Saturday was a nice escape from the rapidity of life in the city. I went on a date with a guy from out of town, German to be exact, to what, prior to then, I had considered to be the epitomy of pomp and arrogance in restaurant dining in New York: Daniel. Please do not get me wrong, I am not against pomp and arrogance in restaurant dining, it is just that Daniel had seemed too white-glove for me to fathom with any regularity and the occasion had not arisen for me to dine there.
I went into the date, and the restaurant, with not many expectations. With respect to the date, the reality is that he lives in Germany, I live in New York. It will not progress, I know myself.
With respect to Daniel, I was not expecting much based on a prior experience at another famed, albeit newer, Gotham venue: Per Se. Per Se having been a disappointment (Per Se was not bad, it was actually, delicious, it just failed to rise above great and become spectacular and scintillating), I was weary that Daniel too might fall short of amazing and be just a great restaurant. I am happy to report, I was wrong. The meal was a mindfully orchestrated gala, paired (almost) to perfection with an array of wines spanning French whites and California reds. The only wine that was off, to my tasting, was a German red. Germany and red wines do not, in my experience, make a workable marriage.
In addition to the waiter flirting with me quite overtly (and then admitting, "I am more of a BBQ man myself, from New Jersey", forthwith nullifying any attractiveness he may have had due to his sophistication and knowledge of food and wines), my present company attentively hinging on my every word and providing me with engaging and intelligent conversation, I had a feast.
We started off with a masterful (and all this comes from the menu) Duo of Peeky Toe Crab"En Gelée" with Fennel and Cumin-Carrot Foam. That "foam" was heavenly, a true foam and not a gelatinized concoction, it was wispy, light and evanescent in the mouth. That was followed by Paupiette of Black Sea Bass in a Crisp Potato Shell with Tender Leeks and a Syrah Sauce which we were informed was the Daniel signature dish. It lived up to its name as such by all means. The Syrah sauce had the consistency of fine balsamic and the fruit of the Syrah. In combination with the bass and the potato shell, this alone, would have been more than enough. But, of course, I could not, would not, let it get in the way of what was to come. The Duo of Dry-Aged Beef: Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine with Caulfilower Gratin and Seared Rib Eye with Paprika "Pommes Duchesse"and Chanterelles was exploding with flavor, with the tender short rib coming apart at the first touch.
Dessert was not part of the tasting menu we had requested, but from the regular dessert menu. While ordering, the waiter had winked at me and said that for dessert, he would allow us to choose from the regular dessert menu. Both flattered and anticipating the dessert wonders I may experience, I smiled back.
I ordered the Warm Fig Tart with Vietnamese Cinnamon Crème Fraîche Ice Cream and Fig Jam. Wow! That's all I can say.
Above all, Daniel has an old-school feel but a sophistication and glamor that will surely have me back for seconds.
In addition, our dinner was paired with selections by the house of wines. One wine in particular has caught my fancy, a Vouvray from Domaine de la Haute Borne Tendre 2002, which was a symphony to the palate. I have liked it so much that this morning, while searching for that fabulous wine, I came upon and have subsequently become a member of WineFetch.com, a fabulous site to track your wines with internet merchants, notes about your experiences with particular wines and also a wineblog, how cool is that? I also have placed an order for my Vouvray and hope to be sipping it calmly at home shortly in the company of good friends.
As for the German, he went home on Sunday and e-mailed me upon arrival to say he had made it home safely. It is certainly a shame that two nice people who may be attracted to each other must succumb to the realities of distance. He will, however, be back in two weeks and I hope we will have the opportunity to share another evening like Saturday's. Any recommendations out there?
A.B.
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1 comment:
A man after my own heart. Searching for a wine on the web because it was "a symphony to the palate." Awesome.
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