StudioKitchen (2002-2007)

[TarteTatin]

Thank you Philadining!

I got a response/reservation today.

I thought, from earlier threads, that it would be $50 a person.

Now he charges $100 a piece.

While realizing that the thread started years ago, we still weren't expecting that raise.

Oh, well.

We'll enjoy.

One of the members of our party said he hopes we get a "big chunk of foie gras for that!"

Does anyone know if he has nice wine glasses? It's a wine group that will be going, and some members want to know if they should bring their own glasses.

[philadining]

$100 isn't loose change in the couch cushions, but at least that charge is inclusive: you just pay $100 each. So it's really comparable to $75-80 ish in a regular place, where you'd add tax and tip. The pricing is pretty similar to Lacroix, except you can save a fortune on wine. Considering the quality of the food and the overall experience, I think it's totally worth it.

For that money you will get very creative cooking with luxurious ingredients, but you're probably not going to get a big chunk of anything! Maybe several little chunks in unexpected sauces, one of them en croute, another in a ravioli...

And Studio Kitchen has very nice glasses, in many shapes and sizes, so, no need to bring your own.

[percyn]

I agree with Jeff, the cusine will certainly be one of the most innovative. One would pay much more for comporable cusine at a 2-3 star restaurant.

I believe the wine glasses he uses are Spiegelau (if memory serves me correctly).

Enjoy...don't forget your camera, and PM me if someone in your party drops out and you need to fill a seat

[philadining]

Another incredible night at Studio Kitchen: great food, good company, amusing conversation, and a rather alarming amount of wine. The delivery of each course elicited a storm of flashes that would make Hollywood paparazzi jealous, so I'm sure we'll see some more visuals on some of this food.

Our keeper of the wine list had the good sense to go to sleep, so we'll look forward to his detailed report with more info about the grape specifics. I will say that I think we did pretty well, largely by bringing enough wine to stock a small shop, and deciding as we went, often with helpful, sometimes surprising, suggestions from Shola. Big thanks to everyone for pitching-in with some truly interesting bottles. Special gratitude to Bill for raiding his cellar for some delicious wines. Sadly, he will live to regret this night, because even as we speak, Pedro and Percy and I are plotting ways to lure him into future events, in the hopes of sampling even more treasures from his collection. Some day soon, he'll look at his racks, in a hung-over haze, and wonder what happened to all those bottles he'd been saving... And thanks to Percy too, for that really amazing white Burgundy.

The wine certainly enhanced the evening, but of course the food was the real star. Here's what I can remember in the sleepy afterglow.

Amuse: Kurobuta Pork, Red Lentil Soup.

A little lollypop of amazingly deep-flavored pork: crunchy, crispy, bacony on the outside; juicy, tender on the inside. Look for this pork on all the hipper menus soon, it's really something. Accompanying was a shotglass of Shola's perfect red lentil soup, chinoised to such a smooth texture that it's hard to believe there were legumes involved.

First Course: Silver Queen Corn Juice, Foie Gras Two Ways, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Truffle Syrup, Meyer Lemon Oil.

This picture was snapped right before the refreshing corn juice was poured around the pile of wild mushrooms, capped by a foie gras dumpling glazed in truffle syrup, a seared portion of foie topping that. The subtle touch of citrus really perked-up the already bright and fresh corn broth, making this refreshing and soothing all at once.

Second Course: Roasted Dayboat Scallop, Chicken Escabeche Ravioli, Pimenton Ahumado, Carrot- Miso Puree, Cardamon Emulsion.

These gargantuan scallops were so fresh and delicious that they almost needed none of the accompanying elaboration. On the other hand, I might not have even noticed if someone snatched it off my plate, I was so engrossed in the ravioli, the just barely vinegary stewed meat and sweet onion made even more complex by a subtle hint of smoky paprika. Some at the table were saying they most enjoyed this dish eating each element alone, but I was busy dragging the scallop through that essence of carrot, or spiking the ravioli with the eastern aroma of cardamon.

