Blue Hill (NYC)

[Suzanne F]

...  Anyway, Steve has revealed himself to be, among other things, a crackpot celeb spotter: first Lucy Liu, and then Robert Goulet, both at Blue Hill on the same night.

Well, we always know about the crackpot part. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

[Dave the Cook]

...  Anyway, Steve has revealed himself to be, among other things, a crackpot celeb spotter: first Lucy Liu, and then Robert Goulet, both at Blue Hill on the same night.

Well, we always know about the crackpot part. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

I thought she meant he was good at spotting celebrities who were crackpots.

[cabrales]

Chefs Dan Barber and Michael Anthony of Blue Hill cook at the J Beard House on April 3. The menu is not yet available.

I noticed recently that David Thompson (Nahm, London) is cooking at the J Beard House on February 1. Members $95/Guests $120.

[stefanyb]

...  Anyway, Steve has revealed himself to be, among other things, a crackpot celeb spotter: first Lucy Liu, and then Robert Goulet, both at Blue Hill on the same night.

Well, we always know about the crackpot part. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

I thought she meant he was good at spotting celebrities who were crackpots.

I think Stella meant crackerjack celeb spotter and I'm not so sure about the Robert Goulet spotting anyway.

[stellabella]

thank you, stefany. i did mean"crackerjack" but it may have been a freudian slip. and for the record, plotnicki is sane. perhaps i should have said he was a crackerkjack crackpot celeb spotter.

somehow, everyone looks like a celeb in blue hill.

[jaybee]

I think Stella meant crackerjack celeb spotter and I'm not so sure about the Robert Goulet spotting anyway. 

Lucy Liu and her girlfriends Steve spotted.

For the record, 'twas I who tagged the unknown diner as Robert Goulet.

My attempt at humor. Before I could stop him, Steve asked for his autograph.

For me the memorable taste was the cod in bouillabaise

That was the dish with the little squids and pearl onions? I loved that dish too.

Edited January 10, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[Steve Plotnicki]

Gee I'll let Jaybee spot Goulet. I'll stick with Lucy Liu. And you're welcome Stellabella. Just let us know the next time you're going to be in town.

[jaybee]

I'll stick with Lucy Liu.

Goulet gave me more of a tumble than Lucy gave you. Too bad I'm not his type. (exists singing.....some enchanted evening, you will find a stranger....)

[cabrales]

I have signed up for the BH event.

[tommy]

i'm wondering if i could eat the best that they can cook at JB, as i was told i didn't at Blue Hill, as i didn't know how to order, or something like that. if so, i'll be sure to go.

[Wilfrid]

Learn to let go of your anger. Deep breath now.

[Bux]

I think I've expressed the before on eGullet. I've only eaten at the Beard house but once and am not an expert, but I don't see how one could expect to eat better there than at the chef's own restaurant.

[Wilfrid]

Well, since it's a set meal, Tommy won't be able to screw up the order.

[cabrales]

Sampling the cuisine of a given chef at the Beard House and going to the applicable restaurant (on a different evening) are not mutually exclusive activities.

[Wilfrid]

Or you could do lunch at Blue Hill, then head on over to JB with Dan and Michael.

[robert40]

Noticed on Blue Hill's website a, Black Truffle dinner at the I.C.I.

Michael Anthony is the guest chef and it's thursday Jan,23

The menu is posted on the Italian Culinary Institute's website.

RR

[cabrales]

Robert -- Thanks for alerting us to the Blue Hill ICI event. The January 23 is scheduled for 6:30-9:30 pm, at the ICI at 230 Fifth Avenue.

"Theme Night: Black Truffle Fare

Mike Anthony, Blue Hill, NYC

Shots of Mushroom Soup with Truffles and Parmesan Foam

Quail Eggs on Brioche with Truffle Butter

Berkshire Pork Testa with Black Truffles and Polenta

Nantucket Bay Scallops with Chestnut Ravioli, Black Truffles and Squash Broth

Breast of Pasture-raised Chicken Stuffed with Truffles and Winter Greens, Baby Carrot Stew

Poached Quince with Caramelized Macadamia Nuts and Truffled Ice Cream

Italian Table Club Members, $100 For reservations, call Sal Rizzo: (212) 725-8764, Ext. 25."

The non-member price is $150. It is preferable to purchase membership for $24 and pay $100 for the event. I am inquiring into whether the price includes wine, etc. I may be able to report on the meal (?). Interestingly, the BH ICI dinner will be the evening immediately after Laurent Gras' black truffle dinner at the J Beard House.

