Blue Hill (NYC)

[cabrales]

Steve P -- I'm not sure there is a direct parallel in France, but it wouldn't be the "bistro moderne" to which you refer (cuisine-wise or decor-wise).

[Lesley C]

L'Epi Dupin has a Michelin star! No way that can be true! Nice chef there, but really.... all that filo pastry. Blue Hill is a notch above that, but I don't think in the same league as many one-star places.

[Fat Guy]

Fat Guy - Sally's better than Pepe's? I haven't eaten pizza in 13 years so I have no dog in that fight but, I used to love that white clam pizza at Pepe's. I even drove from NYC to New Haven for dinner a few times just to eat it.

I wasn't eating at Sally's or Pepe's 13 years ago. I think the first time I visited Sally's was in 1991 and I didn't make it to Pepe's until much later. My conclusions are based on current information. The clam pie at Pepe's is superb, and it is certainly superior to the clam pie at Sally's. Pepe's uses fresh top neck clams and Sally's doesn't. There's just no comparison. If you want a clam pie, you go to Pepe's. If you want to be reminded of a Pepe's clam pie you go to Lombardi's here in Manhattan. You never go to Sally's for a clam pie. But everything else at Sally's is better because Sally's has better crust and better sauce. And when you get into the fresh-veggie pizzas they do in the summertime well, forget about it.

Nina, I'm not sure I could distinguish Pepe's and the Spot in a blind tasting. They're technically following all the same procedures and have interlocking ownership. The Spot was the original Pepe's, but I'm sure you know that.

[LaNiña]

You might be right. I haven't been to Pepe's in quite a while. But The Spot, I will admit, has a high nostalgia factor for me. When I was a kid, the clubbed foot old Italian man moved slowly through the open kitchen, wielding those huge wooden paddles - it was like watching a show - and there was a blind cat who slept on top of the ovens - we loved it.

Have you ever had a calzone from Tony & Lucille's? Also on Wooster St.

[jaybee]

Blue Hil............ ...........Pepe's........ ....... .....Tony & Lucille's

Will someone connect the dots for me?

[Jinmyo]

The clam pie... the clam pie...  a clam pie...  a clam pie.

[Fat Guy]

Jaybee, I don't know where the heck it came from.

[cabrales]

The August 2002 edition of James Beard's Calendar & Newsletter describes the menu for the "Joe's Reunion Dinner" Special Event involving Dan Barber of BH and Joe Miller of Joe's Restaurant (Venice, CA) on August 6:

Amuses: Shots of Corn Soup; Eggplant and Tomato Parfait; Texas white shrimp with crabmeat and fresh wasabi; Green Zebra Tomato with Rice Vinegar Flaze and Sesame Brittle; Lemon Cucumber and Dill Martinis

Hamachi with Tomatillo Marmalade and Green Gazpacho Vinaigrette, with Martin Codax-Albarino 2001 (my guess is that this is more from Dan than from Joe Miller??)

Beet Risotto with Grilled Asparagus and Asiago Cheese, Martin Codax-Albarino 2001

Poached Lobster Salad with Smoked Brandywine Tomato Puree, Domaine de Piaugier Sablet Blanc 1999 (my guess is that this is more from Dan than from Joe Miller??)

Kobe Rib-Eye with Saffron and Lemon-Braised Endive and Lipstick Pepper Jus, Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Amreck Blue Cheese with Cabernet Grapes

Local Apricot Crumble with Apricot Pit Ice Cream and Fromage Blanc Sorbet, El Grifo Malvasia Dulce 2001

Excerpts from the James Beard description of Dan follow: "Dan Barber, co-chef at Blue Hill, who worked at Joe's Restaurant some ten years ago. Like Miller, Barber is a fan of fresh, seasonal food. Or as Gourmet's Jonathan Gold put it, 'Here, the ingredients taste of themselves, exposed as if on a stage.' But make no mistake; there are startling jolts of flavor lurking in Barber's simplicity. As William Grimes of The New York Times wrote, 'Blue Hill lulls you into expecting the usual. And then it pounces.'"

[Mao]

Are they still not using any butter or cream? I have only eaten at Blue Hill once, and when I sat down to do the tasting menu with my sister, one of the first things I was informed of was that no butter or cream was to be employed. I was wondering at the time if this was a temporary and experimental gesture or part of some larger mission of theirs. I will confess that my one meal there was so bad as to not make me want to go back--every dish seemed either overly powered by one or two flavors, or utterly bland and flat. There is enough high praise on this bopard that I suppose it is worth another trip.