Third Course: Tomato Water Risotto, Crab, Tarragon, Fennel Pollen, Dessicated Brandywine Yellow Tomatoes, Arbequina Olive Oil, Fennel Emulsion

This creamy rice, cooked completely in tomato water, along with lumps of crabmeat, a dice of sopressata, not-quite-sun-dried heirloom tomatoes, and a drizzle of fruity olive oil, was by far the most intense risotto I've ever encountered. The layers of tomato flavor were mouth-filling but not overbearing, leaving room for one to revel in the texture, and for the subtleties of fennel and herb. We had to ask for spoons, it would have been criminal to leave any of this creamy liquid behind.

Fourth Course: Australian Grass Fed Lamb Poached Sous Vide, Smoked White Bean Puree, Aged Goat Cheese, Lemon Pistachio Crumble, Pistachio Praline.

Just when I thought the risotto was the star of the night, in comes this incredible lamb, a dark, seared crust contrasting with the uniform medium-rare doneness and concentrated essence of flavor that can only come from sous vide cooking. The white beans, some whole, some pureed, had an assertive smoke that melded perfectly with the meat. A grating of dry, aged goat cheese lent a nice salty note. I was enjoying pressing pieces of the lamb into the lemony nuts, the crunchy crust adding to the layered flavors.

I loved this dish, but just to prove that I'm not a hopeless sycophant, I must report that one of our party was a little disappointed to have gotten the end piece of the lamb, which was much more done than the others' portions. I was too enraptured in my plate to notice at the time, and I wish everyone had been able to experience that amazing rosy meat. I can't imagine the more-cooked part was bad, but surely not as transcendant.

Cheese Course

This was kind-of a cheese course, kind-of a salad. A disc of roasted beet was topped with an ashy goat cheese, some yellow tomato, apple-smoked bacon, onions, basil and parmigiano reggiano. I could have eaten this anywhere in the sequence of dishes, it was so summery and refreshing, even while filled with strong flavors.

(BTW, there's not always a cheese course. If you're lucky, if he feels like it, Shola might make some kind of cheese plate, and he goes so much further than simply putting cheese on a platter that you should certainly hope you do get one. But don't count on it!)

Dessert: Chilean Carica Soup, Ginger Infused Peach Broth, Lemon Chaource Ice Cream, Caramelized Puffed Rice, Apricot Kernel Oil.

This was so fresh and light and rejuvenating, the tropical sweetness playing off the cheesy tang of the ice cream. Mom never made a rice crispy treat quite like this puffed rice, but this might be the version they serve in heaven. I did have to whack at the clumped cluster in a slightly undignified way, but I'll pay that price to have that sweet crunch over the top of the ice cream and papaya nectar. It was great to end with something refreshing like this, especially on a hot day.

In sum: once again, another artful, innovative, delicious meal from Shola, not a single misstep along the way in conception or execution. And we picked-up about 150 good tips about food, ingredients, cooking, where to eat...

And we were lucky to have made some fortuitous wine pairings: Pedro's magic Arrowood Syrah matching just perfectly with the lamb, Percy's Chassagne-Montrachet going with, jeeze, anything!! I brought the wrong Getwurtztraminer: something a bit spicier than the 03 Alsatian Pierre Sparr would have been better with the scallop course, but it wasn't a tragedy.

We had an incredible variety of drinks, 10 bottles in all among the 10 of us, ranging from sophisticated French classics, to a Pacific Northwest Mead that was surprisingly tasty (thanks Lauren!)

As usual, it was nice to meet some eGullet folks in person, and I hope we've trapped a few more folks in our increasing social gravity. And good to see some of the familiar crew as well, thanks to all of you for making it a truly enjoyable night.

And thanks to Shola for surprising and delighting us, again. Like there was any doubt...

