I was there with a party of 10, where we had a set tasting of 9 offerings (1 bread+6 small plates+2 desserts). Plates were served family style, with each plate being shared between 2-3 people.
DAILY BREAD- a sourdough loaf, warm and tasty. If I wanted to be critical and channel my inner Paul Hollywood, I'd say that the bottom crust was overcooked in comparison to the top and that there wasn't necessarily an even bake, but then again I'm a slut for bread. who really cares if the bottom crust has a little extra crunch, this was satisfying. although i don't really understand the point of separating the salt from the butter. I understand the salt looks pretty and is instagrammable, but id rather not have to salt my own butter, and then butter my bread; seems like an unnecessary extra step to me just for the sake of appearance. bread doesnt need to be that complicated.
CHILLED MELON, SMOKED GREEN TOMATO, ONION, CRICKET TOGARASHI- this is where the trend of tiny food began. If Derek Zoolander had been present, he would have been outraged he was being served food for ants rather than people. Roughly 7 half inch pieces of watermelon in something that resembled a vinaigrette. Think eating a watermelon cube with salad dressing, but because it has cricket togarashi on top, its suddenly fine dining. If the intention is to surprise diners with cricket, I don't understand the choice to grind it up and make it an anonymous component of the togarashi.
BLISTERED SHISHITO, HABANERO GOAT CHEESE RANCH- am i to believe that all of the shishito peppers I've ever eaten before are monstrous giants and that real shishitos should be the size of a distal phalange? (ie. look at the tip of your index finger, now trace it to the first of two knuckles on that finger. that is how small these shishitos were). I love blistered shishitos, and there is a careful balance between preserving the freshness and crispness of the pepper with the depth of flavor you get when you torch them, which tends to wilt them. These were on the softer/soggier side, probably because they were so small that they overcooked quickly. The goat cheese ranch didn't have any heat considering there was habanero in it. Overall, the dish was seasoned properly, and tasted good; it just wasn't very satisfying to nibble on babys first pepper.
REDFISH CEVICHE, TIGER'S MILK, CUCUMBER, GRILLED OLIVE, PEACH- this was yummy. the tigers milk was delicious, and i'm not sure if there was coconut milk in it, but it seemed like there was. the richness (of what i presume to be coconut milk) on one side with the acidity of traditional ceviche marinade: this was a well balanced and delicious on top of a crispy, salty potato chip. probably my favorite dish of the night.
SUNNY DUCK EGG, SMOKED DUCK, POTATO, CROUTON, FANCY SAUCE- perfectly cooked duck egg, smokey duck pieces, and a crouton cooked in duck fat, this was a pretty rich dish. Technically it seemed to be perfect, but for reasons not completely clear to me, I just wasn't satisfied with it. Maybe because I was hoping for duck flavor, but this is really an egg dish, with the smoked duck providing smoke, salt, and fat rather than duck flavor. To have smoked duck be the carrier for those flavors rather than something simple like bacon seems excessive and a little wasteful. At the end of the day, this was a single sunny side up egg for $14. Disconcerting.
GRILLED PORK BELLY, TEXAS CAVIAR, SHIITAKE SWEET AND SOUR, THAI CHILE- again, tiny pork belly squares. essentially a play on pork and beans, i really don't remember very much else about this dish, other than the fact that it cost $16 a plate and had 4 pieces of 1 inch squared pork belly per plate. Paying $4 for a single bite of pork and beans; i'm getting depressed just thinking about it.
GRILLED WHOLE QUAIL AL PASTOR, SHISHITO MAYO, PEACH, CASHEW- smallest bird ever. if the shishito was the distance from the tip of a finger to the first knuckle, the size of this quail leg went to about the second knuckle. Again, similar to the duck and pork, this was tasty, cooked and seasoned well, but bizarrely at the same time completely unsatisfying.
BUTTERMILK PANNA COTTA, CARAMELIZED CORNBREAD, APPLE- the caramelized cornbread topping was amazing, but the panna cotta itself didnt have much flavor, didn't get too much apple
PEACH FRIED PIE, SCAMORZA, PECAN, TARRAGON ICE CREAM, MAPLE- okay this was delicious. warm pie with ice cream. Yum.
Overall, a tasty meal, but not a satisfying one. Modern dining seems to me to be moving in a worrisome direction. With chef personas being placed on pedestals, the focus can easily shift from the food to the person making it. This breeds ego and arrogance, which breeds dishes where one pays $1 to eat a half inch piece of watermelon (about 7 pieces for $7). There is style over substance here, and it frustrates me. Feeding your diners a satisfying meal should trump culinary showboating. I should not have the desire to go to shake shack after dinner. read more