Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Laurent Manrique


lizziee

Recommended Posts

From the SF Chronicle

------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE INSIDE SCOOP

Chef Laurent Manrique makes a move to Aqua

Campton Place left with no replacement

GraceAnn Walden   Wednesday, February 5, 2003

------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a world-class shocker, chef Laurent Manrique is leaving Campton Place at the end of next month to become executive chef for Aqua Development Corp., the parent company of four-star Aqua in San Francisco's Financial District. When he starts in mid-April, he will immediately concentrate on Aqua restaurant, which has been leaderless since executive chef Michael Mina left several months ago.

In addition to Aqua, Manrique will also oversee Charles Nob Hill, also in the city, and Pisces in Burlingame. The group's Redwood Park restaurant closed Jan. 7 and has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lizziee, thanks for posting that abstract. I love the word "shocker."

The complete article is here.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

anyone here ever go to campton place? 

mike

Never went to Campton Place, but I did have Manrique's food when he visited Lake Placid last summer. I enjoyed it and made a mental note to visit CP next time I am in San Francisco. I guess I can cross that off my list...

Chief Scientist / Amateur Cook

MadVal, Seattle, WA

Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code

Link to comment
Share on other sites

anyone here ever go to campton place? 

mike

Never went to Campton Place, but I did have Manrique's food when he visited Lake Placid last summer. I enjoyed it and made a mental note to visit CP next time I am in San Francisco. I guess I can cross that off my list...

yah, i was thinking of goign to campton place last summer, but went to la folie instead. good food there, btw...

mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't even keep track of all these Laurents: Gras, Tourondel, Manrique. What, is this like the French equivalent of Ray?

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't even keep track of all these Laurents: Gras, Tourondel, Manrique. What, is this like the French equivalent of Ray?

Actually, it's the French equivalent of Steve. People tell me they can't tell the difference between Steves here. :raz:

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Aqua pre-arrival of Laurent, the restaurant is continuing Mina's recipes. In particular, one recent occasion menu was described to me as reflecting Mina's dishes. Interestingly, one can see various French Laundry influences:

Duet of West Coast Oysters -- Classic Rockelfller, Champagne Tapioca (although FL's "oysters and pearls" probably did not contain champagne -- I'll check later -- the utilization of tapioca with oysters at Aqua likely has some FL inspiraton)

Cauliflower Soup, Lemon Infusion, Beluga Caviar -- This might or might not be inspired by the cauliflower panna cotta with osetra caviar at FL

Dungeness Crab Tortellini, Braised baby artichokes, shellfish brown butter

Crispy Skin Black Bass, Butter Poached Main Lobster, Melted Leeks, Golden Chanterelles (the inclusion of Butter Poached lobster is again an FL influence)

Herb Roasted Tenderloin of Beef, Truffled Root Vegetable, Bacon-Wrapped Scallop, Celeriac Puree

Scharffen Berge Chocolate Souffle, Tahitian vanilla-infused Kumquat parfait

$125/person

Edited by cabrales (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Aqua pre-arrival of Laurent, the restaurant is continuing Mina's recipes. In particular, one recent occasion menu was described to me as reflecting Mina's dishes. Interestingly, one can see various French Laundry influences:

Duet of West Coast Oysters -- Classic Rockelfller, Champagne Tapioca (although FL's "oysters and pearls" probably did not contain champagne -- I'll check later -- the utilization of tapioca with oysters at Aqua likely has some FL inspiraton)

Cauliflower Soup, Lemon Infusion, Beluga Caviar -- This might or might not be inspired by the cauliflower panna cotta with osetra caviar at FL

Dungeness Crab Tortellini, Braised baby artichokes, shellfish brown butter

Crispy Skin Black Bass, Butter Poached Main Lobster, Melted Leeks, Golden Chanterelles (the inclusion of Butter Poached lobster is again an FL influence)

Herb Roasted Tenderloin of Beef, Truffled Root Vegetable, Bacon-Wrapped Scallop, Celeriac Puree

Scharffen Berge Chocolate Souffle, Tahitian vanilla-infused Kumquat parfait

$125/person

Will you be going? I'm curious as I'm thinking of heading to Aqua at the St Regis in Southern California.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cabrales. I would be happy to. It was presented in a lidded iron pot, an airline breast stuffed with foie gras and strewn with aromatic veggies and herbs. The waiter took the lid off, placed the breast on the plate, and put down a monkey dish with broth and fried fideo noodles and cubes of foie gras. The chicken was, just, perfect. Real striated chucken muscle from a real chicken, not cottony and mushy. Such a beautiful dish.

Laurent is mad for foie gras. I had his foie three ways as an app. Salt-cured, terrine, and wrapped around an Armagnac-soaked prune. Served with perfect tiny slices of pain levain and sweet butter. It kicked my ass.

I also had something very special. I had brought a 1970 BV cabernet (for my wife's 30th birthday). The sommelier was impressed, and at the end of the meal, he brought over a bottle of very special aged Chartruese. Oh my god. I love liqueurs, and this was stunning. Instead of being, well, chartreuse-colored, it was clear, with just a hint of green. It was less sweet than regular green Chartruese and intensely intensely herbaceous. I will never forget it, especially as I don't drink any more. Um, anyone wanna buy my wine cellar? No '70 BVs, alas...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  The sommelier was impressed, and at the end of the meal, he brought over a bottle of very special aged Chartruese.  Oh my god.  I love liqueurs, and this was stunning. Instead of being, well, chartreuse-colored, it was clear, with just a hint of green.  It was less sweet than regular green Chartruese and intensely intensely herbaceous. 

essvee,

I wonder if what you had was Chartruese Tarragon? It is extremely hard to find and was a favorite of Point, Chapel, Blanc and Guerard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...