Edited July 22, 2005 by philadining (log)

[jmbrightman]

wow. thanks for the detail. I gotta go there.

[percyn]

Once again, I am in awe of not only Shola's creativity, but also Jeff's stamina to stay up and post this at 5am !! Given that I had to be at work in 5 hrs after getting home, I was out like a log.

A small sampling of the wine the motley crew brought (the Whites and Mead were in a ice bucket)

The amuse bouche ..(see Jeff's great descriptions for all courses) paired with Piper Sonoma Blanc De Noir

Somewhere between the amuse and the first course, we opened the 2002 Thierry Triolet Brut

The master chef at work...

The 1st course - Foie Gras two ways with silver corn juice paired with 2000 Chassagne-Montrachet

1st course without the corn juice

after the corn juice

2nd course - Dayboat scallops... paired with 2003 Pierre Sparr Reserve Gewurztraminer (the ravioli is covering up a huge scallop)

3rd course - Tomato water Risotto ... ( which many considered the star of the evening ) paired with 2004 Kim Crawford Sav Blanc

4th course - Australian lamb sous vide... paired side-by-side with 2003 Langhe Nebbiolo and 200? Arrowood Syrah

5th course - aka "cheese course" paired with 1989 Aigle Blanc Vouvary

6th course - dessert paired with Sky River [Dry] Mead (does mead have a vintage?) and 1998 Chateau Haut Bernasse Monbazillac

A few ingredients used in our meal..

And finally...the debris trail we left behind...(our version of tagging "eG was here")

The wine/person ratio was 10:10 (current record holder is the Birchrunville dining outing at 9:6)

Many thanks to all for their wine and mead contributions and company.

Edited July 22, 2005 by percyn (log)

[philadining]

Percy, thanks for your careful notes! Shola's combinations of flavors often suggest a very different wine than one might ordinarily pair with the main ingredient, so, just for the sake of posterity, here are my thoughts, for what they're worth:

The Kurubuta Pork and Red Lentil soup paired with Piper Sonoma Blanc De Noir.

We just had the bubbly already open as an aparatif, but it wasn't bad with this course...

The 2002 Thierry Triolet Brut was a way more interesting bubbly on its own.

The 1st course - Foie Gras two ways with silver corn juice paired with 2000 Chassagne-Montrachet

It was Shola's suggestion to have a white Burgundy. And as much as I like my American Chardonnay, that LaTour 1er Cru was so elegant, so light, yet powerful, it's going to be hard to go back to the exuberant loudmouths from our left coast. This matched beautifully.

2nd course - Dayboat scallops... paired with 2003 Pierre Sparr Reserve Gewurztraminer

As I had mentioned in my first post, I think this concept was good, and a spicier Getwurtz would have been really good here, but this one happened to be a little sweeter and smoother that I had expected, not a perfect match, but in the ballpark.

3rd course - Tomato water Risotto ... paired with 2004 Kim Crawford Sav Blanc

This was also Shola's call, we had been all over the map on which way to go here, and we just happened to have a couple of bottles of this Aussie Sauv Blanc, which had a nice crisp freshness that accentuated the tomato and crab really well. (Thank You Pedro, and Chairman Newman!!) I liked this match quite a lot, but I think Pedro had some other ideas, which, frankly, I'm surprised we didn't pursue. It's not like we didn't have enough bottles to try... I might just have been too enraptured by the risotto to get up and try to operate a corkscrew.

4th course - Australian lamb sous vide... paired side-by-side with 2003 Langhe Nebbiolo and 2001 Arrowwood Syrah "Le Beau Melange"

The Nebbiolo was a very nice wine, but not quite right with this lamb (it was really good with the goat cheese in the next course, although not so much with the salad as a whole.) The Syrah was exactly freaking perfect. And I might even suggest that it's that particular Arrowood that was so right. Spectacular. (Thank You again Pedro, and of course Chairman Newman!!)

