Blue Hill (NYC)

[Wilfrid]

Welcome back, empress of the oatmeal.  Don't try to get too much sympathy for your trip to Hawaii.  

I didn't notice any of the sweetness effect this time round.  A bit of tweeness, but not sweetness.

[rozrapp]

cabrales posted: June 07 2002,10:39

-- A nice shirt and slacks would be fine.

Cabrales, Thanks for answering my query about the dress code.

[stefanyb]

Welcome back Yvonne.  We missed you.  And boy, you sure have a lot of catching up to do here.  Get to work.

[Rail Paul]

Clue.  You have met him.  We have both met him at the same time

Paul's guess - AHR?

[stefanyb]

Clue.  You have met him.  We have both met him at the same time

Paul's guess - AHR?

Thats what I thought, although I'm not absolutely positive.  If so, he's got a lot of splainin' to do. Harrumph!

[Steve Plotnicki]

A.H.R. is the correct answer. Put an X in the secret square.

[tommy]

Wilfrid - No the smoked herring roe was with the bass tartar. The braised Black Bass was with fava beans and fresh peas. And while I agree that two greens in a row no-no, I thought that dish was fabulous. It was obviously inspired by L'Astrance as we were told by our own in-house expert that they poach salmon in olive oil there, and because Chef Mike did a stage there this past March. It was quite a fantastic dish, and I thought good enough to have been served in a top place in France. My dessert was a red berry compote with cream.

who cares about the food, tell us about wilfrid, cabrales, and whoever was there!

redux ya know.

[Liza]

Tommy, you know asking such personal and exclusionary questions is simply bad form! Before long, you'll have your internet wrist slapped.

[Wilfrid]

it was a technically fascinating dish

Pompous ass.

[cabrales]

I was reviewing the calendar of events on the Blue Hill website, and noted that today there is a special tasting menu in celebration of local peas (interested members should verify with the restaurant prior to reliance).

http://www.bluehillnyc.com/bhcalendar.html

Other upcoming featured local products -- July 23 (corn) and August 20 (tomatoes -- that sounds interesting).  

[tommy]

it was a technically fascinating dish

Pompous ass.

wilfrid, take it from someone who knows:  don't go back and reread your own posts...you may well find that you don't like that person very much.  :confused:

[dodge621]

[Tommy, you know asking such personal and exclusionary questions is simply bad form! Before long, you'll have your internet wrist slapped] :confused:

[ahr]

I ate dinner at Blue Hill last night with some ornaments of eGullet, who may choose to expose themselves hereafter.

Wilfrid, are you making an elaborate English/German/Yiddish(!) pun at the expense of your tablemates?

Ornament in German is "schmuck."

Schmuck in Yiddish is...

And expose?  Dear, me.

Edit: Fixed two late-night typos.

[cabrales]

Below are excerpts from the current edition of Art Culinaire on Michael Anthony's background, for future reference in assessing the cuisine at Blue Hill:

"he studied the fine arts and Japanese. Upon graduation, he moved to Japan to pursue his interest in the language. While in Tokyo, he worked in the kitchen of Shizuyu Shima . . . Her cuisine melded Japanese with Western culture. 'She taught me the basics of French cooking; she also showed me her very personal style of relaying that to Japanese food products and Japanese style.' . . . . [discussion of education, work in France] After making contact with Daniel Boulud, he moved to NY and remained in Boulud's kitchen for two years. In search of a kitchen closer to his Japanese experience, he pursued a job at March."

The Japanese-related aspects of Anthony's background are interesting because, based on only one meal, my preliminary sense is that his cuisine does not come across as Japanese-related and appears more "classical" than the chef's apparently frequent utilization of Japanese products might suggest. (For newer members, there was considerable discussion at one point in time about the use of curry and other spices in French and other cuisines. The discussions manifested themselves in multiple threads.)

Certain of Anthony's recipes in the same edition of Art Culinaire contain ingredients typically associated with Japanese cuisine:

-- Smoked Salmon Belly with Avocado-Yogurt Puree and Pickled Watermelon: White soy sauce, mirin and "yuzo kosho to taste" (a "spicy, prepared chutney made with kosho pepper and yuzu citron fruit") are included in the glaze for the salmon belly.

