordonCooks]

We came, we shopped, we ate.

Friday Night

Of course, my perfect record of not arriving on time at Kennedy is unblemished. After picking up a rental and making it to Battery Park to drop off our stuff – We decided to head to CraftBar for a bite. I’ve never been and wondered how close the food was to Craft. The answer? Not very. We enjoyed what I would call decent neighborhood cuisine.

Fried stuffed sage leaves – These were tasty little morsels stuffed with pork. They did taste more like falafe than pork though, but good none the less

Mushroom bruschetta – Salty mushroom toast

Mozzarella in carroza – Fried grilled cheese sandwich with anchovy paste but tasted more like baccala

Spaghetti Carbonara – Fair, it looked like a re-heat and was too salty. Non creamy at all.

Prosciutto & fontina pannini – Thin and crisp – delicious.

The desserts were the best part and I’m sure that Craft shares their pastry chef.

Pumpkin panne cotta pear sorbet -

Apple fritter w cinnamon ice cream

Warm Gingerbread and sour cream ice cream

My girlfriend ordered a couple of glasses of Riesling that want well with the fried items and we had a bottle of 95 Vosne-Romanée - coron pere et fils “Les Suchots” before we left.

Saturday Breakfast – Hotel restaurant – Typical

Saturday lunch

After shopping for a while, we decided to go to “21”. Unfortunately, the maitre’d looked at me like I was crazy for asking for a table without a reservation. I know the city was extra-busy this weekend, but really. Aquavit was close, so it was Beet salad & Swedish meatballs w mashed potatoes for her – Smoked Salmon and Gravlax for me. We also had a couple of flights of aquavit – so the meal is a little hazy. I’m always fond of the carroway aquavit with the gravlax for some reason.

Dinner at Daniel

The restaurant was very elegant and ornate while avoiding garish. I don’t think I’ve seen so many fur coats in one place in my whole life. We arrived a little early and had a couple of glasses of the Daniel Cuvee Champagne in the bar. We were seated promptly at 9:30 in the main dining area.

The wine list; came in a two volume box. Book 1 was whites and book 2 was reds. I gave the whites a glance and went mainly for the reds. It featured fairly large verticals of LaTour, Haut Brion, Cos, Beaucastel, etc. The Burgundies alone comprised at least 6-7 pages. The new world wines were represented with a few gems like Turley Zinfandel, and some nice cabs. The Italians were price reasonably also (1997 Banfi Brunello for $133.00) and offered a few choices for each region. I came armed with a few suggestions from friends/people who’ve dined recently.

Note; Steve P – the 1996 Meo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanee Brulees was $ 617.00, not

$ 298.00

I decided to order the meal and ask them to devise a wine paring for us.

We went for mostly classics with some additions from the seasonal menu.

Amuse – Goat cheese in a parmesan tuile: Hamachi tune over wasabi daikon: Fried Lobster spring roll. All were delicious

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Peeky toe crab salad with gold pineapple and celery gelee, lime dressing, crisp pineapple chip.

The mold of sweet lump crab meat was topped by a layer of crème fraiche

The pineapple and celery matched perfectly in the gelee – 5 out of 5

Wine - Mason Napa sauvignon blanc 2001 – Matched well as far as fruit/acidity

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Jerusalem artichoke soup with foie gras crostini and black truffle Parmesan cream

Boulud continues to make the best soups and stocks I’ve ever tasted. The foie gras crostini was lacking in foie gras taste, still 5 out of 5

Lobster bisque w root vegetables – tarragon cream

Intense Lobster essence yet light in texture. Liquid lobster velvet – 5 out of 5

Wine – Bourgogne - Domaine Caillot “Les Herbeaux” 1999 – Full bodied, though a Condrieu or White CDNP may have been a better match.

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Paupiette of Black Sea bass in crisp potato shell and a Syrah sauce

Classic dish – the Syrah sauce was clearly the star. 4 out of 5

Wine - Cornas - M Chapoutier 1997 – No nose, weak fruit, tasted like olive juice

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Roasted rack of lamb with a mustard /caramelized shallot crust, braised spiced shoulder, winter squash, and bulgur wheat risotto

The roasted rack was med rather than med rare. The braised shoulder was the best part of the dish and the wheat risotto was served as a small (fried) cake – 3 out of 5

Wine - Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Haut Medoc 1995 – Best wine of the bunch with nice fruit and firm, but not hard tannins. The only wine I would consider buying in the, what I can only describe as ‘Dull” pairing.

