Convivio, New York NY

Last year I found an Italian restaurant whose food I enjoyed more than Babbo – I found it on accident when Anthos provided one of the worst starts to a meal ever leading me to walk out; That restaurant was Alto. On my followup trip to NYC this year it appears others also shared my love of Alto – and moreso of Chef White’s food as Alto received a second Michelin Star and White opened two more restaurants in Convivio and Marea – both receiving 3-stars from the Times and a star from Michelin.

Braving my way, on foot, through the freezing temperatures of New York from Macy’s to Tudor Place and arriving just moments before my noon reservation I was greeted promptly by a friendly host and hostess – I was the first patron to arrive and was seated immediately with the place slowly filling to capacity by the time my meal had finished.

For those who haven’t been, the layout of Convivio is interesting with a very small bar up front and a narrow walkway leading back to the two-tiered, white tablecloth restaurant. Tables are well spaced and light ignorable music is played over the speakers which makes conversation pleasant and prevents being a disturbance to other tables. With menu delivered and water poured I was quickly informed of the option of ordering a la carte versus a 4-course prix fixe (stated to be a better deal and a manner to experience more of chef White’s recipes.) Browsing the menu I was very impressed by most of the options but somewhat upset that the chicken livers and polenta was no longer offered since it was still on the website.

Opting for the four course with an additional pasta (instead of a secondo) as the main I was swiftly brought the day’s sampling of bread to go with the gloriously smooth yet mildly grassy olive oil present on each table. The first bread, a relatively standard sourdough with an thick yet chewy crust and supple interior was good – the olive wheat, however, was fantastic. Featuring whole Kalamata olives housed inside the fluffy interior and a perfect crumb for such a crispy crust I truly had to temper myself to avoid eating too much – after all, I had 20 courses of Per Se upcoming that evening and all four courses to go at Convivio.

My first course – replacing the Polenta/Liver – was Quaglia with grilled quail, pancetta, radicchio, figs, mushrooms...and after seeing the dish and taking my first bite I was almost glad the Polenta was no longer served. Admittedly a much larger portion than expected the dish featured more than 1/2 of a quail prepared medium rare and perched atop a large slice of radicchio that provided a slight bitter textural component to the sweet and supple protein. Alongside the main portion were a grilled and split mission fig, crispy yet moist grilled mushrooms, and small shavings of salty pancetta. An excellent dish with a lot of balance and not overly filling despite the size.

Shortly following the Quail was my appetizer sized portion of primi pasta – a portion that was larger than either of the main courses I had at Marea the following day. Entitled Garganelli, the dish consisted of hand-made pasta quills studded with seppia & shrimp sausage, zucchini, leeks, pecorino cheese. Flawlessly al dente noodles met the tooth with ample spring but gave way easily without chewiness while the spiced up tastes of calamari and shrimp sausage balanced nicely with the cooked but snappy zucchini, buttery smooth leeks, and creamy cheese. Buttery without being heavy, spring-like yet fresh despite the season – everything I’d expected from Chef White’s pasta.

After a short (but welcomed) delay as the restaurant began to fill up, my secondo pasta arrived – the pasta that had caught my eye from the moment I first looked at the online menu. Entitled Malloreddus the dish featured sardinian saffron gnocchette freckled with blue crab, diced sea urchin, tomatoes, and thinly sliced garlic topped with crispy toasted breadcrumbs and it wowed both the nostril, the eye, and the palate. Expecting more of a potato dumpling gnocchi I was first very impressed by the style of pasta – essentially a semolina and saffron pasta tightly wound to resemble a gnocchi but holding significantly more sauce within its coils – again the al dente preparation was spot on. After the surprise of the noodles the next surprise was the substantial amount of sweet crab meat in the dish – and the relative paucity of urchin in comparison. While excellent I do feel that a bit more urchin and perhaps slightly less crab would have helped to balance the tomato and garlic which mildly overpowered the seafood, albeit not in a bad way. A great dish for certain, but not on par with the version I experienced at Scarpetta (or the version I would experience at A Voce three days later.)

