Blue Hill (NYC)

[MHesse]

Admin: an archived thread of discussion on Blue Hill from 2002 to 2004 may be found here.

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner at Blue Hill tonight. We got there at 6pm, so we got one of the corner tables with the comfy cushions for both of us. Tushy comfort is an important factor for enjoying a dining experience.

We had great service from beginning to end by a terrific waitress. We mentioned eGullet, which she recognized, but the screen-names she remembered all belonged to inactive members .

Carol has a small appetite so she only had an entree and dessert. I was ready for the tasting menu, but since that's table only I made do with app, entree and shared dessert.

Carol loved her Bloody Mary, guaranteeing the success of the evening . I had a glass of champagne (my birthday after all).

Then came two amuse bouches. First was a parsnip soup with basil oil. (good). That was followed by sunchoke cannelone stuffed with split peas and pine nuts (very good).

I had the grilled mackerel app which came with a citrus sauce. Quite good, though the fish taste was quite subtle.

My entree was the poached duck, with came with a jus reduction with very sweet carrots and juliened mushrooms (delicious). Carol had sea bass in a basil flavored broth with carrots, brocolli, cauliflower? and fennel (delicious too). A glass of pinot noir went well with the duck.

Finished up by splitting a passionfruit souffle which was accompanied with a big spoonful of passionfruit sorbet (delicious). Excellent double expresso.

Then a nice tray of two rows of 4 different petit fours.

Very reasonably priced meal was a plus too.

I like Washington Place, even in the pouring rain. Thanks eGulleters for your praise of Blue Hill, or we never would have found such a gem.

edited for many spelling errors (probably more that I missed. Can't handle my alcohol

[Bux]

We had great service from beginning to end by a terrific waitress. We mentioned eGullet, which she recognized, but the screen-names she remembered all belonged to inactive members

I will let her know I'm offended that she didn't remember my name. The problem is in knowing which waitress was the terrific one. It's been a while since I've had less than excellent service there.

[docsconz]

Does anyone know if Michael Anthony is still with Blue Hill? The only mention of his name that I can see on their website is with the mention of Food & Wine's America's best New Chefs.

[coughy]

We had dinner at Blue Hill last Saturday night. After wanting to go for a long time and reading all the raves on egullet I have to say I was under-whelmed. That is not to say that we had a bad dinner - it was good - but in my opinion not special. We thought we might do the tasting menu but there were things on it that my husband and I don't care for so I started with a shrimp appetizer that was very good. My main dish was lamb and it was okay. For dessert I chose the chocolate bread pudding that also was okay. My husband had a mushroom appetizer and the duck, his dessert was a passion fruit souffle. We were kind of disappointed.

[tommy]

coughy, if history is any indication, you will soon be told that you simply don't understand the subtle approach of Blue Hill.

Edited March 1, 2004 by tommy (log)

[slkinsey]

coughy, if history is any indication, you will soon be told that you simply don't understand the subtle approach of Blue Hill.

Well, coughy, you probably don't understand the sub-- HEY! Curses, Tommy!!

Seriously, though, people who are expecting "big, bold flavors" and "exciting" food are probably not going to like Blue Hill as much. That's not their thing. On the other hand, maybe it was something else that didn't do it for you at Blue Hill. coughy, what was it that you found underwhelming?

[Bux]

I've generally found the kitchen at Blue Hill willing to make substitutions to the set tasting menu to accommodate individual tastes and interests as well as allergies. I've had the tasting menu while others at my table have had some unusual or large numbers of food aversions catered to. In the end, taste in food is very subjective. I hope you're glad you've satisfied your curiosity about the restaurant at least.

Sam's question is a good one. Many diners are not pleased to just satisfy their curiosity. If you can articulate your displeasure, it may help others avoid disappointment. It does a restaurant little good to attract diners who will not like the food. When one person dislikes a meal and another likes it, it may have more to do with personal tastes and preferences than with understanding. I also find it interesting to know what restaurants a diner hold in high regard when I read his appraisal of a restaurant, although many diners have a broad range of appreciations.

[SobaAddict70]

Dinner tonight at Blue Hill with jogoode, Bond Girl, Suzanne and HWOE.

For some of us, tonight was the first night of what we hope will be many more evenings to come.

Amuse #1: Maine crab, lime sorbet, cucumber and coconut water.

This was a column of shredded Maine crab atop which laid a thin slice of cucumber and a tiny spoonful of lime sorbet. A thin sheen of coconut water bathed the crab and provided a nice, subtle frame for the amuse.

