Birthday Dinner: Part 1

Last week was my birthday, so we went out to a fancy-schmancy dinner. I gave the hubs a couple of ideas for where we could go, and he decided on Eleven Madison Park. This restaurant had been on our list of places we want to go, and since we had already been to the other two restaurants, he chose this one (the hubs has a "thing" about going to restaurants more than once - so that we can experience more places while we are living in NYC).

Since it was my birthday, we decided to go whole hog and do the 11-course Gourmand menu. We usually don't go that crazy, but it was my birthday, and one of Mr. D's co-workers had essentially dared him/us to get the big tasting menu. I think it was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had.

The teeny appetizer tray that came out first was amazing - a row of delicious morsels, of all sorts of tastes and flavors. I cannot remember them all, but there were savory macaroon sandwiches, jellies, and a perfect crispy bite of braised meat in a won ton wrapper.

The first course was "Sterling Royal Caviar," which was FABULOUS. Two spoons were on the plate, each one had a sphere of either smoked sturgeon or salmon cream, nestled with a small dollop of caviar. Mmmm - a perfect way to start the meal.

A salad came next: Tardivo Trevisano. I really love salads which rely on cheese for the main ingredient. Four lovely bites of fresh mozzarella, champagne mango, with Italian olive oil.

A foie gras terrine followed, with pickled pearl onions and an amazing rum raisin brioche, which I believe was the beginning of our downfall, as it was a relatively huge piece of toast, and I wanted to eat every bite, which was not the best decision with 9 more courses to go (yes 9, because even though there are "11" courses, they snuck an extra one in).

The chef came to our table to prepare the next course, which was one of my favorites. A tribute to "Winter in Provence," which means: truffles! A truffle puree, served with potato puree, celery root puree, and chevre frais. OMG, gently placed in a bowl together, then stir them together to make a delicious soup. I cannot begin to describe how amazing this dish was; it was so comforting and earthy and tasty, I could have eaten it for days.

More tomorrow...