Savories finished I was offered cheeses, coffee, or dessert wine to accompany dolci and after considering the cheeses I instead opted for a very nice Italian Coffee whose name I forget to accompany my Budino - a warm dark chocolate “cake” accompanied by hazelnut gelato and candied hazelnuts. Having tasted varying forms of budino in the past I have to say this was a first – a dish residing somewhere between a crème brule, a pudding cake, and a soufflé in that it was served in a ramekin, crispy on the top, fluffy around the edges, and simply molten chocolate in the center. Paired with the creamy and mildly bitter gelato and crunchy but salty hazelnuts this dessert was a masterpiece and definitely equal to the Torrone (featured at Convivio, but also at Alto where I ate it last year) as one of the best Italian restaurant desserts I’ve tasted.

When it was all said and done Convivio was the best overall Italian meal of this trip to New York, all things (service, food, price, setting) considered and a definite must visit for anyone looking for a more rustic or Southern approach to Italian dining in New York. While not quite as excellent as Alto, Babbo, or Scarpetta the total bill before tax and tip was less than $50, an absolute steal for the experience.

Madeline Patisserie, New York NY

Celebrating my first day off in 9 days and only my 2nd day off since Black Friday I hopped on a plane and headed east from CMH to LGA – no delays, a good tail-wind, and a quick trip on the M60 landed me at Penn Station shortly after 9am. A quick check of the map and a short walk and I soon found myself standing in front of Madeline Patisserie – according to many the home of the best macarons in New York City.

Entering the small shop I was greeted by two small ladies with pronounced French accents and the smells of sugar, butter, and cinnamon and browsing the restaurant I was delighted by the multi-colored treats and confections as well as the rustic layout of the furniture and small open kitchen in back. With each item looking more delectable than the next and lunch reservations for Convivio at noon I knew I’d have to temper my ordering – an agonizing process with 18 types of macarons available, many fresh from the kitchen.

Making my selections and paying the tab ($10 minimum on credit cards, FYI) I next made my way to the seats in back to indulge. Beginning my tasting was one of the restaurant’s namesake items – a pistachio Madeline. Light and buttery but somewhat less crisp than other madelines I do admit I liked the pistachio flavor, but still prefer the traditional light-lemon essence.

Following the Madeline, the item by which I tend to judge any French patisserie – the Almond Croissant. Perfectly crisp shell, light and fluffy interior with a thin layer of pureed almonds, and topped with sugar that had nearly caramelized in the cooking process – for all intents and purposes nearly the perfect croissant in flavor and texture, albeit a little deflated in circumference. Delectable and on par with Francois Payard’s example as the best Almond Croissant I’d experienced.

My final selections were, naturally, a selection of macarons. Deciding to select a total of four I first began with two “standards” for the sake of comparison – a Pistachio and a Chocolate. Light and airy crumb with a crisp shell on mastication, both examples were good but not “great,” though I did appreciate the use of a gelee/compote in the Pistachio and a ganache in the Chocolate. The following choices were a bit less traditional and actually much better than the other options - Caramel Fleur de Sel and White Russian. Similarly crisp yet somewhat dry cookies in these cases housed flawless compotes with the flavors of intensely salty caramel and a creamy rum similar in flavor to the sauce of a traditional bread pudding.

Featuring good (but not stellar) macarons I think Madeline would be well served to narrow their selections and perfect a few choices rather than offering multiple average cookies with good to great fillings. Prices were on par with other similar places such as Bouley and Payard and slightly less than La Maison, Bouchon, or Petrossian – three places that, IMO, offer a better quality overall product and experience.

The Refectory [2], Columbus Ohio

With the closing of Handke’s and Rosendales it is in my (not so humble) opinion that there remains only one option for a truly great/opulent meal in Columbus, Ohio – The Refectory. Sure M and Alana’s are nice, but their preps and platings aren’t anything to write home about. Sure Luce and Rigsby’s are great, but the setting and service won’t turn heads. Actually, having dined at myriad Michelin Starred restaurants in the past few years I can most definitely say that only The Refectory and perhaps Kihachi or the Worthington Inn would stand up to such scrutiny in a major US dining market.

Having experienced Kamal’s hospitality and Chef Blondin’s fabulous cooking in the past (http://uhockey.blogspot.com/2008/11/refectory-columbus-ohio.html) I’ll not go into the setting, service, or chef’s pedigree – all are top-of-the-class – but I will note that on this occasion we were celebrating an early Christmas (I’m on-call Christmas day) and the restaurant was not only decorated festively, but also full to capacity with well dressed families and couples while light Christmas music filled the rafters.

