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STILL FULL: Chef Invitational interprets modern French bistro fare
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STILL FULL: Chef Invitational interprets modern French bistro fare
Team Meal Ticket hunkered down in the glamorous Provençal setting of Bistrot La Minette (623 S. Sixth St.) last night for a chef's collaboration of epic proportions. The five-course meal, which we first wrote about in March, brought five of our most exciting "brothers in white" together in the kitchen, each interpreting classic French bistro fare in their own modern way. (It's the second installment a series — the first dinner, involving many of the same chefs, took place last summer at Mémé.)
First course was Mémé chef/owner David Katz's take on truite meunière. A creamy, meltingly thin layer of cured trout was served over delicate frisée and tiny croutons; a citrus gelée added a sparkling note of acidity. Host chef Peter Woolsey stuffed stunning black-and-white agnolotti with braised oxtails for his fleischnacka de queue de boeuf, lit with a bright haricot vert purée.
L'Os àmoelle, Pierre Calmels' course (Bibou), featured roasted bone marrow topped with mushrooms over watercress. Mixing the two components together, as our server advised, created a delightful chaud-froid experience that resonated with everyone at our table. The final savory course was entrecôte d'agneau by Snackbar chef John "Chainsaw" Taus, a saddle of lamb over favas and melted leeks with preserved lemon, garnished with lamb's tongue that spent time in a ham brine. Dessert, a pineapple tarte tatin made by Michael Solomonov (Zahav), contained a concealed surprise — a thin layer of speck, a smoked and cured ham similar to prosciutto.
At $55 for the basic ticket and another $20 for five generous wine pairings, this dinner was an absolute steal, especially with Solomonov and Calmels in the running for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic and Best Restaurant, respectively, in this year's James Beard Foundation Awards. We're still full.
Every part of this dinner was so yummy!
This was so fantastic! Every course was perfection, and we had such a great time. I hope these guys do this again soon!
[...] recent wave of collaborative chef dinners (see here, here and here) are the best thing to happen to our food scene since, well, ever. The latest cooks to swim in each [...]
[...] - STILL FULL: Chef Invitational interprets modern French bistro fare [07apr10] [...]
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