Thursday, May 27, 2010

Cobaya Bourbon Steak Style (5/12/10)

It's no secret that I'm a big Bourbon Steak fan.  I love their burgers and steaks plus those amazing duck fat fries.  That being said, Cobaya Steak wasn't about the burgers or steaks.  It was about Chef Fenton going back to his Michael Mina/San Francisco roots and delivering an impressive and enjoyable tasting menu.  It should be noted that Chef Fenton spent several years as executive sous chef at Mina's Michelin two star restaurant in San Francisco. 

Special thanks to general manager John Riccardo who did an excellent job coordinating and hosting the event.  Sommelier Matthew Turner did a creative job pairing great wines with each diverse course.  The service was top notch as usual. 

I started the evening with a well made old fashioned while enjoying the delicious gougères (pastry) floating around the bar.

Upon entering the sharp looking private dining room we were handed flutes of Michael Mina's Cuvee.  That was followed by a trio of delicious duck ffffat fffries. These are a staple and served with three different seasonings and three different dipping sauces. 

The menu and wine pairings:

Michael's Classic American Caviar
Parfait
House Smoked King Salmon, Dill Oil 
Robert Weil Riesling Tradition, Rheingau, Germany 2008 

Hawaiian Big Eye Sashimi
Aji Amarillo Chile, Cilantro, Lime, Chorizo 
La Cana Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain 2008 

Hudson Valley Foie Gras Terrine
Strawberry, Grains of Paradise, Pistachio, Blue Basil 
Royal Tokaji '5 Puttonyos,' Hungary, 2003 

Line Caught Wild Alaskan Halibut
Baby Purple Artichokes, Meyer Lemon, Taggiasca Olive 
Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel, Paso Robles 2007 

Columbia River Sturgeon
Short Rib Ravioli, Spring Garlic 
Jean Louis Chave Cotes du Rhone, Mon Coeur, Rhone Valley, France 2006 

Local Peach Sorbet
Ginger Gelée, Lemon Balm 

Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta
Candied Kumquats, Almond Biscotti 
Jorge Ordoñez & Co. Moscatel Seleccion Especial, Malaga, Spain 2006


Chef Fenton's dishes featured diverse and innovative ingredient combinations that
stimulated the palate and came together to form flavorful and balanced dishes.  I thoroughly enjoyed every dish and thought the  progression was perfect.

First up was a caviar parfait which is always a great way to start a meal.  The super fresh tuna and chicharrónes that followed were a tasty combination.  I loved the foie gras terrine which was paired with strawberries, pistachios, fine pepper and a great house-made brioche.  I was pleasantly surprised by the halibut dish.  It was perfectly crisp on the outside, moist on the inside and really tasty thanks to the olives and the artichoke puree. This is another contender for fish dish of the year.  The last non dessert course was a surf and turf combo. Chef Fenton's cobaya version featured Columbia River (what is the largest river in Pacific Northwest...) sturgeon along with short rib ravioli. The sturgeon was good but the short rib ravioli was the star.  I'm always happy when I can drink a red wine with fish and I enjoyed Matt's pairing.  The Chave Mon Coeur (a favorite of mine) paired nicely with the sturgeon, short rib and accompanying sauce.
 surf n turf
The "local" peach sorbet was a refreshing palate cleanser and was followed by a delicious milk chocolate panna cotta prepared by the pastry chef whose name escapes me.  It was a nice ending to a great meal shared with great company.  
  
If you are a burger or steak fan, run, don't walk to Bourbon Steak.  If you don't like steaks or burgers, run, don't walk to Bourbon Steak.  Don't let the "steak" part of the the name fool you.  It's a well-run restaurant serving great food along with a great wine list.

This is one of the best restaurants in South Florida.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Diamond in the Keys- Chanticleer South (Islamorada)

Chanticleer South is a small, intimate French restaurant with Chef/Owner Jean-Charles Berruet at the helm. In all honesty, I drove past the restaurant on several occasions while vacationing in Islamorada without noticing it. Moreover, my normal pre-travel restaurant research came up empty.  However, chowfather-in-law noticed it one afternoon and instantly recalled having great meals years ago at a Chanticleer in Nantucket.  Were they related?? A quick search in Google revealed that they were in fact related.  After 35 years at the Chanticleer Inn in Nantucket, Chef Berruet decided to move south to Islamorada.

  Chanticleer South - The Cuisine of Jean-Charles Berruet

In Islamorada, Chef Berruet is wisely combining his French roots with the fresh local seafood at his doorsteps.  Of course, I did not take advantage of any of those offerings...