Napkins unfolded, waters filled and drinks served (and refilled immediately/repeatedly without request,) we were first brought the night’s amuse and the restaurant’s wonderful house bread. The amuse du jour was a round of creamy brie with rind served cold and topped with a clean olive oil and paired with a chive emulsion and tomatoes. Somewhat smoky, the sweet tomatoes provided a pleasant contrast to the creamy and nutty cheese while the chives added a bit of spice – very nice. Spreading the cheese on a piece of the superb (and warm) country bread was additionally nice.

Starting next with a first round of appetizers I selected the night’s special – a cold torchon of foie gras served with beet Ribbons, Maple Jus, and tomato. Smooth and unctuous the foie was a fine example – potentially the best I’ve had in Ohio since BoMA closed – and the creamy consistency melded well with the crisp and earthy ribbons of beets. Adding some needed sweetness to the dish were dots of thick and sweet maple syrup, a nice blend but not entirely unexpected. Having had many preps in recent months I can’t say I’d rush out for this foie (unlike their Sweetbreads of last year) but it was certainly serviceable – perhaps a crisp/carb component such as a brioche or baguette would help.

Ordered by my aunt, the lobster timbale with with a saffron mousseline and parmesan tuile, plus chive oil was a very attractive dish (and one she liked a lot) but didn’t really wow me as much as I’d have hoped. With ample pieces of lobster dispersed within the crème fraiche and saffron mousse I just didn’t get a lot of contrast between the components and largely the dish was just an ornate crab/lobster dip that you could buy at Whole Foods.

Trio of Salmon, my sister’s appetizer, was a winner by all accounts and featured Chilled gravalax, creamy mousse, and warm smoked line caught salmon on a single plate. Like most dishes that look to explore a single ingredient in variant forms this dish was small in portions but hefty in potency with each sample serving to highlight the fish – its ability to melt in the mouth with the mousse, its smooth and muscled texture in the smoked form, and its fattiness in the gravalax. Interestingly I felt the gravalax was the strongest option while my sister was impressed most by the warm serving…the mousse certainly wouldn’t have felt out of place next to the table-spread at Le Bernardin, either.

Mom’s appetizer, another cheese option, was roasted goat cheese with beets, shallots and olive oil. Twice as large as I’d have expected for the price I do believe this was the best of the first courses with the creamy goat cheese only lightly pan-kissed to melt the curds together and then gently paired with smooth shallots in olive oil, crisp sweetened beets, a beet puree, and a buttery crostini. Mild and well paired I think doing something akin to this with Humboldt Fog could be the best thing one could ever accomplish with cheese.

After a short wait and a lot of conversation about the year past our second courses came out – plus a spacer plate for Aunt. For the second round my sister and mother both selected a soup – for my mother the tomato lobster bisque and for Erika the mussel soup with white wine and shallots in a saffron cream. Not a big fan of tomato soups in general I felt that bisque was good for a non-butter version, but that the sweet lobster was largely overwhelmed by the acidity of the tomatoes – a bite was enough. With regard to the mussel soup I was first impressed by the sheer number of mussels in the broth and then after a taste I was even more impressed. At first touch to the tongue I have to admit I was a bit shocked by how heavy the alcohol flavors came forth, but as the amalgam sat in my mouth I realized that the base notes were where the nuance hid – brine, pungency, even a bit of sweetness came through with a subsequent bite and the creamy texture was very nice.

For myself, continuing the foul theme of the evening, dish two consisted of a pheasant terrine with apple wood smoked bacon and roasted hazelnuts, sour cherries in brandy, and a fanned cornichon. Garnished again with chive oil the terrine itself was flawlessly smoky with the gaminess of the pheasant mingling pleasantly with the saltiness of the bacon. Further enhanced with brandy, hazelnuts, and chopped pickle in the terrine itself my sister compared the flavor favorably to old-fashioned loaf – and placing some on a slice of bread with a brandied cherry made for an excellent bistro style sandwich.

Following our appetizers, just like our previous visit, was the nightly palate cleanser – this time a white peach sorbet. My favorite fruit by a long shot, this sorbet had no chance to fail and it was fabulous – the very essence of a fresh white peach…in December, no less.