-- Poached Shrimp and Jicama Salad in a Lobster Saffron Broth: The jicama salad contains shiso leaves. The lobster broth contains "aleppo to taste" (a "slightly tart, ground spice made from dried red bell peppers and named for the twon in Syria where they are grown" -- not Japanese but unusual; also note use of jicama)

[Wilfrid]

I ate dinner at Blue Hill last night with some ornaments of eGullet, who may choose to expose themselves hereafter.

Wilfrid, are you making an elaborate English/German/Yiddish(!) pun at the expense of your tablemates?

Of course, of course.

[Liza]

Glad to see my Art Culinaire has won over Cabrales!

[jaybee]

Joined by three other EGers, I enjoyed a delightful meal at Blue Hill last night. This was my first visit, prompted by the reports of EG members. Marc Anthony, as reported elsewhere, offered to "cook for us" as the menus were removed. Wine was BYO. We began with a '88 Bollinger with the first course, which was a disc of Testa, (which is made from pork cheeks) on a rice cracker. It looked like sausage but with a crumbly texture. Too bland to my taste.

This was followed by white salmon with a jelly of light soy and some fruit juice. The aspic added a nice acidity and sharpness to the creamy rich-textured salmon. This was a more successful dish. Our second wine was a '99 Nuits St. George Blanc, which has a nice steely ("minerally" Steve called it) taste.

This wine opened up gradually and was an excellent compliment to the next two courses. Char with some type of green sauce, watercress and a leaf with a sharp taste whose name escapes me. The char was firm with a slightly browned crust, very tasty.

This as followed by Poached Cod with mussels and shrimp with sliced cherry tomato as accent. A wonderful dish, the cod fell apart in large flakes or leaves, being almost translucent and full of moisture. We debated the need for the tomato and were split on its benefits. I thought it added a sharp acidity. The mussels and shrimp in the sauce provided a nuanced flavor and a toothier texture to contrast with the delicate cod.

Somewhere along the char we began drinking an '85 Bonne Mares from Roumier which had been decanted about an hour earlier. This was a real treat. Wonderful perfume with a bit of chalk and much fruit. It was a perfect accompaniment for the final dish, poached duck breast served with a stew of beets finely chopped with lime juice and sautéed spinach. The duck was moist and chewy with a rich meaty taste. A second winner. I would return just for this dish.

Dessert included a cappuccino mousse with cherries, chocolate torte and little tasty morsels of caramel, chocolate covered almonds and a lemon cake.

The room is comfortable, not too noisy, and decorated in a low key style. Tables are generously sized and the chairs are comfortable for a long sitting. The service was excellent. Good humored and quietly efficient. Any emendations from others present are welcomed.

[SamanthaF]

Thanks Jaybee

Scott and I are there this Sunday night, so we'll follow up with a report next week.

[Scottf]

Jaybee

Would you object to posting the cost for this feast

[cabrales]

. . . a disc of Testa, (which is made from pork cheeks) on a rice cracker.  It looked like sausage but with a crumbly texture . . . .

This was followed by white salmon with a jelly of light soy and some fruit juice.  The aspic added a nice acidity and sharpness to the creamy rich-textured salmon.  . . .

Char with some type of green sauce, watercress and a leaf with a sharp taste whose name escapes me.  The char was firm with a slightly browned crust, very tasty.  

This as followed by Poached Cod with mussels and shrimp with sliced cherry tomato as accent.  A wonderful dish, the cod fell apart in large flakes or leaves, being almost translucent and full of moisture. We debated the need for the tomato and were split on its benefits.  I thought it added a sharp acidity.  The mussels and shrimp in the sauce provided a nuanced flavor and a toothier texture to contrast with the delicate cod.

. . . the final dish, poached duck breast served with a stew of beets finely chopped with lime juice and sautéed spinach.  The duck was moist and chewy with a rich meaty taste. . . .

Dessert included a cappuccino mousse with cherries . . .

jaybee -- Thanks for taking the lead on the write-up. The Blue Hill meal, while not as subjectively memorable as the first meal I had there, was bordering on very good. It was interesting that the various dishes included in the two meals by Chefs Michael Anthony and Dan Barber hinted (preliminarily) at some range in composition and intended effect underlying the dishes. Onto specifics:

-- I liked the testa disc, and wondered what portions of pigs' head had been utilized in it apart from the cheeks. Little integrated "pockets" within the offered slice that had a predominantly fatty, but also slightly gelatinous, texture were helpful to the disc. This texture was noticeably distinct from the remainder of the testa. It was described that there was pickled fennel (??) accompanying the testa, but this taste was too subtle to be sampled.