5th course - aka "cheese course" paired with 1989 Aigle Blanc Vouvray

We'd originally thought of this with the corn soup, but it would have been a little big there (good call, Bill) and we were steered to the much more appropriate Burgundy. But the Vouvray did a really nice job with this cheese, and was just all-out luscious anyway.

6th course - dessert paired with Sky River [Dry] Mead and 1998 Chateau Haut Bernasse Monbazillac

The Mead was a delightful surprise, an elegant version of this honey wine, not too sweet and very complex. Thanks for putting up with our skeptical raised-eyebrows, Lauren! I really enjoyed drinking this, but it didn't really go with dessert. Thankfully the Monbazillac did, really well. That was a real treat, thanks yet again, Bill.

We had about 10 more interesting bottles on-deck, so we'll have to find an excuse to crack those puppies soon!

Edited July 22, 2005 by philadining (log)

[Yannii]

wow, beautiful pictures and descriptions, thank you so much for sharing...

side note: can anyone tell me why sous vide cooking escapes the harmful (cancer causing) dioxins released during microwaving and freezing of other plastic containers? i've been meaning to try this techinque, but i am a little concerned. thanks

[philadining]

side note: can anyone tell me why sous vide cooking escapes the harmful (cancer causing) dioxins released during microwaving and freezing of other plastic containers? i've been meaning to try this techinque, but i am a little concerned. thanks

←

This is an unscientific guess, but the sous vide technique usually involves cooking at low temperatures, often about 140f. And it's not done with simple plastic wrap or baggies, but with heavier cryovac. I have no idea if any research has been done to see if there's outgassing or any other transfer of chemicals from the plastic, but logically, one would think that the lower temperatures would create fewer problems than microwaving.

All I can say for sure is Shola's lamb sure didn't taste like there were any negative effects from the cryovac!

[mrbigjas]

Percy, thanks for your careful notes! Shola's combinations of flavors often suggest a very different wine than one might ordinarily pair with the main ingredient, so, just for the sake of posterity, here are my thoughts, for what they're worth:

The Kurubuta Pork and Red Lentil soup paired with Piper Sonoma Blanc De Noir.

We just had the bubbly already open as an aparatif, but it wasn't bad with this course...

it's hard to describe just how porky this pork was. it was like pork times 10.

The 2002 Thierry Triolet Brut was a way more interesting bubbly on its own.

agreed. it was quite a contrast after the sweeter blanc de noir.

The 1st course - Foie Gras two ways with silver corn juice paired with 2000 Chassagne-Montrachet

It was Shola's suggestion to have a white Burgundy. And as much as I like my American Chardonnay, that LaTour 1er Cru was so elegant, so  light, yet powerful, it's going to be hard to go back to the exuberant loudmouths from our left coast. This matched beautifully.

probably the highlight of the evening for me, wine-wise. as capaneus said, when you taste this you wonder why folks from california even bother trying with chardonnay..

2nd course - Dayboat scallops... paired with 2003 Pierre Sparr Reserve Gewurztraminer

As I had mentioned in my first post, I think this concept was good, and a spicier Getwurtz would have been really good here, but this one happened to be a little sweeter and smoother that I had expected, not a perfect match, but in the ballpark.

agreed. this was an excellent dish, although as others have mentioned i almost preferred the parts of it separately to together. it also showcased the one thing that shola does that doesn't agree with me, which is that sometimes his flavors are TOO subtle--i didn't taste a lot of the miso flavor in the carrot-miso puree, for instance. a stronger miso paste might have been more assertive, a red miso or even a barley miso. but i think that's just a matter of preference; it's not like his technique is bad (obviously) but he just tastes a little different than i do.