[cabrales]

Mao -- Blue Hill dining room team members did not inform me of a "no butter/cream" commitment. That being said, some of the restaurant's dishes (particularly the fish offerings) are more subtle (in a positive way, to be clear) in flavoring and may not be as "in your face" as certain dishes at other restaurants. That's one of the things I like about the restaurant.

[Mao]

My main impression from walking out of that meal was largely of gross imbalances and dissonance in most of the dishes actually. I remember very distinctly that the first two things we ate were overpowered by one flavor that actually drowned and crowded out all other sensations. I did not take notes on this particular occasion, but I think part of this impression was the decision to let sommolier choose accompanying wines with the tasting menu, which was a very bad idea. As I recall with one red meat dish they paired a very sweet white Spanish wine that tasted as if it had gone bad. I could not finish this dish as a consequence. We eat on a Sunday night, which may be the reason that meal was off (the ingredients were perhaps not at their best?). I am not condemning the place. I intend to go back, perhaps alone to try the bar.

I do not think that I have a strong preference for quieter & subtler versus "in your face" preparation.

[Wilfrid]

(S)ome of the restaurant's dishes (particularly the fish offerings) are more subtle (in a positive way, to be clear) in flavoring and may not be as "in your face" as certain dishes at other restaurants. That's one of the things I like about the restaurant. 

I think that's one thing I struggle with at Blue Hill. Hence one of my questions in the Q and A (not yet answered).

[rich]

Had dinner at Blue Hill Friday, July 12th. Haven't reported since - simply skipped my mind.

It was the "meal of the year" at this point. Had the poached fois gras followed by the poached cod. Awesome food - awesome flavors.

Brought a 1994 Lieb from the North Fork - had the waiter and steward taste - they were impressed. A 1999 Truchard (Napa) Pinot Noir was perfect with the first course and a 1985 Jordan Cab (Sonoma) highlighted the main course.

The service was impeccable - the experience was memorable. Even enjoyed a drink at the bar for old-time sake. My mom told me the last time I was at Blue Hill was in 1952 (I was two or maybe 1 1/2). Trivia question: Anyone know what it was called back then? Hint: My mom said it was more famous for drinks than food.

[cabrales]

rich -- When you have a chance, could you describe the accompaniments for the poached foie gras?

[rich]

Cabby - This may sound like heresy but I can't remember all the flavors in the fois gras broth. I do know the main flavor was star anise - that was easy - but after that my guess is the broth was lightly flavored with mushrooms (possibly morels), veal stock and herbs de provence?

The Truchard Pinot tasted like it was made to go with the dish.

[cabrales]

Below is an excerpt from the Blue Hill Q&A:

-- Sandra Levine: If I come to Blue Hill in the next few weeks, what is the one dish I should not fail to order?

-- Mike Anthony: We buy most of our tomatoes from a farmer located in Pennsylvannia, named Tim Stark. His tomatoes are exploding with flavor this week and will continue through the month of August and, hopefully, into September. So I would say you can't miss the dish entitled " Tomatoes!" It consists of raw heirloom tomatoes marinated in tomato water, orange juice, with garlic oil and sherry vinegar as well as oven dried plum tomatoes, watermelon-tomato vinaigrette, pickled green tomatoes, upland cress and tomato-mint sorbet.

Wilfrid alerted me to the inclusion in today's edition of The New York Observer of Moira Hodgson's review of Blue Hill. She accorded the restaurant three stars ("Excellent"), indicating it "is one of those restaurants that hit the right note from the get-go. And with its constantly changing menu, the excitement never lets up." One of the dishes described is the tomato combination. "[A]s I sat over a plate of heirloom tomatoes in a watermelon vinaigrette, topped with tomato sorbet that zapped them like a cold shower on a hot August afternoon, I felt as though I were in the country restaurant where the chef had just brought overr the best of the crop from his own garden."

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. . . .

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. . . .

The Hodgson piece describes the slow-cooking of fish: "Mr. Barber has perfected a method, now used by quite a few chefs, of cooking meat or fish over very, very low heat instead of searing it. The braised cod is done in olive oil and duck fat over no flame at all, cooking itself just from the heat of the kitchen and the pilot light. This way, he says, the fish doesn't seize up, but stays relaxed while cooking through. He uses a similar technique with the salmon with baby artichokes and favas. And he even poaches shrimp in olive oil -- they are juicy and sweet, and they come with a marinated avocado and lemon fennel dressing."

Somewhere along the char we began drinking an '85 Bonne Mares from  Roumier which had been decanted about an hour earlier. . . . . 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.  

