Per Se

[percyn]

Has anyone taken (non-flash) pictures at Per Se?

[robert40]

Has anyone taken (non-flash) pictures at Per Se?

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Sure have and there posted in ImageGullet.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=mo...m&album=95&st=0

Edited November 18, 2005 by robert40 (log)

[BryanZ]

Has anyone taken (non-flash) pictures at Per Se?

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It's not exactly something I would recommend.

[robert40]

Has anyone taken (non-flash) pictures at Per Se?

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It's not exactly something I would recommend.

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I'm confused. Would you recommend using a flash or not?

The photos I took are flash less as I did not wish to disturb other diners.

[BryanZ]

I'm not a big fan of pictures in restaurants in general. If you're real discrete about it, I suppose it's okay. But anyway, it's just a personal thing for me.

[Bux]

Has anyone taken (non-flash) pictures at Per Se?

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It's not exactly something I would recommend.

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I'm confused. Would you recommend using a flash or not?

The photos I took are flash less as I did not wish to disturb other diners.

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I believe using a flash in restaurants is disturbing to other diners and it doesn't matter if you're taking souvenir photos of the group, or shooting the plates. Discrete use of a camera to record your meal without flash is fine with me, and I do it from time to time, but more often when I'm traveling. I assume percyn finds non-flash pictures acceptable and that's why he phrased the question as he did.

[jesteinf]

While in town visiting my family for Thanksgiving, my family was lucky enough to score a 7pm reservation at Per Se for last night. This was my first time eating at either FL or Per Se, so needless to say I was extremely excited. We went for the 9 course tasting menu, here's what we ate:

Salmon coronets - I'll have 5 more please

Oysters and pearls - Something I could eat all night. I couldn't believe the quantity of cavair included in this dish

Seared foie gras, braised flowering quince and "Pain d'Epices" with Mulled Wine-Duck "Jus" - One of the best foie gras preparations I've ever had. As good as the foie was, the pairing with a hungarian dessert wine was even better.

Sauteen fillet of "Itoyori", miso glazed eggplant, "Tempura" Kabocha Squash, Stir Fry Bok Choy and Sesame-Soy vinaigrette. Itoyori is a sweet Japanese whitefish that I haven't encountered before. It has a wonderful soft texture and a very delicate, clean flavor. The eggplant and bok choy were perfect accompaniments.

"Fricassee" of Maine Lobster "Mitts", "Ragout" of Swiss Chard Ribs, Braised Cardoons, Globe Artichokes and Nicoise Olives with "Barigoule" Emulsion - I believe the mitts were pieces of claw meat, likely poached in lobster and tossed with the rest of the ingredients listed. I've never had olives with lobster before, but the contrast of flavor and texture worked really well here.

"Carnaroili Risotte Biologico" with White Truffles from Alba and "Castelmagno" Cheese - As I said to my girlfriend before we left Chicago. "The only thing better than going to Per Se is going to Per Se during white truffle season". Our waiter came out with a large box which he opened to reveal three fist sized truffles. The smell was unbelievable. He then proceeded to shave the largest pile of truffle onto each of our plates that I have ever seen. They're charging a $54 supplement for this dish if you get the 9 course menu. Given the quantity and quality of the truffles, well worth the extra money in my opinion.

Snake River Farm's "Calotte de Boeuf Grillee", "Wagyu" Beef Brisket "Hachis Parmentier", Black Trumpet Mushroom "Duxelles" and "Haricots Verts" with "Sauce Bordelaise" - This was a beef cap that just melted in your mouth. Plus, if it weren't luxurious enough, the beef was accompanied by a good size piece of crispy bone marrow (crispy on the outside, soft and marrow-ey on the inside). This dish came with a small Sheppard’s pie, which was good but in my opinion totally unnecessary.

"Brie De Meaux", Perigord Truffle "Coulis", Slow Roasted Young Beets and Bulls Blood Greens - A very soft, creamy brie but with a nice strong flavor. The truffle coulis was just a smudge on the pate, but complimented the flavor of the cheese nicely. The cheese was served with a choice of either pecan or fig/anise seed bread, which were both fantastic

Ruby Red Grapefruite Sorbet, Vanilla "Moelleux", Poached Grapefruit and "Cosmopolitan" Emulsion - No matter how much I try, I just can't enjoy the flavor of grapefruit. Everyone else at the table liked it, I'm just not a fan.

