What a place, what a meal! We were going to try their new chef’s counter but the Sous Chef was injured and so Joshua Skenes had to be in the main kitchen. However on Fri and Sat nights all eat the Discovery tasting menu so it was none-the-less an over the top menu. We opted to not have their wine pairing and instead Mark Bright, co-owner and wine guy, chose several half bottles to accompany things and then through in several glasses of stuff we ‘just had to try.’
He knows how to win my heart and loyalty. (It helps that we’ve been several times.) Besides the 2 owners there was just one familiar face in the crowd of workers so many things had changed a good bit since last year, which is positive in my book and obviously in Michelin’s who elevated them to 3 star status last fall.
They have now bought their own farm so there are more greens, vegetables and milk products as well as their own poultry. Watching the kitchen is like watching a symphony orchestra perform -each person has their task at which they are hugely proficient. Many of the tastes are subtle but there is an underlying freshness and quality to the tastes. Some are just plain outstanding though, like the sea urchin on toast. Each bite of that was a little bit of heaven. Each course is presented in such a beautiful fashion that you almost hate to disturb it. You’ll also eat some stuff you never thought about eating like sea cucumber ribs, which were mild, but the chicharron made from their skin was scrumptious. I loved the fire roasted brussels and cabbage – what a nice new spin on those. And then there was the duck that was the best we’ve ever had. I of course went crazy about the caramel sauce on the cream and so they sent me home with 2 bottle of it. That’s the kind of place this is – a unique evening of edible bliss.