After more talk (most notable for my mother’s comments on how much she likes dining with me because it makes her remember how good food can be and how nice a quiet restaurant is) our mains arrived – three menu items and one of the nightly specials. For my sister, Steamed Dover Sole with a lobster suprème sauce and fresh pepper linguini – the weakest of the mains (and that is saying something.) Sweet and moist, flawlessly steamed with the bare minimum of cooking to melt the sinew, the fish itself was flawless despite its lack of textural variance. Paired with the pepper linguini, a tomato stuffed with ground capers, and asparagus my only “issue” with this dish is actually the sauce which was buttery and succulent, but too heavy and too generous a portion for such a delicate fish.

The second dish, my mother’s Duroc Pork Loin with Spinach Spatzle, Steamed Bosc Pear, carrots, and asparagus was divine. Savory melt-in-the-mouth pork, rich vegetal noodles, an invariably sweet pear stuffed with cranberry chutney, and crisp vegetables all paired well with the salty pork reduction to form one of those rare dishes where each bite was an experiment in mixing different components to form a new flavor, texture, taste, and experience. While I don’t tend to order pork when I go out I have to say that each of the past times I’ve been out with my mother I’ve been impressed with her selections – pig based almost every time.

My aunts selection was the most unique of the evening – the most nouveau-French for sure. Again paired with asparagus and one of those strange caper tomatoes, pan seared monk-fish wrapped in pancetta with red pepper spaghetti was absolutely astounding. “Poor Man’s Lobster,” was a new experience for my aunt and one I was surprised to see her order, but it was definitely the best main of the evening. With the savory and crisp pancetta providing a perfect foil to the sweet and smooth fish I was delighted to help out with this dish (aunt wanting to “save room” for dessert) and found even more brilliance in the manner in which chef Blondin used a light garlic sauce to meld the two distinctly different flavors.

My main course, ordered both because it sounded amazing and because aunt had ordered the monkfish, was Spiced Cajun Duck Breast with chestnut confit, savoy cabbage potato cake, and pine honey gastrique and it wouldn’t have been out of place on the menu at Alex, La Folie, or even Joel Robuchon. Recommended medium rare the duck was reportedly wild caught game and it tasted extraordinarily fresh – the layer of fat barely melted but the skin crisp to the tooth and the meat without a hint of gaminess. An enormous portion the duck sat alongside a carrot topped with wild mushroom confit, watermelon turnips, confit style chestnuts, an au gratin potato cake topped with shredded and caramelized savoy cabbage, and the whole dish was surrounded by a layer of honey sweetened vinegar. Like the pork I experimented with multiple taste and texture combinations on this plate and found them all quite pleasing – particularly the turnip+chestnut+duck bites.

Up next – desserts – and like last time we received the seasonal pear tart “compliments of the chef.” This time featuring Cranberry Chutney, Butternut Squash Ice Cream, and White Chocolate Caramel atop the buttery pears and almond frangipane crust the dessert once again shined and showed the talents of the kitchen in terms of both taste and plating.

The first ordered dessert – my mother’s – was a trio of panna cotta, specifically Fig, pomegranate, and Lavender Honey plus a white Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti. Smooth and creamy each of the panna cotta were surprisingly large with the fig being invariably sweet and the pomegranate intense and tart. While the biscotti didn’t really pair particularly with any of the panna cotta it was quite excellent, as well.

Dessert two, my sisters, was recently featured in Columbus Alive – called “Tribute” the dish is meant as an ode to Elvis Presley and features Chocolate Shortbread, Peanut butter mousse, chocolate bavarian, banana sorbet, bacon streusel. Again pushing the “classic French” boundaries a bit and experimenting with avant-garde “sweet and savory” pairings I found this dish quite delectable with the crisp shortbread contrasting well with the creamy mousse and ganache-like Bavarian while the sweet sorbet worked well as a foil to the heavy chocolate and peanut butter. Sweet, salty, cold, warm, smooth, crisp – excellent.

The next dessert, my aunt’s “Chocolate Mania” was another multi-course dish with Blondie Cake, Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream, Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies, Chipped Cream, and Dark & White Chocolate Sauce. Like the salmon in that it explored a single ingredient in variant forms and like the tribute in its use of varying textures, tastes, temperatures, and styles this dessert was another winner and an impressively large amount of food for a mere $8.