Amuse #2: Chilled carrot soup, yogurt foam, served in a shot glass.

Those of you who have been to Hearth have had a similar amuse – roasted yellow pepper soup, served warm in a similar style. A wonderful opening and palate cleanser to what promised to be an exciting evening.

We chose to have the chef create a special tasting menu for our table. In addition, several of our courses were paired with various wines.

Sashimi of local fluke, served with lime zest, olive oil and Maldon sea salt.

La Croix du Roy Sancerre – 2002. This wine was served with the first two courses.

Not exactly my favorite dish of the entire meal, although I appreciated that the fluke was primarily a vehicle for the accentuating flavors of the zest and the sea salt.

Lightly seared sea scallop, with spring vegetable ragout (peas and romaine), served with croutons

This dish was all the more striking because very little, if any salt was used to bring out the flavor in both the ragout and the scallop. A pleasing collection of tastes and textures.

Torchon of foie gras, rhubarb, arugula. Served with brioche toast points.

Chateau Raymond Lafon – 1994.

A glass of Sauternes was also served with this dish.

The foie gras had been poached in Sauternes; the rhubarb was also poached in Sauternes, along with rhubarb juice, thyme and black peppercorns. Bright acidity pleasantly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness and paired very well with the foie gras. I could easily make a meal out of four more plates of just this dish alone.

Stone Barns chicken, spinach, spring onions, roasted fingerling potatoes, served in a horseradish broth.

Maple Ranch pinot noir – 1994 (Rogne Valley, Oregon)

I'll let Bond Girl describe her dish, as she received wild striped bass. Tender slices of roasted chicken with spring vegetables in a horseradish-accented broth, with just a hint of lavender as a subtle backup. With this dish alone, I began to appreciate what Bux and other posters have described the cuisine of Blue Hill as: a world of subtlety and understatement where impeccable technique lets the ingredients speak for themselves. It's not for everyone, but then again, it doesn't have to be.

Intermezzo: red wine sorbet; spearmint and basil sorbet; avocado with lime sorbet and salted caramel.

Of the three pre-desserts, I would say that the mint sorbet ranked first with the avocado dead last. I prefer clean, clear flavors, and the avocado just didn't do it for me. As for the red wine sorbet, interesting that there were LOTS of hints of unsalted butter and cream...but perhaps that was just me.

Passionfruit sorbet and passionfruit souffle; sourdough chocolate bread pudding with toasted pine nuts; mascarpone panna cotta with espresso granita and espresso foam; financiers with a trio of dipping sauces (chocolate, Grand Marnier and chestnut cream)

All Saints Tokay, from Rutherglen, Australia.

The tokay had intense overtones of raisins and almonds – a cinnamon bun in a glass.

The passionfruit souffle was served in a miniature tea-cup-like contraption, alongside a Chinese soup spoonful of sorbet. Intense fruitiness, combined with a contrast of warm souffle and softened sorbet.

I'd have to say that the bread pudding was the best dessert out of the foursome; the panna cotta, my least favorite.

Definitely a keeper. I *will* be back.

Soba

[tanabutler]

Intermezzo: red wine sorbet; spearmint and basil sorbet; avocado with lime sorbet and salted caramel.

Of the three pre-desserts, I would say that the mint sorbet ranked first with the avocado dead last. I prefer clean, clear flavors, and the avocado just didn't do it for me.

I don't think that the avocado does it for anyone. I hate to say it, but that dish should be retired unless someone (me) personally delivers perfectly ripe Hass avocados from California. The window of true ripeness is about 36 hours or less, in my experience. Too early, and you have something hard, laced with water, stringy, and sweet. Past that window, and you have something mushy, dark, and with another flavor that could be characterized as either cumin or riper.

Unless it's at its apex of flavor, avocado will not refresh.

I am not trying to posture as any kind of a food critic, but that dish failed chef Betsy and me both times, and I have been in California long enough to know the perfect avocado.

Which begs the second question: whose idea was it to serve avocado as part of a New York menu?

Okay, my microscopic rant is done now.

The rest of me is filled with envy but I'll get over it.

[SobaAddict70]

A note regarding the progression of flavor notes during our meal:

Interesting that things began with a relatively high note (lime sorbet, Maine crab and coconut water), gradually toned down only to be brought back up again by the foie gras, and then levelled off with the chicken and striped bass respectively.