The Hodgson write-up also discusses certain low-temperature cooking at Blue Hill in the context of duck: "The poached duck breasts is amazing. The breast is skinned and braised at a very low temperature (around 110 degrees) in beurre blanc with cream. But Mr. Barber drains off all the cream and serves the breast -- which is melting, buttery and rare -- with the leg which is done as a traditional confit: with a crisp skin. The duck comes with a stew of local carrots, braised portobello mushrooms and lime glaze with honey and vinegar that cuts the richness of the meat."

[cabrales]

Are they still not using any butter or cream?  I have only eaten at Blue Hill once, and when I sat down to do the tasting menu with my sister, one of the first things I was informed of was that no butter or cream was to be employed.  I was wondering at the time if this was a temporary and experimental gesture or part of some larger mission of theirs.

Mao -- The Moira Hodgson review provides some information on the butter/cream question.

"Mr. Barber uses virtually no butter or cream, but you'd never guess it. Crabmeat lasagne is made with two delicate pieces of pasta dough filled with chunks of tarragon-laced peekytoe crab and served with a sauce made with mussel juice thickened with spinach puree and grain mustard. The sauce is unctuous and creamy, but there's no cream at all. Nor is there cream in the silken sauce that accompanies rosy slices of pork (a rare Berkshire black pig raised in the Hudson Valley); instead it's thicked with a rich pork jus infused with a horseradish vinaigrette."

[cabrales]

Ticket sales begin on July 30, 2002 at 2 pm EST.

Note tickets for the November 5 Food & Wine event at Blue Hill become available to Amex Platinum members tomorrow.

[jordyn]

If Amex Platinum card holders do not fully book this event, do reservations later become available for non card holders?

[rich]

November 5th is Election Day. I normally fast on Election Day so I don't get sick watching the returns.

[cabrales]

If Amex Platinum card holders do not fully book this event, do reservations later become available for non card holders?

jordyn -- If you can commit to attending (or having somebody else attend), I can purchase up to three tickets on your behalf. I will only need one, of the four that I could potentially purchase tomorrow.

[jordyn]

Has anyone been to an event like this in the past? Is there any opportunity for interaction with the chefs?

[cabrales]

Below is an excerpt from the Blue Hill Q&A:

-- Sandra Levine: If I come to Blue Hill in the next few weeks, what is the one dish I should not fail to order?

-- Mike Anthony: We buy most of our tomatoes from a farmer located in Pennsylvannia, named Tim Stark. His tomatoes are exploding with flavor this week and will continue through the month of August and, hopefully, into September. So I would say you can't miss the dish entitled " Tomatoes!" It consists of raw heirloom tomatoes marinated in tomato water, orange juice, with garlic oil and sherry vinegar as well as oven dried plum tomatoes, watermelon-tomato vinaigrette, pickled green tomatoes, upland cress and tomato-mint sorbet.

Wilfrid alerted me to the inclusion in today's edition of The New York Observer of Moira Hodgson's review of Blue Hill . . . . One of the dishes described is the tomato combination. "[A]s I sat over a plate of heirloom tomatoes in a watermelon vinaigrette, topped with tomato sorbet that zapped them like a cold shower on a hot August afternoon, I felt as though I were in the country restaurant where the chef had just brought overr the best of the crop from his own garden."

jordyn and I had dinner at Blue Hill over the weekend. I had a fulfilling, bordering-on-very-good meal there, with an outstanding tomato tasting as the first dish. Below are the dishes sampled (not predicated on dish names appearing on the menu):

-- Amuses of (1) anchovies and beet on a toast point, and (2) a shotglass of corn veloute with roasted African peanut oil

-- Tomatoes: raw heirloom tomatoes marinated in tomato water, orange juice, with garlic oil and sherry vinegar as well as oven dried plum tomatoes, watermelon-tomato vinaigrette, pickled green tomatoes, upland cress and [tomato]-mint sorbet; with a white Rioja

-- Seared foie gras with cocoa nibs, spinach and pistachio oil; with a 1977 Madeira

-- Hamachi (yellowtail) of an unusual variety with a warm ginger-cucumber broth; with an Italian white

-- Berkshire pork, including a belly portion, with tomatoes and aubergine

-- jordyn: Strawberries and lemon sponge cake

cabrales: Moist blueberry gateau with vanilla ice cream and a berry sorbet

More details will be provided, when jordyn posts or as time permits on my end. As usual, Mike Anthony was on hand to greet us

[cabrales]

Even though the recent meal was only my third at Blue Hill, I am happy to report my belief that I have identified a NY restaurant well-matched to my subjective preferences. Even though Blue Hill may not be up to par with my few preferred restaurants in France, it appears to be capable of delivering cuisine appropriate to me. Both the kitchen and dining room teams are communicative and capable.