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Cheese course – 4 selections including a spectacular triple crème

No pairing – A nice Madiera would have been my choice

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Dessert

Hot Chocolate Upside-Down Soufflé with Pistachio Ice Cream – very tasty but more of a molten chocolate cake than soufflé – 4 out of 5

Banana and Manjari Chocolate Clafoutis with Macadamian Nougat and Caramel Ice Cream – delicious but needed more banana to balance the dish - 3 out of 5

Semolina and Dried Fall Fruit Tatin with Prune-Armagnac Ice Cream

and Pan Roasted Apples with Sweet and Sour Cider Caramel – delicious too, but I didn’t detect Prune or Armagnac in the Ice Cream – maybe it was a different flavor. – 4 out of 5

Rivesaltes Ambre, Domaine Laporte 1978 – It was ok (I believe it to be a Grenache??) But better suited for the cheeses. I forgot about the wine as soon as I swallowed it.

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Mignardises

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Finis

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In conclusion,

I think I may have had a higher than reasonable expectation for this meal. The room and the impeccable service proclaim Daniel as 4 stars. The food was some of the best I’ve had in NY but I think I wanted “The” best. My girl thought our meal at Ritz Carlton Chicago was slightly better in terms of cuisine, and wine pairings

If I did it again tomorrow – My menu would be - Both soups, The Beef Bourguignon that was 86’ed (I was too late), and a LaTour, Cos, or Margaux. To finish - a cheese course and Port. C’est la vie

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Sunday Brunch

City Bakery

Pizza, mac & cheese, roasted plum tomatoes, cauliflower, green beans, scones, bagels, lox, and some cookies for later

I’ll be in the gym a little extra this week for sure.

[cabrales]

GordonCooks -- If you are comfortable, could you please provide an indication of what you were very roughly charged for the wine pairings?

[Liza]

Thank you for your detailed review of your meal. Just from reading it, I want those soups, too.

Curious as to whether you asked about the non-pairing with the cheese.

[Wilfrid]

Thanks indeed for the report. I have lost count of the times people have said that the best part of a meat course was the braise or confit rather than the roast, but - as I tirelessly point out - upscale restaurants seem nervous about serving braises and stews as such.

[GordonCooks]

GordonCooks -- If you are comfortable, could you please provide an indication of what you were very roughly charged for the wine pairings?

Sure, The pairings offered with the prix fixe seasonal menu (4 wines were 55.00 and the wines I had were (the same) plus the 95 haut medoc. I think my bar tab was 32.00 for 2 cuvee Daniel champagne, 3 sparkling water and 65.00 x 2 for the pairing.

I had thought I would get special pairings, but was incorrect in assuming.

[GordonCooks]

Thank you for your detailed review of your meal. Just from reading it, I want those soups, too.

Curious as to whether you asked about the non-pairing with the cheese.

The cheese course was an after thought and ordered mid-meal. I'll take the blame

[Steve Plotnicki]

Gordon - That sounds like what the Daniel experience is like. It used to have more of an edge to it which I miss. You will always get a good meal there but you used to be able to get a great meal there with consistancy. Along with J-G it's still the best special occassion restaurant in town. Too bad about the Meo. It sounds like they sold the original allocation and they are now selling newer inventory. But in the future as a point of reference, some of my wino friends have told me that 1995 Pontet Canet is drinking really well these days. It's about $45 at retail so it should be in the low $100s at a restaurant.

[Wilfrid]

It's a while since I've been to Daniel, and I'd like to compare with it Alain Ducasse as a special occasion restuarant. Just need to shake some change out of my turn ups.

[GordonCooks]

Gordon - That sounds like what the Daniel experience is like. It used to have more of an edge to it which I miss. You will always get a good meal there but you used to be able to get a great meal there with consistancy. Along with J-G it's still the best special occassion restaurant in town. Too bad about the Meo. It sounds like they sold the original allocation and they are now selling newer inventory. But in the future as a point of reference, some of my wino friends have told me that 1995 Pontet Canet is drinking really well these days. It's about $45 at retail so it should be in the low $100s at a restaurant.

The Bordeaux/Rhone prices are good for a restaurant of this stature. I'm sure that there are hidden values to be found within the burgundies but I just lack the knowledge.

[yvonne johnson]

We had the cheese course at Daniel a few weeks ago--and I may have mentioned it already--the cheeses were the best I've had in a restaurant, ever maybe.

As for special occasions, I find the atmosphere (reds, and ornate decor) at Daniel a bit heavy. I like the airy feel to J-G more. I've not been to Ducasse.