Tasting menus are relatively difficult to do given that one course should flow into another, on both an aesthetic level and a orderly, logical level. There should be a definite path from point A to point Z with a minimum of distraction.

This is not two star food -- not by a long shot -- and if it is, it should be over the three star line. (Calling Mr. Bruni!)

Soba

[dccd]

Sashimi of local fluke, served with lime zest, olive oil and Maldon sea salt.

La Croix du Roy Sancerre – 2002.  This wine was served with the first two courses.

Not exactly my favorite dish of the entire meal, although I appreciated that the fluke was primarily a vehicle for the accentuating flavors of the zest and the sea salt.

I don't understand...

Are you saying that your interpretation of the dish was to highlight lime zest and Maldon sea salt, using a sweet and delicate slice of fluke in the way one might use a toast point for a canape?

I disagree. Although I know Maldon's well and enjoy it, I don't think that it would be the focus of the course, at Blue Hill anyways

[SobaAddict70]

Perhaps, but like the avocado, the fluke didn't do anything for me either.

To me, it was a bland, almost flavorless piece of fish that served as a platform for its accompanying garnishes.

It might as well have been tofu as far as I was concerned.

Soba

[jogoode]

Amuse #1: Maine crab, lime sorbet, cucumber and coconut water.

This was a column of shredded Maine crab atop which laid a thin slice of cucumber and a tiny spoonful of lime sorbet. A thin sheen of coconut water bathed the crab and provided a nice, subtle frame for the amuse.

I think there was avocado in this amuse. I took it in one mouthful and almost teared up when I realized there was no more of it.

This was my second time having the avocado pre-dessert. And I still think it's awful. But after having the crab amuse, which contained the most prominent ingredients in the pre-dessert -- avo, lime sorbet -- I think all it needed was something sweet to bring it together, or at least to stop the avocado from dominating.

[Suzanne F]

To add my reactions to Soba's excellent write-up:

Amuse #1:  Maine crab, lime sorbet, cucumber and coconut water.

This was a column of shredded Maine crab atop which laid a thin slice of cucumber and a tiny spoonful of lime sorbet.  A thin sheen of coconut water bathed the crab and provided a nice, subtle frame for the amuse.

Actually, JJ is right: this was avocado topped with crab meat (with the slightest bit of chives) topped with lime sorbet, on a pool of what tasted to me like cucumber water. I know the menu said coconut, but I tasted cucumber. In any case, this was sublime.

Amuse #2:  Chilled carrot soup, yogurt foam, served in a shot glass.

A real highlight, and probably the strongest flavor of the meal. Intensely carrot.

Sashimi of local fluke, served with lime zest, olive oil and Maldon sea salt.

La Croix du Roy Sancerre – 2002.  This wine was served with the first two courses.

Not exactly my favorite dish of the entire meal. . .

Nor mine either; the subtle flavor of the fish was almost nonexistent. Wonderfully fresh, but little more than background for the olive oil, salt, and lime.

As for the wine: HWOE wanted this, because it seemed like a perfect spring wine. It was. Maybe a touch heavier than I expect from Sancerre, but it went very well with the food nonetheless.

Lightly seared sea scallop, with spring vegetable ragout (peas and romaine), served with croutons

Another big winner for me. Because the scallop was only lightly cooked, it still had the sweetness and texture of raw on the inside, with just a hint of "caramelization" on the surfaces. The pea were also very lightly cooked, so they retained their vegetal flavor instead of being sweet mush. And I was quite pleased to see romaine used as a braised (?) green; it fit the philosophy of delicate flavors perfectly.

Torchon of foie gras, rhubarb, arugula.  Served with brioche toast points.

Chateau Raymond Lafon – 1994.

A glass of Sauternes was also served with this dish.

My first bite of rhubarb was everything I expected: sweet/tart, a great foil for the sweet and rich foie. Heaven. Unfortunately, the other pieces of rhubarb were more sweet than tart; a minor disappointment, though. The arugula added the necessary sharp contrast.

Stone Barns chicken, spinach, spring onions, roasted fingerling potatoes, served in a horseradish broth.

Maple Ranch pinot noir – 1994 (Rogne Valley, Oregon)

. . . the cuisine of Blue Hill: a world of subtlety and understatement where impeccable technique lets the ingredients speak for themselves.  It's not for everyone, but then again, it doesn't have to be.

Perfectly said. To me, the horseradish was a mere wisp of sensation as an aftertaste.