The amuses were appealing. A curled sliver of anchovies, with a silver glean to the small section of included skin, nestled itself above diced beetroot. The signature color of beetroot had seeped into the toast point. The acidity and sweetness of the beetroot took form. I vaguely recollect an hors d'oeuvre presented by Chef Dan Barber in a magazine that paired cured or smoked (?) salmon with beetroot. There was a full-page spread in the NY-based (?) magazine that highlighted the purple and burgundy tones of the beetroot. The corn veloute amuse was interesting (in a positive way). When one took in the liquid, the first impression was of the peanut oil. Then, the smooth texture and clarity of corn tastes in the thin veloute. Interestingly, afterwards there emerged the peanut oil again. jordyn and I thought the temporal "sandwiching" effects in the mouth with respect to the peanut tastes to be interesting.

I had heightened expectations with respect to the tomato dish -- and they were nonetheless met. The tomatoes were varied, with respect to: size; slicing vs. halves versus whole; method of preparation (e.g., raw vs. roasted); "crisper" or more supple from cooking; the amount of fleshy material along the walls of the fruit relative to the interior seeds with their slippery slight coating; color; level of sweetness or acidity. What was wonderful was the internal consistency in the dish despite the various tomatoes. The dish was bound together by the tomato and watermelon broth -- sometimes gentle and slightly sweet; other times exhibiting somewhat spicier tones; nuanced. The dish was also bound together by the bitterness of a limited amount of included greens. The quenelle of [tomato]/mint sorbet tasted like watermelon to jordyn and me for some reason. It also added a contrast in temperature to the tomato dish -- a theme that was to evolve a bit more over the course of the meal. Although tomato and watermelon are ordinarily easily separated flavors and I had earlier wondered to myself whether watermelon would be a good match for tomatoes, in this dish the two ingredients melded without abrasion or a sense of having been forced together. The small bits of mint leaves added to the dish were helpful as well. A dish I savoured, and nicely paired with a white Rioja in my mind.

The seared foie gras was very good as well, being luscious and fatty and appropriately prepared. The cocoa nibs (first time sampled; somewhat like certian troasted nuts, as jordyn noted, but in smaller pieces) added depth and there appeared to be coconut flavors in the saucing as well as cooking jus. The "coated" texture of pistachio oil was favorable. Initially, I could not pinpoint what about this dish was slightly disappointing, and then it dawned on me that my expectations were interceding. Even though I had not alerted Mike Anthony to such preference, I had been hoping for the poached foie gras dish. (I do not say this to sway my next foie gras dish, as I might specifically request poached foie gras in advance.) When the Madeira was served prior to the arrival of this course, jordyn and I had surmised that foie gras would be served. At that point, my mind had for some reason leaped to the happy conclusion that the poached foie gras would be offered.

The hamachi was the only dish in the meal that I had mixed feelings about, although I liked it enough. A piece of slow-cooked wild (??) yellowtail was presented, its flesh whitish-pinkish in most areas except for certain portions where the flesh was a darkish, purplish color. Interestingly, these darker-colored portions were more intense-tasting. The hamachi was overall quite intense-tasting, almost bordering on being too iodine-ridden. However, for me, it was still on the appropriate side of being what hamachi should taste like. Like certain other dish served at Blue Hill, the temperature of the hamachi piece was lower than that one would ordinarily associate with cooked fish. The fish was only a bit above room temperature. Imagine the wonderful element of surprise when the diner takes in some of the cucumber-based broth, with bits of raw-looking cucumber, with the hamachi flesh and realizes that the broth is at a noticeably warmer temperature than the flesh. The broth was the color of "normal" cucumber, cold sauces, but its taste was more developed -- through ginger, we were told. There was also a small amount of haricot vert (or a similar produce), cut into shorter bits and included sparingly (in a good way).

I liked the Berkshire pork dish considerably. The thin slices of pork were rimmed with a very small bit of fat, and were cooked delicately. The inclusion of roasted tomatoes, now more robust a backdrop for the pork and "fleshier", was a welcome echo of the tomato-themed appetizer. Aubergines added further depth to the composition of the dish. Equally significantly, there was a good amount of pork belly, with nice fatty portions and a bit of "browned" portions along its exterior.

An appropriate peach-based pre-dessert -- the sectioned fruit lazing in a tempered rose wine-based sauce. I liked my bluberry gateau dessert. jordyn and I agreed that this item was nicely moist -- almost as though the dough had not been cooked enough, but clearly intended that way (and in the way I prefer). Ripe bluberries throughout the gateau, and in a row on each side of it with a bit of a sugar glaze.

A meal that was very satisfying and that drew me into wanting to sample the next dishes in the pipeline.

[LaNiña]

Cabby's in love.