After several days of eating mediocre seafood there was no way I was passing on Chef Berruet's Foie Gras Terrine.  It was served with a fruit compote and brioche toast. It had a nice coarse texture and tasted great.  Foie Terrine fans will be very happy with this starter.

For those of you who have been following my Chowhound posts over the years or reading my blog, I doubt you will recall any mentions of great chicken dishes outside of Chef Mike's fried chicken and a few wings.  That's partly because I find chicken to be boring plus I ate a ton of dried and overcooked Foreman grilled chicken breast during law school.  Anyway, for whatever reason, Chef Berruet's Coq Au Vin was calling, no yelling my name.  The chicken was traditionally braised in red wine with mushrooms, onions and smoked bacon.  It was melt in your mouth moist and with great flavor. I doubt chicken gets better than this.  (Sugarcane Raw Bar apparently has a great roasted chicken special that sounds very tempting)

 I rarely order dessert but the meal was going so well that there was no way I was passing on the Grand Marnier souffle. I also noticed a couple of tables arriving just for dessert.   The souffle was served with a raspberry sauce and was up there with my favorite desserts including  the bread pudding at Commanders and the banana cream pie at Emeril's.

Chanticleer South is easily in a league of their own in the middle keys.  If you are looking for a great meal in the Keys I would highly recommend Chanticleer South.  They would hold their own against Miami's best and should be on your must do list if in the Islamorada area.

Chanticleer South


Chanticleer South on Urbanspoon
 
81671 Overseas Hwy
Islamorada, FL 33036

Thursday, May 6, 2010

BLT Steak (South Beach)

BLT Steak is located IN the lobby of the Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive. They also have outdoor seating available on their patio overlooking Ocean Drive.  It's less of a scene than the other steakhouses located in South Beach.  Executive chef is Laurent Tourondel and chef de cuisine is MGF&D alum, Sam Gorenstein who was a James Beard semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year.



First up were an awesome complimentary jar of warm chicken liver with bread and another jar of pickled veggies.  I'm a chicken liver fan and this didn't disappoint.  A non-chicken liver fan at the table was enjoying it as well before I told her what she was eating. Perfect, more for me.  

Next up were Tourondel's signature and popular popovers. The recipe is attached but these are probably difficult to duplicate at home.  They were large, fresh and a huge hit at the table. 

For an appetizer I had a great grilled octopus special.   I'm a big fan of Chef Schwartz's version at MGF&D and Chef Gorenstein's dish held its own.  It was tender and nicely charred. 

I followed that up with a great bone in ribeye. This was cooked perfectly (medium rare) and seasoned very well.  The ribeye was accompanied by bone marrow which was a nice and delicious touch. That said,  I would give the ribeye nod to Bourbon Steak though.

I also tried several of their sides with the hen of the woods mushrooms being my favorite. That's a serious side that you don't see often.

If you are looking for a great steak on South Beach without a club feel and scene, I would recommend stopping by BLT Steak.  Everything I had was good to great and it was an enjoyable night.  I'm intrigued by the non-steak offerings and daily specials and would like to see what else Chef Gorenstein has to offer.   


BLT Steak
1440 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.673.0044

BLT Steak on Urbanspoon

Monday, May 3, 2010

Mother's Day Brunch @ Lola's on harrison

MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH

MAY 9th 2010 10am - 3pm

 
BY CHEF MICHAEL WAGNER
 
 
SERVED FAMILY STYLE
 
ASSORTED MUFFINS 
HOUSEMADE STRAWBERRY BUTTER
 
FRESH SUMMER FRUIT PLATE
 
SWANK FARMS FRITATTA
SWANK FARMS GREENS,
RICOTTA CHEESE, SUNDRIED TOMATO & BASIL
 
BANANAS FOSTER STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
TOPPED WITH BANANAS & PECANS SERVED WITH BANANA MAPLE SYRUP
 
CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT "FLORENTINE"
TOASTED ENGLISH MUFFIN, POACHED EGG, SPINACH,
CANADIAN BACON, HOLLANDAISE
 
GRILLED NEW YORK SIRLOIN
DRIZZLED WITH HERB OIL
 
POACHED SALMON
SWANK FARMS DILL-
UPLAND CRESS CREAM

 
SIDES
FLORIDA RAISED
PORK SAUSAGE


BRUNCH POTATOES WITH SWANK FARMS SPRING ONIONS
 
APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON

$36/PER ADULT INCLUDES TAX & GRATUITY

$15/PER CHILD INCLUDES TAX & GRATUITY

CHILDREN UNDER 10 EAT FREE
 
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
(954) 927-9851

CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE RESERVATIONS