8.25.2005
restaurant week, part i
Also known as Monday. So yeah. We’re doing restaurant week again: a 3-course meal for $30.05, not including tax, tip, and drinks. Sure it’s a bit of a scam, but it definitely gets me out of having to order my filet mignon at $36, and that’s without a tasty appetizer or a dessert. Monday night, we went to Julien, which Mom and I had eaten at last year. It really is a lovely restaurant: it was Mom and me and my brother Matt. We had an extra space at the table (reservation for 4) so I brought Diana. I know that she liked the meal, but it was the first time that we had all sat down for a meal and conversation. It was a truly delicious meal. Last year, I went through the meal in sort of a willy-nilly way. This year, I think that I can be a little less bizarre with my posting style.
First Course:
Chilled Yellow Pepper and Fennel Soup
Chive Crème Fraîche
(add Maine Crab and Green Onion for an additional $8)
- or -
Native and Heriloom Tomato Salad
Sweet Vidalia Onion and Taggiasco Olive Oil
(add Lakes End Farm Goat Cheese Cheese Flan for an additional $6)
Second Course:
Thyme Roasted Chatham Cod Loin
Wellfleet Clams, Native Corn, Chorizo and Young Spinach
(add Fresh Maine Lobster for an additional $14)
- or -
Lavender Honey Glaze Duck Breast
Evva’s Garden Organic Pea Tips, Minted Potatoe Puree and White Peach
(add Sautéed Sonoma Foie Gras for an additional $16)
Third Course:
Passion Fruit Pavlova
Native Strawberry and Mint Consommé
- or -
Chocolate and Golden Raisin Truffle Torte
Chocolate Hazelnut Terrine
So. Diana had the Soup, the Duck, and the Torte. Mom had the Salad, with flan, Duck with Fois Gras, and the Torte. Matt had Soup with crab, then Duck, then Pavlova. And I had Salad, then Cod, then Pavlova. So I got to taste all of them, and I have to say that I think I chose exceedingly well. So the salad was sweet without being cloying, while the cheese flan added some richness. The olive oil was really fresh tasting and fruity and the tomatoes had enough acid in them to bite without being gross. I don’t really know tomatoes very well, but I know what one tastes like, and these were yummy.
As for the yellow pepper soup, I tried some of Matt’s, which was lovely. I didn’t have any of the crab, so I can’t speak to how that worked, but the soup itself was an interesting taste. Unfortunately, the only time I have the taste of chilled peppers is on pizza in the morning, which is what this definitely reminded me of. But after that initial sensation there was a lot of creaminess. It was good, but I think a whole bowl of it would have been a little much.
Diana always orders duck if it’s on the menu. So I was not surprised she did at Julien. I wasn’t wild about the mint potatoe (sic.) puree: it would have gone much better with, oh, lamb. The duck itself was juicy and flavorful but, having been in Europe where meats like duck and lamb are much more gamey, this duck lacked depth of flavor. The foie gras which my Mom got really did add to the richness of the duck (something that was not entirely lacking in the first place), but overall, the dish worked really well. There’s something about sweet honey and salty duck that tastes really really good. The cod loin was excellent: it too was sweet, but not from honey but from the native sweetcorn. The other parts of the dish, the clams and chorizo provided spice, while the spinach was tender but not mushy. I really loved this dish, and I’d totally try it again.
As for the dessert, the pavlova was amazing but the mint in the consommé was less so. There was a little too much astringency in the soup, but when the passion fruit ice cream melted into the soup, the resulting mixture was very well-balanced and creamy. As for the chocolate torte, the torte was delicious but I was hesitant to try the terrine, as I do not like hazelnuts. Overall, a really successful dinner.
Chilled Yellow Pepper and Fennel Soup
Chive Crème Fraîche
(add Maine Crab and Green Onion for an additional $8)
- or -
Native and Heriloom Tomato Salad
Sweet Vidalia Onion and Taggiasco Olive Oil
(add Lakes End Farm Goat Cheese Cheese Flan for an additional $6)
Second Course:
Thyme Roasted Chatham Cod Loin
Wellfleet Clams, Native Corn, Chorizo and Young Spinach
(add Fresh Maine Lobster for an additional $14)
- or -
Lavender Honey Glaze Duck Breast
Evva’s Garden Organic Pea Tips, Minted Potatoe Puree and White Peach
(add Sautéed Sonoma Foie Gras for an additional $16)
Third Course:
Passion Fruit Pavlova
Native Strawberry and Mint Consommé
- or -
Chocolate and Golden Raisin Truffle Torte
Chocolate Hazelnut Terrine
So. Diana had the Soup, the Duck, and the Torte. Mom had the Salad, with flan, Duck with Fois Gras, and the Torte. Matt had Soup with crab, then Duck, then Pavlova. And I had Salad, then Cod, then Pavlova. So I got to taste all of them, and I have to say that I think I chose exceedingly well. So the salad was sweet without being cloying, while the cheese flan added some richness. The olive oil was really fresh tasting and fruity and the tomatoes had enough acid in them to bite without being gross. I don’t really know tomatoes very well, but I know what one tastes like, and these were yummy.
As for the yellow pepper soup, I tried some of Matt’s, which was lovely. I didn’t have any of the crab, so I can’t speak to how that worked, but the soup itself was an interesting taste. Unfortunately, the only time I have the taste of chilled peppers is on pizza in the morning, which is what this definitely reminded me of. But after that initial sensation there was a lot of creaminess. It was good, but I think a whole bowl of it would have been a little much.
Diana always orders duck if it’s on the menu. So I was not surprised she did at Julien. I wasn’t wild about the mint potatoe (sic.) puree: it would have gone much better with, oh, lamb. The duck itself was juicy and flavorful but, having been in Europe where meats like duck and lamb are much more gamey, this duck lacked depth of flavor. The foie gras which my Mom got really did add to the richness of the duck (something that was not entirely lacking in the first place), but overall, the dish worked really well. There’s something about sweet honey and salty duck that tastes really really good. The cod loin was excellent: it too was sweet, but not from honey but from the native sweetcorn. The other parts of the dish, the clams and chorizo provided spice, while the spinach was tender but not mushy. I really loved this dish, and I’d totally try it again.
As for the dessert, the pavlova was amazing but the mint in the consommé was less so. There was a little too much astringency in the soup, but when the passion fruit ice cream melted into the soup, the resulting mixture was very well-balanced and creamy. As for the chocolate torte, the torte was delicious but I was hesitant to try the terrine, as I do not like hazelnuts. Overall, a really successful dinner.