3rd course - Tomato water Risotto ...  paired with 2004 Kim Crawford Sav Blanc

This was also Shola's call, we had been all over the map on which way to go here, and we just happened to have a couple of bottles of this Aussie Sauv Blanc, which had a nice crisp freshness that accentuated the tomato and crab really well. (Thank You Pedro, and Chairman Newman!!) I liked this match quite a lot, but I think Pedro had some other ideas, which, frankly, I'm surprised we didn't pursue. It's not like we didn't have enough bottles to try... I might just have been too enraptured by the risotto to get up and try to operate a corkscrew.

i liked the SB on its own, but that cat pee-y flavor profile they have, to me, is really accented by some seafood (in this case the crab) to an almost unpleasant level. the dish, though, knocked my socks off, so much so that after our discussion of the various rices for risotto, i bought a package of carnaroli today at dibrunos. it's different from arborio, for sure.

incidentally, if anyone's interested that arbequina olive oil that he used is available at downtown cheese, along with the other varietal oils from the same company (picual and manzanilla), for $25 for two bottles. dibruno's carries them too but they're more expensive there.

4th course - Australian lamb sous vide... paired side-by-side with 2003 Langhe Nebbiolo and 2001 Arrowwood Syrah "Le Beau Melange"

The Nebbiolo was a very nice wine, but not quite right with this lamb (it was really good with the goat cheese in the next course, although not so much with the salad as a whole.) The Syrah was exactly freaking perfect. And I might even suggest that it's that particular Arrowood that was so right. Spectacular. (Thank You again Pedro, and of course Chairman Newman!!)

the thing about this was that the syrah had that funky, slightly organ-meaty character that some of them do, like one of those kinda stinky cotes du rhones or something. and it really really worked really well with the lamb. just super.

i would have liked that nebbiolo with a grilled veal chop or something. something quite meaty but delicately flavored, like veal. know what i mean? i quite enjoyed it.

oh and can i say that those beans were possibly the best beans i've ever had. good lord. i eat a lot of beans and legumes of all sorts, and i don't think i've ever had any that were quite this creamy, quite this white... wow. i know it seems silly to wax poetic about beans when you're paying $100 a head and having a meal with spanish smoked paprika and fennel pollen and $55 lamb loins and triple cream cheese ice cream and scallops the size of small burgers and foie gras two ways, but good GOD those beans were good. went well with the nebbiolo, too--i found myself switching back and forth between the two wines with the two parts of this dish.

5th course - aka "cheese course" paired with 1989 Aigle Blanc Vouvray

We'd originally thought of this with the corn soup, but it would have been a little big there (good call, Bill) and we were steered to the much more appropriate Burgundy. But the Vouvray did a really nice job with this cheese, and was just all-out luscious anyway.

drool... old chenin blanc. another highlight.

6th course - dessert paired with Sky River [Dry] Mead and 1998 Chateau Haut Bernasse Monbazillac

The Mead was a delightful surprise, an elegant version of this honey wine, not too sweet and very complex. Thanks for putting up with our skeptical raised-eyebrows, Lauren!  I really enjoyed drinking this, but it didn't really go with dessert. Thankfully the Monbazillac did, really well. That was a real treat, thanks yet again, Bill.

good stuff there. i liked this dessert, but to me it suffered from the same subtlety issue that the carrot/miso puree did--chaource is a triple cream brie-like cheese, and i couldn't taste it over the lemon in the ice cream.

it was fun meeting y'all too. we should get together and drink through your cellars more often.

Edited July 23, 2005 by mrbigjas (log)

[philadining]

it's hard to describe just how porky this pork was. it was like pork times 10.

Agreed. Porkadelic.

sometimes his flavors are TOO subtle--i didn't taste a lot of the miso flavor in the carrot-miso puree, for instance.  a stronger miso paste might have been more assertive, a red miso or even a barley miso.  but i think that's just a matter of preference; it's not like his technique is bad (obviously) but he just tastes a little different than i do.