Intermezzo:  red wine sorbet; spearmint and basil sorbet; avocado with lime sorbet and salted caramel.

At this point, I thought these were, in fact, an entremet, and that there would be another savory course following. So I prefered the avocado-lime-caramel. As pre-dessert, number 1 was the red wine sorbet, with a hint of burnt sugar (and yes, a very rich dairy flavor as well; my suspicion is that the wine used might have brought that "butteriness"). The mint-basil sorbet would have been a fabulous dessert all by itself.

Passionfruit sorbet and passionfruit souffle; sourdough chocolate bread pudding with toasted pine nuts; mascarpone panna cotta with espresso granita and espresso foam; financiers with a trio of dipping sauces (chocolate, Grand Marnier and chestnut cream)

All Saints Tokay, from Rutherglen, Australia.

Yes, the passionfruit souffle and sorbet were clear winners -- and I usually don't care for passionfruit. But this had a more balanced sweet-tart-bitterness than usual. Tied for #2 were the panna cotta -- very clean flavors, a variety of coffees -- and the bread pudding, of which I only ate one bite. But that bite contained all the expected flavors (including a caramel sauce) and textures. The "financiers" were not; they were more like tiny zeppole -- a slightly undercooked blob of yeast dough, not particularly pleasant. Here was where I tasted coconut, in the chestnut cream (very good); the chocolate sauce also good, and the Grand Marnier was of a marmalade-like consistency. Delicious, but not easy to dip into.

All the wines that were picked to go with our food were excellent matches.

I'm not sure my wallet could stand a trip back soon, and I found the place surprisingly loud. But the one word HWOE and I settled on to describe the meal overall was "exquisite." So my mouth definitely wants to return.

[jogoode]

To add my reactions to Soba's excellent write-up:

Amuse #1:  Maine crab, lime sorbet, cucumber and coconut water.

This was a column of shredded Maine crab atop which laid a thin slice of cucumber and a tiny spoonful of lime sorbet.  A thin sheen of coconut water bathed the crab and provided a nice, subtle frame for the amuse.

Actually, JJ is right: this was avocado topped with crab meat (with the slightest bit of chives) topped with lime sorbet, on a pool of what tasted to me like cucumber water. I know the menu said coconut, but I tasted cucumber. In any case, this was sublime.

For some reason, I choose to trust Suzanne over the menu. Oh, maybe I trust her because all night she was naming the herbs and flavors in every dish. What a palate!

The "financiers" were not; they were more like tiny zeppole -- a slightly undercooked blob of yeast dough, not particularly pleasant.

Good call. They certainly had the texture of zeppole. But I can't say I didn't like them.

Suzanne, can you describe a financier to me?

[Suzanne F]

financier a delicate sponge-type cake made from a mixture of finely ground almonds blended with egg whites and melted butter. Financiers are dense, moist, and tender inside with a chewy outer crust. . . . are traditionally made in a rectangular shape, but oval and round ones are also found frequently.

-- Carole Bloom, The International Dictionary of Desserts, Pastries, and Confections

[Bond Girl]

I happened to like the Fluke. It was a very delicate use of a fresh fish and brings out the greeness in the lime. The salt actually adds makes the fish sweeter.

The black bass was sitting on a bed of pistou with asparagus. Here the mastery lies in the buttery creamy pistou with hints of asparagus. I know it's a sacriledge to say this but one of my least favorite sauces is the Italian pesto which usualy reeks of garlic, but this pistou, unlike its relative, is creamier and more harmonious in flavor. It works with the simplicity of the pan seared black bass beautifully.

My least favorite dish was actually the foie gras. It would have worked better as an amuse, or served in smaller portions. The first bite of that dish was heavenly, but by the third bite, I was bored with the richness.

Havng been to Blue Hill several times, I thought the dessert could have been better all around. The dishes were nice but I've had better desserts from that kitchen in the past.

[jeunefilleparis]

On friday night I swung by Blue Hill for some dessert,- I was there 2 months before with Beth, and I fell in love with the passion fruit soufflee. I was so happy it was still on the menu. I got that and a scoop of the fromage blanc sorbet. It was still delicious!

I have to say that the change at Blue Hill look great. I loved the deep read chairs. What a beautiful color!

Ya- Roo! I cant believe you went without me this time:))

[SethG]

I want to report that my wife and I had a very pleasant dinner at Blue Hill last night. Thanks to the comments of many people here, we knew what to expect and had a really nice time.