$150

Edited January 20, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[mikeczyz]

Would members care to comment on which dishes might be included?

mike

[cabrales]

Mike -- Are you ordering from the menu, in which case you might wish to note that the menu changes quite a bit over time?

[mikeczyz]

Cabrales- Looking at the calendar of current events at the blue hill webite, I saw mention of the special dinner and was just curious as to what dishes might be considered 'signature dishes' at blue hill. when i visit in march tho, i will probably order a tasting menu.

mike

[jaybee]

We had a "bouillabase" with baby squid that was delicious.

[cabrales]

Mike -- I see. While the restaurant's perception of signature dishes might be different from ours, I would venture a guess that included would be (1) the poached duck, and (2) possibly, the crabmeat lasagne.

-- "Maine Crabmeat Lasagne, Mussel and Grain Mustard Sauce". I really liked this dish as well, which appears to be among the better known dishes associated with the restaurant over time (?). Two appropriate pieces of lasagne revealed a middle area of "just right" crabmeat. The warm-plus temperature was just right as well, and the saucing excellent. Good mussel tastes as well. The green-colored sauce contained not only very gentle grain mustard, but also the tastes of possibly parsley (?), spinach or a similar vegetable (?) and very limited amounds of black pepper.  The crabmeat lasagne was paired with a Chablis.

My own favorite sampled dishes were the dishes in the Concord grape series and the following:

-- Sea Bass with Smoked Herrings' Eggs, Bak Choy or Similar Veggie, and Cauliflower -- Literally one of the best dishes I have sampled at BH. I considered this dish excellent. ...

At BH, the bass was appropriately cooked, flavorful bass with a bit of smoked herrings' eggs on top and much, much more of such eggs spread beautifully in the medium-consistency saucing surrounding the bass. The saucing was nicely salted, and complemented the caviar-like flavors and, equally significantly, the marked smokiness of the herrings' eggs.

When I initially saw the cauliflower (two small bits) included, I wondered whether it was necessary. It was arguably helpful to the dish. I had also initially wondered whether the relative crispiness of the bok choy-like veggie (even though it was sliced up) would have detracted from the bass and herrings' eggs focus, and whether something more supple (like spinach) might have been a better ingredient. A tasting of the dish allayed my initial mental doubts -- the bok choy was not at all conspicuous in the dish and was a good match.

Edited January 24, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Orik]

A difficult question.

I would say -

- A shot of soup as an amuse (although tonight, for the first time, we were served solid amuses)

- The salmon belly crudo

- Poached foie gras with (?)

- A light cream soup (cream of mushrooms or cream of fennel?)

- The poached duck

- A dish composed of a single lamb chop (medium-rare) and another part of lamb slow cooked one way or another

- Fruit soup with fromage blanc sorbet

As you can conclude from the list above, BH seems to have 'Signature Templates' rather than signature dishes.

[robert40]

Orik,

Could you give us some details on your dinner?

What was your amuse?

Thank You

RR

[Orik]

Orik,

Could you give us some details on your dinner?

What was your amuse?

Thank You

RR

Robert,

We had:

Amuses:

- Homemade pate served on tiny toasts (very good)

- House cured salmon with (goat cheese?) in crispy tuile-like cups (ok)

Both were served on a bed of panko.

Crudo:

- Salmon belly in carrot vinaigrette (very good)

- Scallop slices with herring roe, (mussel juice?), chives? (great, sliced somewhat to thick for me)

Appetizers:

Fennel soup with cod cakes, apples? and nuts? (lovely, wish I had more than one cod cake)

Lightly poached mackerel with pomegranate juice (nice, but I probably would have treated the fish differently, allowing for a more robust sauce)

We were comped a tasting of (bay?) scallops with chestnut sauce and walnuts (I believe it was spiced with nutmeg, coriander, thyme, nutmeg and white pepper?) - very good.

Entrees:

- Lamb chop with lamb cannelloni - just great. A huge improvement (to me) over the last version (which was served with Israeli couscous, reminiscent of the Israeli army)

- Very slow roasted 'flat iron' steak - a dish from the tasting menu served as an entree - the duck breast of steaks.

Dessert:

- Pear soup with fromage blanc sorbet.

we had two glasses of some reasonable French white and two glasses of the Martinelli zin.

Interestingly, the total cost was nearly identical to that of a very simple (in a bad way) meal we had last week at Prune. The gap in (subjective) value was quite amazing.