The final dessert, selected by myself, was Deconstructed Apple Pie with Tatin Apples, Cheddar Crumble, Cinnamon Ice Cream, Balsamic Apple Reduction. Again with the sweet/savory pairing I adored this dish and consider it amongst my favorite desserts of 2009. Crisp and pan seared cinnamon apples, creamy cinnamon ice cream, and an acidic reduction of apples and ginger formed the backbone of the dish but the whole fusion was completed by the delightful pieces of dehydrated cheddar – an almost molecular gastronomy touch – that created a totally novel mouth-feel, yet entirely familiar flavor.

When it was all said and done we each walked out of The Refectory full and happy – another great meal with family, another great experience. On the way out each member of the staff stopped what they were doing to wish us happy holidays, welcome us back soon, and smile. Great food and great service, well priced and ample in portion; a breath of fresh air in a stale local dining scene. As with my prior visit at The Refectory, this trip was one celebrating a special occasion which and I guess that means that I consider The Refectory a “special occasion” kind of place.

Canoe, Toronto ON Canada

Read a list of the restaurant “who’s who” in Toronto and you’re certain to find at least one reference to the Oliver & Bonacini family of restaurants – and if that list is one of fine dining you’re likely to find Canoe at or near the very top of the list. Seated very high indeed, on the 54th floor of the Dominion Bank Tower (Bymark - my dinner 2 nights prior is located in the lowest floor,) and offering a lunch service throughout the week I knew I’d be making my way to Canoe at some point during my visit and fortuitously my friend was able to take the day off to join me. Calling to make reservations I requested a window seat for 1:30 and was told “absolutely” – intrigued by the menu I also asked if it would be possible to perhaps order something off the dinner menu during lunch – “not a problem at all.”

Arriving 15 minutes before our reservation and making our way up the speedy elevator to the 54th floor the restaurant was easily accessible and abuzz with a sort of energy that one doesn’t often see at lunch – actually, every single seat in the house was full, some with business folks and some far more casual. Browsing around I have to say I was astounded by the large windows and the view – the CN Tower, the ACC, Skydome, everything was so close and visible. Greeted promptly by our server, Greg, we were handed menus and a wine list while our waters were filled – a simple request of the dinner menu produced results only moments later with the caveat that he’d have to ask the kitchen before guaranteeing any orders off the later menu.

Left to browse the scenery and the menu for a short time we were faced with some tough decisions – aside from the fact that I don’t eat beef there wasn’t a single item on the menu that didn’t sound impressive – and my dining companion loves beef, so even that wasn’t overlooked. A short while passed before Greg returned to answer any questions and to see if we wanted anything besides water to drink. After a couple simple questions were fielded we each ordered two dishes with the likelihood of adding a third – a decision we both later decided to act on thus ending up with a total of six savories. Despite the busyness of the restaurant I will note that I found Greg to be the perfect “Casual professional” server – around when needed, gregarious and friendly, full of knowledge and suggestions – on par with servers at any of the Keller establishments stateside (my personal standards for great service.)

Kicking things off we were brought a basket of breads along with an impressive chickpea and sweet pea spread – no butter. Finding this quite interesting we delved into the three bread selections – a crispy white with plenty of spring to the interior, a hearty whole wheat that was toothy without being tough, and a beautiful walnut and cinnamon option. Tasting the spread first on its own, then on the bread I was struck by the impressive manner in which the sugar of the sweet peas complimented the nutty flavors of the chickpeas – almost a sweetened hummus in essence and definitely justifying a second bread basket.

Our first round of food arrived next with my friend receiving the “Mushroom Soup - no creme, no butter” and myself the Paillotte de Chevre with Walnut and Honey. Tasting only a bite of the Mushroom soup but listening to Heather ooh and ah about it with each bite we inquired how exactly this porridge-esque concoction was made and we were told that it was essentially a mushroom stock that they use for some of their other sauces with a puree of marinated pan seared mushrooms blended in. Thick, succulent – the very essence of the mushroom. My option was certainly a more heavy choice and featured thick round of ashy yet unctuous cheese similar to Humboldt Fog atop a crispy piece of cracker crust and topped with a single almond and lavender honey. Served warm and slightly melting the flavors of this dish melded flawlessly while the addition of the frisee, beets, and flowers served to add a vegetal component (and great visual appeal) to the dish.

