Avenues

I should get to bed, but....

Dinner tonight with CG at Avenues. Our big annual pre-Christmas splurge. My digestive system is praying for a break in the cavalcade of rich food, but there are several more nights ahead. Ah well. If yer gonna eat, eat good!

Avenues is good. Highly rated in restaurant reviews. Located at the swank Peninsula Hotel. Jackets for gentlemen. Oh, and the chef is pretty decent, one might say.

Champagne for us to start. Oh heck, why not? CG and I went for a rosé each while Conrad opted for the Bollinger. An amuse-bouche of an apple fennel pudding with chervil and caviar then arrived, and we were off and running.

There was much on the menu that appealed, but we decided to remove ourselves from decision making. Instead, we opted for the Chef's Palate menu: ten courses. With a little guidance from the sommelier on a half bottle of a French white (hints of smoke, then opening up to vanilla) and full bottle of a red Burgundy (candied violets, no kidding, that's what I smelled), we ate and drank quite well.

1. Avenues Deconstructed Caesar Salad. Gem lettuce, grated parmesan, house cured anchovy, and brioche twinkie. I am not making that up. Nice presentation. fine, but didn't bowl us over.

2. Carpaccio of Maine Lobster. Cucumber noodles, yuzu foam, soy caramel. Also nicely presented but not a stellar dish. So far, just nice.

3. Tartare of Venison Tenderloin. Parsley custard, cranberry chutney, juniper gelato. Ah, things get interesting here. The custard ended up being a bit much. I find it hard to explain, but the texture became too rich and overwhelming in the end. This was a dish where a little of everything in each bite was wonderful. Juniper gelato? Inspired.

4. Roasted Winter Chestnut Bisque. Pickled Bosc pear, candied prosciutto, sage marshmallow. Sage marshmallow. First thing that caught my eye on the whole darn menu, and I knew I wanted it. Tasting it melting into the soup, I knew that I was right in wanting it. Stunningly good course.

5. Truffle Scented Carnaroli Risotto. Pearl onions, black trumpet mushrooms, truffle creme. Did I mention, by the way, that with the bread there were three types of flavoured butter, and of the three, Conrad and I were going like mad at the truffle one? Anyway, the risotto was so good we seriously could have licked the dish clean. Really. Yes, I am a mushroom snob.

6. Pumpernickel Crusted Tasmanian Salmon. Celeriac mousse, savoy cabbage, sauerkraut bubbles. I actually think the foam thing can be totally over by now, but oh well. The salmon was good, and Conrad enthused over it a great deal.

7. Hudson Valley Duckling Breast. Cauliflower fondue, broccoli raab, squash purée. Also lovely.

8. American Kobe Strip Steak. Smoked potato beignet, mushroom fricassee, merlot reduction. When this was set down, the scent of freshly ground pepper on the plate hit us just right. The beignet was a terrific side dish, definitely evoking bacon (not at all a bad thing). Yes, I ate more mushrooms.

9. Cheeses with quince and currant preserves. Quince! Quince! No, I'm not drunk. I just really adore quince.

10. A pairing of chocolate pot de crème topped with gold leaf and a dark chocolate cake with tuile and caramel ice cream. Chocolate is an essential food group for Conrad, in case you didn't know.

CG and I each had a decaf au lait. Conrad got a little upset and went to summon some service when it took rather a long time for me to get sugar for my coffee. Though it steamed him a little, he was pleased by the response - sugar arrived and the bill did not include a half bottle of wine. In truth, some of the tiny things about the table service were a bit sloppy for a restaurant of that level - forks not changed right, for example, or the curious switch to still water from sparkling partway through the night. On the other hand, the little final treat of sage and blackberry jelly candies was a nice little delight.

So: ahhhhhhh. Very good food. And compay, of course. We exchanged gifts with CG quite happily and had an altogether super evening of trying some new foods and wines and seeing what elements really stood out for each of us.