Many of the dishes we ate were commented upon above, so I'll spare you. My wife did think, however, that the carrot amuse-- a real blast of carrot-- was ridiculous. I was "amused" and refreshed by it.

[Bux]

I'm curious as to what she found ridiculous about it, or in what way she found it ridiculous as opposed to amusing or just unworthy of serious consideration. This is not to imply that I, or my wife, were necessarily impressed with every amuse we've had at Blue Hill. In fact, I think that most of our table found the amuse shot just plain uninteresting the last time we were there. The rest of the meal was super however, so we all left happy campers.

[SethG]

I'm curious as to what she found ridiculous about it, or in what way she found it ridiculous as opposed to amusing or just unworthy of serious consideration. This is not to imply that I, or my wife, were necessarily impressed with every amuse we've had at Blue Hill. In fact, I think that most of our table found the amuse shot just plain uninteresting the last time we were there. The rest of the meal was super however, so we all left happy campers.

We left extremely happy campers. She's just not so into the pure taste of carrot. When you say "unworthy of serious consideration," that may approximate her feelings, not about the amuse, but about the essence of carrot-ness. The amuse was sort of like being hit in the face with a carrot, which I think she thought was a silly thing to achieve. On the other hand, as I said above, I liked it.

It certainly wasn't the focus of our experience at Blue Hill, and I didn't mean to start a big debate. I just noticed some very favorable comments about it above, and thought I'd throw it in there.

I think your comments in particular (on another thread), Bux, prepared us for the restaurant. I think we might have been disappointed in our entrees if we hadn't known in advance to expect dishes on the simple side, showcasing the main ingredient over flashy preparations.

One ingredient, by the way, totally bowled me over. I thought the butter they had out on the table was the best I'd ever tasted! I kept sneaking tastes of it and feeling (how shall I put this?) ridiculous. I even asked the waitress about it, and she told me their two butter suppliers, but neither of them were local, and I've since forgotten.

[Bux]

There's no accounting for people's tastes and I'm the first to express my understanding that taste in food and restaurants is subjective and that there's nothing wrong with that. Of course a paid reviewer needs to address a wide audience. You, your wife and everyone else are fully entitled to tell us as much or as little as you choose, but I tend to draw people out if I think they've said something that will be more interesting with a fuller explanation. That something, may also be exactly the kind of thing that will enable a future diner to choose between two restaurants of similar quality, but different styles. I think it could be a bore to sit down to a dinner of successive pure tastes, but that one such assault is likely to be a tastebud awakening experience. That your wife and I disagree on this is of little significance. That we both agree Blue Hill can achieve this is probably information that's useful.

That's interesting about the butter. My guess is that Dan would love to find a local artisanal creamery to supply him with butter. His commitment to local producers is very great, but his commitment to excellence may be greater. I've been a real fan of Blue Hill and thus a booster. If I've helped anyone get more enjoyment out of a meal there, I'm happier than if I've just talked them into going there.

[SethG]

It's funny, but right after I posted the above about the butter, my phone rang, and it was our server from last night at Blue Hill! She called to say that she'd found out which producer made the butter, but had forgotten to tell us. It was the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company. They have a web store, but it looks like they only sell cheese on-line, not butter. Pity.

We thought our service last night was exceptionally good, but this phone call is really something else again. (Maybe there's a ghost in the machine.... hmmm.) The quality of the service really enhanced our good time, and the wonderful comped dessert (the passionfruit soufflee) we received was completely unexpected.

Again, I don't mean to indicate that the food was bad. Far from it. I was particularly fond of the raw fish pre-appetizer (I think it was fluke?) and my wife's crabmeat salad. The duck entree was the kind of dish one can really get into or be a little disappointed by, depending on your point of view toward a restaurant like Blue Hill. It was a very simple dish of sliced duck, served in a reduced duck sauce with carrots. You might think that would be uninspiring but the duck sauce was (here I'll descend into cliche) so clean, pure, fresh. It was heavenly.

We'd go back.

[Jinmyo]

We thought our service last night was exceptionally good, but this phone call is really something else again.

Indeed.

[Bux]

It was a very simple dish of sliced duck, served in a reduced duck sauce with carrots.

It's been my experience with food that very often the things that appear very simple are the most difficult to make and often appear far simpler to prepare than they really are.

As for the butter, I think Vermont qualifies as relatively local. The Vermont Butter and Cheese Company is exactly the sort of artisanal organization invovled in sustainable agriculture we should expect Blue Hill to be using.