passport to PARIS: Verjus

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Indulgence can be overrated, and in fact, moderately pretentious, demolishing modesty and humility. Luxury can be over-drawn, where extravagant elements intertwine disharmoniously.

This, however, is not Verjus. The Parisian restaurant is unassuming with light rushing in like a sunroom off of a kitchen. Technique, ingredients and assembly speak to indulgence minus the bad connotations. The warmth of the orange-pink evening light is reflected in the atmosphere— the staff, the pacing, even the familiar foods refined to elegance.

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Each amuse bouche was constructed to be savored and ephemeral, catering to both texture and flavor. The crispy chicken skin swathed with creamy meaty chicken liver or the crunchy sourdough crostini topped with fera and popping orbs of pickled mustard are prime examples. The four bites melted in the mouth, leaving the residue of freshness and a quiet innovation.

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Some of the courses were confusing in a mysterious and magical way, in that they almost combined the unimaginable. The way different varieties and stages of tomatoes played together with the green purslane and the house-made toasted fresh milk cheese, dusted with a powder of dehydrated tomato, evoked the feelings of salad, unconnected but willing to converge. Two silvery sardines topped with tiny cubes of summery zucchini and new potato effortlessly brought together the briny with the mild, embellished with herbal dill and scientific dehydrated egg yolk.

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Others looked familiar but guaranteed an inexplicable flourish of decadence. Plump yellow cappelletti nestled with nutty chanterelles evoked memories, but middles made of studded ricotta and cervelle created new ones.  A polite pile of sirloin tartare exuded fineness, but the crisp nature and bite of the cucumbers and beans toned down the decadence while elevating the appeal to the tongue.

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Dessert, too, only looked disjointed and unprepared: common oat moments and fresh peaches and pretty wild blueberries, spun into dreams with a sweet and creamy white chocolate mousse.

The insightful courses compounded expectations and anticipation with surprise and whimsy, manifestations of profound flavor profiles, thoughtful layered texture and attentive aesthetics. Verjus presented a deep knowledge of the complexities and simplicities of food and experience, resulting in more than just a meal.

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Not Just Nourishment: The Hudson School Board of Trustees Dinner

Third Course: Dill Crusted Salmon with Fennel , Yukon Potato, Pearl Onions, Asparagus and Lemon Beurre Blanc

Tuesday night, alumni, faculty, board members and parents of The Hudson School came together for their annual Trustee Dinner at Amanda’s Restaurant. For many years, the school and its board have hosted the event involving a five-course meal with complimentary wine pairings, to raise money for the school’s scholarship fund.

Amanda’s is a mainstay of Hoboken (more here, here, here and here), offering fresh and classic food laced with comfort and refinement. Each course at this event was visually balanced and alive with color, from the mint green of the pea flan, to the coral pink of the salmon and bright red of the tart raspberries. Quality was present in the pretty ingredients and the varied textures throughout the courses along with the polished flavors.

First Course: Balsamic Roasted Strawberries with Olive Oil Whipped Goat Cheese, Basil, Arugula and Grilled Baguette

Second Course: Spring Pea Flan with Poached Shrimp

Fourth Course: Roasted Strip Loin with Horseradish Whipped Potatoes, Zucchini Batons, Parsley and Meyer Lemon Gremolata

Fifth Course: Raspberry and Brown Butter Tart with Vanilla Gelato

After enjoying chatting over the first few courses, Suellen Newman, the principal and founder of The Hudson School, spoke to the crowd. Her speech was heartfelt and sincere, using stories and real-life examples to underline the reason for the delectable event: raising money for The Scholarship Fund and enabling students who need financial assistance to attend the private school.

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tasting with a VIEW: Battello

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Stunning views steal breath. The night glitters with magic— the dark sky kisses the reflective water, twinkling, and the fall air drifts in, circling the high ceilings of Battello in Jersey City.

It is the perfect setting to be seduced. Open widows and glass let the still outside in. Vaulting rafters allow whispers to vanish, evaporate into intimacy and stay warm in the ear. Dotted Edison bulbs dangle just right, like tangible stars.

The menu speaks of a different kind of intimacy. A repetition of ingredients guarantees a closeness of flavors and feelings. The variety is pleasant, but the theme is to elevate: to inspire with the insipid. Many menu items seem done to the point of overdone; Battello wants to prove otherwise.

The Shipwrecked cocktail is a sweet note amongst its bitter companions, fresh with strawberries and savory with vibrant basil.

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A doughty crabcake sits on a bed of electric green slimy seaweed and capped with thick fennel. Each layer plays to the one beneath it, matching stringy texture, layering salt, fish and fresh.

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Smoky octopus, blackened with grill marks and effort, is brightened with green olive tapenade, briny and rough. The saltiness is soaked up by heavy grilled potatoes, creating a balance verging on innocuous.

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Added salt brings out the disguised sweetness of the autumn squash and the tender too cooked short rib dispersed through the curled edges of cavatelli. A monotonous blandness that weighs the dish down, flat-lining something that was destined for deliciousness.

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Pillowy gnocchi bathe in Bolognese pronged with spicy sausage and tangy acidic tomato. The browned pasta melts in the mouth, leaving fat chunks of crumbly sausage and not enough feeling.

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A four-bite braised short rib stands tall on a slab of smooth mashed potatoes and silky greens. The juices are sweet like fall fruits left with time, instant age for the fatty meat.

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Two delicate pancetta wrapped scallops sit triumphantly on red quinoa gravel, briny with green olives and sweet with gems raisins. Decorative pretty puffs of toasted almond supply another level of earthiness to the quinoa, highlighting the sweetness of the scallop.

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Dessert is a trio singing sweet songs with a melody too saccharine for honeyed ears. Almond ice cream lays thick on crunchy layers of cold granola, nuts, and the bluest of blueberries to make a tiny parfait. But bitterness invades with a round of dark chocolate gelato, towering chocolate mousse and a soft rectangle of dense brownie. A sole praline profiterole, salty and sweet, paired with a tart macerated strawberry, finish the group.

The airy atmosphere breeds romance—dim lighting, refined rustic notes, and glass, lots of glass.  Though luscious textures and refined ingredients are the language of the food at the eatery, a little piece of love is missing in some of the dishes, leaving them soulless.

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10.12.14

photo op: BIRTHDAY weekend

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This weekend was my birthday, and as I ought to, I celebrated with food. Despite being a slug most of my birthday weekend, we managed to make some tasty treats with a little bit of apple and a ton of butter. I was dragged out of the house to a lovely birthday dinner on the water and returned home to the most beautiful surprise birthday cake—three layers and all. 

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Thanks for all the birthday wishes. And cheers to another year.

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