Per Se "Sacher Torte", Chocollate "Pain de Genes", Apricot Marmalade, Ginger Custard, Apricot Ice Cream and Juniper Berry "Gelee" with Spiced Bread "Nougatine" - A serious chocolate dessert, but not as heavy or as overwhelming as most. The ice cream was served on top of the crushed spiced bread, which was a really great combination.

The bottom line is that this was a perfect example of what fine dining should be. The highest quality ingredients, perfectly prepared and presented, with exceptional (but not stuffy) service.

The highlight of the meal, though, was not on any of the plates. Thomas Keller was at the restaurant last night. He came by our table to say hello and took a few of us in back for an extensive kitchen tour. He must of spent about 20 minutes with us showing us around and graciously answering all of our questions. Given the fact that in the grand scheme of things we are absolutely no one to that restaurant or to Keller, this was an unbelievable gesture. As my dad said afterwards, "That was like getting a tour of Yankee Stadium from George Steinbrenner". The perfect end to the perfect dinner.

[percyn]

Josh,

Sounds great...very lucky.

Did you secure this reservation at the last minute or in advance?

I can't wait for my visit in a few weeks and I hope they have good Alba truffles.

[jesteinf]

My father made the reservation. I believe he called 2 months in advance but was only able to get on the wait list. They called a week in advance to let us know we were in for Friday night at 7pm.

[Dominicana]

Does anyone have a phone number for them other than what is on their website? One that a human picks up on?

Thanks,

A

[Dryden]

A human does pick up that number... if you want to talk to someone for a purpose other than to make a reservation, call in the late afternoon. The line usually isn't very busy by then.

[percyn]

Does anyone know what the wine pairings run? Do they have multiple wine pairing programs?

[oakapple]

Does anyone know what the wine pairings run? Do they have multiple wine pairing programs?

Past posts on this thread suggest that you give them a budget (within reason), and they work within it. $100 is typical.

[rich]

Something strange has happened. As most of you know I had dinner at Per Se on the second night it was open (2/17/04) and started the first thread on the restaurant.

The report I gave was totally positive. However, as time passes, the meal doesn't seem quite as special as it did. Sure I remember the oysters and pearls as a great dish, but nothing else is memorable except for the kitchen tour.

I don't know why this is happening because I can clearly recall other terrific meals I've had over the years. Has this happened to anyone else? It's to the point now where I don't have a desire to return - even for a special occasion.

[BryanZ]

I've found I've had the opposite reaction. Immediately after my meal there I thought it was very, very good. But now that several months have passed I find it more memorable. I find myself better able to remember the intense focus of the dishes at Per Se more than its other competitors.

[docsconz]

Something strange has happened. As most of you know I had dinner at Per Se on the second night it was open (2/17/04) and started the first thread on the restaurant.

The report I gave was totally positive. However, as time passes, the meal doesn't seem quite as special as it did. Sure I remember the oysters and pearls as a great dish, but nothing else is memorable except for the kitchen tour.

I don't know why this is happening because I can clearly recall other terrific meals I've had over the years. Has this happened to anyone else? It's to the point now where I don't have a desire to return - even for a special occasion.

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It's funny, but I sort of feel the same way. It is not that I didn't have a great or memorable meal there - I did. It is just that since that time I have been fortunate enough to have had a number of meals that have eclipsed it in my mind, both in the US and abroad.

[percyn]

A few eGulletiers will be dining there tomorrow for the first time.

Any suggestions on the 7-course vs 9-course tasting menus? Does anyone know whethere the entire table needs to go with the wine pairing or subsititions, if any?

We are psyched !!

[jshufelt]

A few eGulletiers will be dining there tomorrow for the first time.

Any suggestions on the 7-course vs 9-course tasting menus? Does anyone know whethere the entire table needs to go with the wine pairing or subsititions, if any?

We are psyched !!

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We ate there last Saturday for dinner. All of the menus were 9-course tastings; a chef's tasting menu, a vegetable tasting menu, and a "holiday" menu. I didn't ask, but my presumption is that the holiday menu preempted the 7-course offering. The holiday menu was similar in structure to the chef's tasting menu, except that it involved more truffles, white and black both being in season right now.

So, it may be that your choice will involve which of the 9-course menus to sample, but if the 7-course is an option, I'd personally still go with the 9, just for the additional variety. We mixed menus at our table, and we paired different glasses of wine with certain courses across these menus, so I don't think that will be a concern.

Enjoy the experience!

[oakapple]

Any suggestions on the 7-course vs 9-course tasting menus? Does anyone know whethere the entire table needs to go with the wine pairing or subsititions, if any?