The papadom on which the testa had been placed was, for me, a less-than-ideal base for the testa, due to the appropriately moderated (but still detectable) hints of spicing of the papadom itself and the crispiness of papadom (a subjective preference). Not having taken in much Indian or related cuisines in which papadom might be utilized (and recognizing that papadom is increasingly being utilized in the context of other cuisines), I could not say whether the papadom had been made from lentil flour as is customary in certain contexts.

-- jaybee, Steve P and the eGulleteer liked the diced white salmon dish more than I did. I thought the salmon and the gelee each were fine on their own, but somehow the dish was not more than the sum of the parts. A bit of herb-infused oil was appropriately lending a slight sense of emolience that brought out the texture of the salmon.

-- The char dish jaybee described was indeed tasty. It was likely two leaves of lambs' quarters (??) that furnished an appropriately intense, and yet still refreshing, taste to the flesh of the fish. A dish I liked for its internal consistency.

-- My favorite dish of the meal was the slow-poached cod with mussels and ruby shrimp. The flavor of the cod was preserved, through flesh that was, as jaybee described, well-prepared and almost translucent. I particularly liked the temperature effects inhering in this dish. The interior of the serving of cod was literally (and intentionally) slightly cool, which was made feasible presumably by the slow poaching. The cooler temperature in the interior highlighted the attractivenes of the flesh of the cod.

When the dish was presented, my initial reaction was to wonder why there was only one mussel in the serving I received (which was generous). A sampling of the saucing furnished the response. There were connotations of "warmth" from seafood stock (?) and corn-based, among other things, saucing that was at once both nuanced and quasi-familiar in general construction. There was some discussion about whether the crunchiness of the corn included generously in the sauce was desirable. jaybee, I believe, and I liked that aspect of the dish.

On the tomato, I may have been the only diner who thought it was redundant. The dish did not, for me, need the jolt of acidity, and the tomatoes, to the extent utilized, could alternatively have perhaps been prepared in a way to bring out their sweeter tones as well as their acidity. Note that I tend not to like too many ingredients in a dish. For me, the mussels, ruby shrimp, corn and saucing were sufficient for the cod. Nonetheless, I dish that I appreciated considerably.

-- The poached duck was as jaybee described. On dessert, I was again presented (see Union Pacific thread for background -- not linked) with a chocolate dessert. Fortunately, jaybee seemed indifferent between his capuccino-based dessert with cherries (my favorite fruit, together with blood oranges and peeled green grapes -- not taken together obviously) and the chocolate dessert I had received, and we switched.

Scott -- The cost charged was that of the "regular" tasting menu ($60 or 65?/person), and corkage for three bottles ($25-30 each), before tips/tax.

[rich]

Taking my wife (for her birthday) tonight - along with another couple. I'm certainly looking forward to the experience.

Thanks for the report.

What was the corkage fee for the wine? I didn't realize that was acceptable there. I enjoy bringing something from my own stock, but most NYC restaurants frown on it.

[cabrales]

rich -- See my amended post above re: corkage.

[Scottf]

Thanks Cabrales. Seems very reasonable

[Liza]

I'll add that the cod dish was most impressive for the texture of the cod. It's very easy to overcook cod, and very difficult to achieve the incredibly moist, dense flesh they did.

Lamb's quarters it was, and the green froth was pea. As Michael and Dan are frequent shoppers at Union Square Greenmarket, I'd guess that both these items - at least - were local. Dan and Michael came to our table after and couldn't have been kinder, or generous with their time.

[jaybee]

emendation: I believe I referred to the chef as Marc Anthony (I guess Julius Caesar was on my mind) and David and their names seems to be Michael and Dan. They are a charming duo.

Holy smokes, Cabby! You told me you stopped taking notes after the second course! I must say, I find your descriptions of the complex haute cuisine quite interesting to read (unlike others who may find it, well, ...let's say, less interesting than reading about simpler fare ). You display an astonishing ability to dissect and describe the individual tastes and textures of the food as well as the whole gestalt. And all the while you sat there laughing, talking, drinking wine and being teased by Steve. Who would have known that this incredible dissaggregation process was going on behind that smile?

Thank you Liza, for your confirmation of the identity of lamb's quarters. That's a new one, and something I'll add to my herb list.

I think the final bill per person was $112 with tax and tip and including corkage for three bottles.