Arriving next (shortly after that second basket of bread) our next course consisted of Applewood Smoked Duck Breast with Lingonberries, Salsify, and Spiced Walnuts for my friend and the Foie Gras with Sunflower Root, Pumpkin Muffin, and Walnut Pickle for myself. Taking only a single bite of my friend’s duck and salsify I will say that the rare meat was delicious and she very much enjoyed the dish. On my side, the foie was a beautifully cleaned piece - albeit small for the price – and the accompanying components were interesting to say the least. Crisp and woodsy the Sunflower Root was a nice balance in texture while the balsamic pickled walnut was the very definition of savory. Small and sweet the a small piece of baked sweet potato and a pumpkin-pumpkin seed muffin graced the left side of the plate and the whole plate showed a unique progression in flavors from sweet and soft to unctuous and creamy to crunchy and savory.

Our third courses were decided on late but turned out to be our favorites of the afternoon – for my friend the Steak Tartare with Potato Chips and Pepper, Onion, and Yolk and for myself an appetizer from the dinner menu entitled Yarmouth Lobster with Yukon Gnocchi, Crispy Sweetbreads, Creme Fraiche, and Preserved Lemon. As I don’t eat beef flesh I skipped the tartare but was told it was “amazing.” As for my dish – without exaggerating this is probably in my top ten dishes of the year. Flawless potato dumplings with a firm exterior yielding a creamy melt-in-your-mouth center were absolutely laden with fresh butter poached lobster and crispy pan seared sweetbreads while the whole dish was then topped with a creamy sauce of sweetened lemon and tangy crème fraiche. Half expecting the characteristic flavor of the thymus to overwhelm the delicate lobster I actually found that the lemon/crème/chives admixture served to mellow the sweetbreads while drawing forward the lobster’s sweetness. A wonderful take on “surf and turf” featuring two ingredients I’d have never thought to pair – the bite I spared to my friend led her to a resolution to return for a full plate of her own in the future.

After such a sublime meal and great service, Greg’s suggestion to “tempt” us with dessert really didn’t require much effort – we ended up ordering two. Starting first with the Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake with Sour Cherry Compote, Chantilly and Pistachio Ice Cream – it was good. A dark chocolate ganache well tempered in its decadence by the sour poached cherries and creamy Chantilly crème plus a dollop of smooth ice cream that tasted very much like salty Pistachios atop a pistachio cookie crumble – plenty of textures, temperatures, flavors, and nuance – during any other meal I’d have been quite impressed.

The dish that prevented my amazement with the cake was our second dessert – again a contender for top 10 of the year, this time in the sweets category. Sticky Date Pudding, Whisky Sauce, Cherries and Apples, Bacon Toffee Brittle, and Creme Fraiche arrived in a large bowl and really didn’t “look” to be anything special – at first bite however, looks didn’t matter one bit – looking up at Heather I realized she agreed. Steamed through and appearing to be somewhere between a custard and a bread pudding in texture the date flavors simply melted in the mouth while the whisky sauce ascended to the palate creating a flawless blend of spice and heat with the sweetness. Further enhancing the experience were diced pink lady apples and sweetened cherries smoothed out by the crème fraiche. Finally, adding texture was the Toffee – a creamy butterscotch with potent top notes of salt and pork that paired beautifully with the whisky sauce and the pudding both – to call the mélange of flavors well thought out would be the understatement of the year.

Settling our bill and talking a bit more with Greg as the restaurant had cleared out and they began to prepare for dinner service I was thoroughly impressed by his knowledge of the local dining scene and willingness to make recommendations of places both fine and casual – an experienced server who knows more than his own menu can be your best ally when traveling. Stopping for a few pictures of the skyline before leaving to get ready for that night’s Hall of Fame inductions I have to say I definitely “get” the appeal of Canoe and despite the fact that some may consider it to be a bit too “businessy” I personally found every aspect of the execution to be calculated, refined, and full of finesse – if I lived in Toronto this would definitely be my destination to impress out of town guests and on my next visit I fully intend to return for the nightly tasting menu.