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When it opened, the choice was a 5 vs a 9-course menu. When did the 7-course option replace the 5?

[iheartoffal]

Any suggestions on the 7-course vs 9-course tasting menus? Does anyone know whethere the entire table needs to go with the wine pairing or subsititions, if any?

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When it opened, the choice was a 5 vs a 9-course menu. When did the 7-course option replace the 5?

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Within the last month or so.

[philadining]

Some excellent questions have been raised here and in the Gilt topic about the propriety of customers photographing in restaurants. If I were a restauranteur, I'm not sure what I'd think about it, it's pretty easy for someone to make your food look pretty shabby. On the other hand, a few good images can communicate what a kitchen is doing more directly than any prose, and can certainly generate some excitement in forums such as these.

For the record, we asked our servers if it would be OK, and were told that as long as we refrained from using a flash, photography was no problem.

Thanks to Percyn for typing in the menu descriptions downthread a few posts, which I will now shamelessly appropriate and insert back into my original post of photos, and add my impressions:

Cornets of Atlantic Salmon Tartare

Now a classic, maybe even passé, but awfully tasty, with an entertaining crossing of sweet and salty, crunchy and smooth. A great start.

Oysters and Pearls

Txomin Etxaniz, Txakolina, Spain 2004

Big thanks to Percy for asking for this, it wasn't on any of the menus, so I probably would have just assumed it was not available. But our waiter made it clear that the kitchen is very flexible, and if it were possible, they'd try to accommodate any requests one might have. We even saw a whole roasted Poussin being delivered to a table not far from us. When we commented on it, our waiter explained that they always have some things roasting in the rotisserie just in case....

But back to the oysters and pearls: I too really enjoyed this, and would disagree with some who have said that the custard overwhelms the oysters. I felt that I could distinctly taste them, and found the play of flavors and textures to be quite enjoyable. It's a signature dish for a good reason.

As you might have guessed from all those Xs, the wine was from the Basque region, and cut through the custard beautifully, while complimenting the range of brininess to be found in both oysters and caviar. Excellent suggestion from our waiter.

Anson Mill's White Polenta - "Castelmagno" Cheese, Shaved Alba Truffles and Brown Butter Jus

Guy Roulot, Mersault, "Tillets" 2002

We were joking that there might have been a $50 supplement to sniff the truffle box... These were imposingly large Alba Truffles. I'm not sure if we were supposed to tell the guy shaving the truffles to stop, but we ended up with a pretty amazing pile by the time his arm got tired. I'm not sure if the flavor of the dish would have been much different with half the truffle, but the aroma certainly benefitted from the excess. The polenta itself was quite good, pleasantly grainy, and an ideal platform for the earthy truffles.

The Meursault carried nicely through this and the next two courses, with a good old-world elegance.

"Sole De La Manche en Rouelle Pochee" - Caramelized salsify, hearts of romaine lettuce and "mousseline de truffles noires"

This was the least favorite course of the meal for me as well, not outright bad, but bordering on over-salted, yet somehow bland. I did like the salsify and the wilted romaine, but the fish itself was not very distinctive, and even the black truffle mousse seemed inconsequential.

Pan Seared Main Sea Scallop - Celeriac fondant, celery branch, black winter truffle filaments and Hobb's Shore bacon emulsion

This was very well-executed, and perfectly pleasant, but I didn't find it particularly exciting. The bacon emulsion was a brushed-on stripe on the side of the plate, which didn't leave much to drag the scallop through it, so I didn't find it added much to my plate. A hint of the emulsion left me intrigued about what a little more might have done for the dish.

Liberty Valley Pekin Duck wrapped in Savoy Cabbage - Sauteed Moulard duck foie gras, cinnamon poached Pruneaux d'Agen, garnet yam puree and duck jus

Faiveley, Gevrey-Chambertin, "Les Cazetieres", 1er Cru 2003

The duck had me worried for a minute, I found it a little difficult to cut into bite-sized pieces, seemingly very dense and tough, yet once I got it sliced, it was perfectly tender, juicy, and amazingly delicious. And I'll concur with Percy that there was something special about the Foie Gras, it had a denser texture than most I've had. The poached prune and concentrated duck jus were excellent accompaniments, as was the neon-orange yam puréé. I found this to be an outstanding course, I loved every aspect of it.

The red Burgundy seemed a little harsh and edgy by itself, but really came to life paired with the duck, and surprisingly, the foie gras. Another excellent pairing suggested by our waiter.