I hear ya, I didn't get a distinct miso hit off that either, but, although I wouldn't presume to guess Shola's intent, the puree just so embodied the very essence of carrot, way more carroty than any carrots I've ever had, that I'm going to suggest that the miso was there quietly amping the carrot-ness. But I'm guessing.

oh and can i say that those beans were possibly the best beans i've ever had.  good lord.  i eat a lot of beans and legumes of all sorts, and i don't think i've ever had any that were quite this creamy, quite this white... wow.  i know it seems silly to wax poetic about beans when you're paying $100 a head and having a meal with spanish smoked paprika and fennel pollen and $55 lamb loins and triple cream cheese ice cream and scallops the size of small burgers and foie gras two ways, but good GOD those beans were good.  went well with the nebbiolo, too--i found myself switching back and forth between the two wines with the two parts of this dish.

Indeed, I failed to rave about the beans as much as I should have. And if I remember right, that smokiness was from a smoked turkey wing cooked with the beans, and that Halen Mon smoked salt at the end. Even with those tips from Shola, I doubt I could ever cook beans that good. When I popped the Nebbiolo, I was thinking that the smoky beans and aged cheese would require that gutsiness, but I didn't think to just drink it with the beans by themselves. That sounds like it would have been good!

We live and learn, and next time there's a whole new set of challenges...

Edited July 24, 2005 by philadining (log)

[philadining]

Wow, just as I say in my last post that I wouldn't try to speak for Shola's intent, it turns out I can! Here's the word from chef himself:

As far as the carrot miso puree...The operative goal was to amplify the sweetness of the carrots without using salt or sugar, in which case it would be either SALTY or SUGARY SWEET.

After several experiments, the ultimate solution came from poaching the carrots Sous Vide and then pureeing with a reduction of lemon-infused carrot juice and SAIKYO MISO.

Pure miso...SHIRO, AKA,MAME,HATCHA.....would all have been frankly too salty even in minute proportions, thus completely ovewhelming the carrot flavor.

I think menu prose is at fault here. Some say subtle flavors...I say balanced flavors.

I know mrbigjas is out of town for a few days, so he can't continue the conversation right away, but I'll be interested to know if that makes sense to him.

But here's the best part: not only does Shola check in on us lunatics here on eGullet, he says:

Thanks to all the eGulleteers, your passionate insanity provides continuous inspiration.

And that pretty much made my day!

[shacke]

After seeing these latest posts, my weeklong starvation begins in preparation for my SK dinner Friday. My brother from LA is flying in specifically for this my 3*th birthday dinner and could it be that he is more excited than me? uh - no thinky so bro. He is going to haul wine bottles in his carry on and is anxiously awaiting the menu like a high schooler expecting a college acceptance letter.

Genetics.......

Evan

[MobyP]

I've read through this thread (and I may have missed it), but nowhere can I find anything on Shola's background. Where did he learn to cook? Has he ever had his own restaurant? How did he finance the SK?

[percyn]

Moby,

...On the 7th day...God said...Let there be Shola...and the rest is history

Seriously though, he has worked in some very good kitchens in the Philly area. I will leave the rest upto the chef himself to answer, so as not to intrude on his privacy.

[philadining]

Yeah, Percy, you pretty much hit it on the head. He has worked in some of the best kitchens in Philly, but I don't think one can draw any particular conclusions from that, and I doubt we're ever going to get details from him, just because it's beside the point.

Everything one needs to know is on the plate.

[Holly Moore]

For the record it's more like Shola has worked in some very good kitchens around the world.

[percyn]

.....

incidentally, if anyone's interested that arbequina olive oil that he used is available at downtown cheese, along with the other varietal oils from the same company (picual and manzanilla), for $25 for two bottles.  dibruno's carries them too but they're more expensive there.

Mrbigjas, interesting that you looked for some of the ingredients following our dinner. I find myself often inspired by Shola's dinner and ingredients and a hunt for them usually ensues dinner.

At one of my first dinners at SK, I was introduced to Argan Oil....2 yrs later, I finally found a bottle.