Snake River Farm's "Calotte de Boeuf Grille" - Pain Perdu a la moelle, Broccoli fondue, caramelized cipollini onion, matsutake mushrooms with Vinaigrette Bordelaise

Luigi Pira, Barolo, "Marenca" 2000

I was actually considering not ordering the holiday menu because this course looked a little pedestrian on paper. Yeah, yeah, grilled beef, broccoli, onions and mushrooms, Bordelaise, what is this, a retirement dinner? Turned out to be one of the best things I've eaten. Ever.

The beef itself had that kobe marbling effect that made it practically melt like butter on the tongue, while delivering an intensely beefy grilled flavor. Spectacular. The little black cube was brisket that had been poached sous-vide, concentrating its essence into a dense package. It was bordering on dry, but packed such a punch of flavor that it didn't matter. I'm not entirely sure why the "Vinaigrette Bordelaise" was spooned-on tableside, but it was an excellent added element, tasting much like the classic sauce. This course is etched into my memory, and may have ruined any future enjoyment of grilled beef.

Like the Burgundy above, I wasn't too fond of the Barolo upon first tasting it, but it matched very nicely with the beef, and ended up abeing a very simpatico accompaniment.

Brie De Meaux a la Truffe Noire - Crispy Russet potato, garden mache and black truffle gastrique

The textural interplay of the creamy cheese and crunchy potato filaments was pleasing, and the cheese was tasty, enhanced by shards of truffle, but this did seem a little tame.

Meyer Lemon Sorbet - Fluff, Vanilla Moelleux and yogurt panna cotta.

A fairly restrained meyer lemon sorbet, but cleansing and refreshing. At at least until one dug into the marshmallow and panna cotta.

Tentation au Chocolat, Noisette et Lait - Milk chocolate Cremeux, Hazelnut Streusel with condensed milk sorbet, pain ai lait sauce and sweetened salty hazelnuts

This was very pleasant, if a bit subtle. I did like the coarse salt atop the chocolate.

Vanilla yogurt "pot de creme" with a prune base

Half the table got this, the other half got tiny creme brulées.

Both were very good, neither was especially distinctive.

Mignardises

Loved all of these, especially the cinnamon.

I feel that it's impossible to answer the "worth-it" question. It was an extremely enjoyable experience, with very good food throughout, some courses unquestionably ranking among the best I've ever encountered. Service was flawless, hitting a perfect note of casual friendliness while retaining absolute professionalism. Our waiter did an excellent job of leading us gradually and logically through the various decisions we had to make, not overwhelming us with too many choices all at once. He made excellent suggestions for wines, clearly explaining the logic behind his pointing us in one direction or another, and happily flexing within our budget and general preferences. The room and view are lovely. What's not to like?

It costs a ton of money. And clearly there are plenty of folks who are happy to pay it, and many would continue to do so at double the price. But it's just expensive enough that I really am not sure about going back. Of course one could spend less than we did by sticking to regular menu, skipping the luxe add-ons, and showing more restraint with wine choices. But trying to economize at a place like this seems like putting cheap tires on a Ferrari. Sure, you'll get where you're going, but you won't really have the true experience.

I'm very happy that I went. I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm not entirely sure I'll do it again any time soon...

Regardless, many thanks to Percyn for securing the reservation in the first place, and for inviting me along. Despite any whining, it was certainly an enriching dining experience, and an enjoyable day overall.

Edited December 20, 2005 by philadining (log)

[Vadouvan]

Jeez....

That was some pretty damn good "non Flash" photography.

Not bad sir Geoffrey....not bad Indeed!

[docsconz]

Philadining, were you there for lunch? If this was dinner and at night, I would very much be interested in your secrets for getting pictures like these without a flash. I can see during the day with a window table, but at night? In any case nice work. The hotos do convey a reassuring sense that the food remains top-notch. I am looking forward to the descriptions.

[oakapple]

Some excellent questions have been raised here and in the Gilt topic about the propriety of customers photographing in restaurants. If I were a restauranteur, I'm not sure what I'd think about it, it's pretty easy for someone to make your food look pretty shabby. On the other hand, a few good images can communicate what a kitchen is doing more directly than any prose, and can certainly generate some excitement in forums such as these.

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These are some of the best photographs that I have seen on this site. Fine work!

[oakapple]

When it opened, the choice was a 5 vs a 9-course menu. When did the 7-course option replace the 5?

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Within the last month or so.

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Was there any announcement about why they were doing this?

The five-course menu offered a 3-4 choices for each course. Is that still true??

Edited December 19, 2005 by oakapple (log)