After our last dinner, I located the unfiltered Manzanilla olive oil, ordered some smoked salt via mail order, made "essence of corn" soup from "corn juice", ground my own burgers and have a batch of tomatoes in the fridge giving up valuable "tomato water". I hope Shola views this more as inspiration than plagiarism

Edited July 26, 2005 by percyn (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Percy:

You are a renaissance man and a wonder! How wonderful that you've been so inspired as to rabidly seek out the wondrous ingredients we've been lucky enough to try at StudioKitchen!

Not many restaurant meals I can think of that have had that sort of effect on me.

[SaxChik]

.....

incidentally, if anyone's interested that arbequina olive oil that he used is available at downtown cheese, along with the other varietal oils from the same company (picual and manzanilla), for $25 for two bottles.  dibruno's carries them too but they're more expensive there.

Mrbigjas, interesting that you looked for some of the ingredients following our dinner. I find myself often inspired by Shola's dinner and ingredients and a hunt for them usually ensues dinner.

At one of my first dinners at SK, I was introduced to Argan Oil....2 yrs later, I finally found a bottle.

After our last dinner, I located the unfiltered Manzanilla olive oil, ordered some smoked salt via mail order, made "essence of corn" soup from "corn juice", ground my own burgers and have a batch of tomatoes in the fridge giving up valuable "tomato water". I hope Shola views this more as inspiration than plagiarism

←

i was shopping at wegman's in downingtown tonight and found the manzanilla olive oil for $7.99 a bottle (not sure that's where you got it from). hope you're planning on sharing some of that smoked salt. :)

lauren

[TarteTatin]

Okay, all! Last night was our first time at Studio Kitchen!

YES, IT WAS SUPER!

8 of us drank 13 1/2 bottles of wine, I think that's a record!

(No, we didn't drive home...)

Shola is so cute! He's not as intense as I thought he would be.

Yes, passionate, but he smiles a lot, and seems to really enjoy what he's doing...

The wine menu is below, and below that, the food menu we had.

We took pictures, but we haven't learned how to post them yet, so if anyone can send us a personal email to tell us how?

We didn't get an amuse bouche, or a cheese course, or bread (would have liked it to soak up some of the wine!), but the food was very, very, very good!

Moet Chandon Brut

Marquis de la Tour

1990 Poniatowski Vouvray (that we brought back from visiting there last January)

2003 St. Urbans Kabinett-Ockfener Bockstein (very gasoline)

Martinelli Three Sisters Pinot 2001

Cosme Palacio y Hermanos Cosecha Rioja 2001

Dehlinger Pinot 1999

Buehler Cab Sauv 2001

Beaucastel Du Pape 1989

Cht. Chapelle Aux Moines St. Emilion 1996

A California Madeira 1979

Lehman's Botrytis Semillon 1998

Menu:

White Bean Soup

Foie Gras Ravioli

Truffle Glaze

Spiced Prawns

Carrot- Miso Puree

Cardamon Emulsion

Roasted Quail

Corn Polenta

Glazed Figs

Fig Jus

Braised Wagyu Beef

Sweet parsnips

Madiera Jus

Mushroom Marmalade

Poached Peaches

Ginger Infused Peach Broth

Lemon-Brie Ice Cream

Caramelized Puffed Rice

[TarteTatin]

Thank you, Philadining, for the personal note about posting pictures.

We should be able to show pictures and expound a bit about the food---hopefully tonight!

Also, for those of you that counted our bottles: We had two each of the Vouvray and the Riesling, and the Lehman was a half bottle. Totaling 13 1/2 bottles....I think it really was too much. The problem was narrowing down what each of us wanted to bring, and then all of us wanting to open what we each brought. It was interesting tasting 3 wines each with the Quail and Beef, and then discussing which went best with the course.

[TarteTatin]

Thank you, Philadining, for the explanation on posting pictures; which we'll endeavor to do in the near future. However, my hubby took it upon himself to, instead, post a temporary link to the pictures, below:

http://homepage.mac.com/susangish/PhotoAlbum3.html

The food was incroyable!

Creamy, without being rich, it was all very Moreish. I.E.-I want more of that taste, and I want it now! Give me more!

His tastes all go together, and they all work, and they all are so creative...

Who would ever think of foie gras ravioli topped with a white bean soup! It was delicious!

That was probably my favorite dish.

Or maybe the prawns. Or maybe the polenta, whatever was in the polenta was outrageous...or maybe the mushroom marmalade... Well, the quail was delectable..the lemon brie ice cream!

AAARRRGGHHH!

We can't wait to go back.

The wine pairings? Don't do as we did, I think it was overwhelming. Some of it went better than others with his food, but its too much to taste 3 different wines with a course. You want to taste the food, and have wine go with it, not be overwhelmed.

I do think the Vourvray was a good choice with the white bean soup, foie gras...the Riesling was too gasoliney for the prawns...then we had too many tastes with the quail and the beef. I remember the Beaucastel and the St. Emilion went well...the Botrytis Semillion with the peaches was good, as was the Madeira..

The highlight of the evening was the food, and Shola. Just incredible tastes, that I can taste right now. We've eaten at some top places all over the world, and this is one of my top five meals. I kind of wish there was a tiny bit more, however....maybe a cheese course would have been nice.

[philadining]

Wow, great pix! I loved seeing the assembly as well as the finished product. (and I know where you're coming from, ImageGullet is very good, but the whole iPhoto - .mac thing is so easy and elegant, it's hard to beat.)

And I know that feeling of not being able to decide what you liked best. That quail looked great.

We'll try to keep in mind that you had TOO much wine, but a few of us lunatics can't help but see it as a challenge...

Thanks again for the report, hope you get back there soon, and have more to tell!

[shacke]

Thank you, Philadining, for the explanation on posting pictures; which we'll endeavor to do in the near future. However, my hubby took it upon himself to, instead, post a temporary link to the pictures, below:

http://homepage.mac.com/susangish/PhotoAlbum3.html

The food was incroyable!

Creamy, without being rich, it was all very Moreish. I.E.-I want more of that taste, and I want it now! Give me more!

His tastes all go together, and they all work, and they all are so creative...

Who would ever think of foie gras ravioli topped with a white bean soup! It was delicious!

That was probably my favorite dish.

Or maybe the prawns. Or maybe the polenta, whatever was in the polenta was outrageous...or maybe the mushroom marmalade... Well, the quail was delectable..the lemon brie ice cream!

AAARRRGGHHH!

We can't wait to go back.

The wine pairings? Don't do as we did, I think it was overwhelming. Some of it went better than others with his food, but its too much to taste 3 different wines with a course. You want to taste the food, and have wine go with it, not be overwhelmed.

I do think the Vourvray was a good choice with the white bean soup, foie gras...the Riesling was too gasoliney for the prawns...then we had too many tastes with the quail and the beef. I remember the Beaucastel and the St. Emilion went well...the Botrytis Semillion with the peaches was good, as was the Madeira..

The highlight of the evening was the food, and Shola. Just incredible tastes, that I can taste right now. We've eaten at some top places all over the world, and this is one of my top five meals. I kind of wish there was a tiny bit more, however....maybe a cheese course would have been nice.

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You never forget your first time, do ya'

Those is some set of pics. Posting them here would be a bandwidth crisis I suppose. All those bottles, my goodness! I also see someone took some serious notes. Someone was happy to be there!

I also noticed the Guittot Fellonaux - an old favorite from Moore Bros but the 1999 and 2000 wasnt the same as the 97 98 beauties when I bought a couple several months back. I have been aging them hoping for improvement. Did you drink it? What year was it and was it any good?

Evan