Dad's 80th Birthday dinner was one that we will never forget. We celebrated the evening as an extended family with my Dad's sister, Edna Grace, and long-time family friend, Uncle Don. We sat around a circle table and the smiles, laughs, and conversation carried us throughout the wonderful meal. Each bite was a thoughtful combination of flavors and textures that made the meal decadent. Each course was paired with a specially chose glass of wine served in a beautiful glass.
Because this was a celebration, we started the evening with a glass of champagne. Then we were on our way, starting with an amuse bouche of avocado puree with pistachio oil and sea salt with a sourdough crostini. These California flavors were such a wonderful combination, we were ready to see what would come next!
Because one amuse bouche is never enough, we were served a buttery puffed pastry filled with melted cheese that tasted like gruyere. This bite-sized morsel was totally mouth-watering and definitely prepared my tastebuds for more, more, more!
Because one amuse bouche is never enough, we were served a buttery puffed pastry filled with melted cheese that tasted like gruyere. This bite-sized morsel was totally mouth-watering and definitely prepared my tastebuds for more, more, more!
The first course was Japanese hamachi (yellowtail) topped with golden caviar that was hidden under a champagne and yuzu crèmeaux (foam). These types of creations are what the chef at Addison, William Bradley, is known for, using the freshest ingredients with contemporary methods to create beautiful dishes and flavor combinations. The flavors were truly a fresh way to begin an amazing dinner.
My favorite dish was the prawn in brown butter. The prawn was halved, with one half topped by grapefruit and the other with lemon sorel. The tartness of the topping and the juiciness of the prawn was delicious, but the topper (and what made this dish my favorite) was the brown butter. This tasted like whipped carmelized butter, amazing. When I finished the prawn I used my bread to scoop up the rest of the butter. I don't know if this is proper etiquette, and I don't really care, it was delicious!
Our third course was English Dover Sole (this seems like one too many adjectives to describe sole, but I could be wrong) served on a smoked potato purèe and spring morels. This is one of those dishes where combining the things on the plate from the fish, to the scallion, to the mushroom, and the potato creates the most unique and memorable flavor combination. Along with this amazing dish we sipped a French pinot noir, "Les Bons Batons." A perfect pairing!
The main entree was lamb persillè accompanied by the most amazing side dish of fresh mozzarella topped with olives, basil, tomatoes, and bell peppers. The lamb was perfectly cooked and very tender topped by a layer of herb butter. This layer of herb butter is where the name persillè originates. According to the dictionary on epicurious.com, "Persil is the French word for "parsley" and persillade is a mixture of chopped parsley and garlic. It's usually added as a flavoring or garnish to dishes just before cooking is complete." The server explained that the butter was created, then frozen, and added to the lamb in the final stage of cooking. This brought a delicious richness and flavor to the lean meat that was extraordinary!
The cheese course, the cheese course, how can I do justice to the cheese course? The camembert was the perfect temperature and so creamy and flavorful. It was accompanied by an aged cheddar that was sweet and tangy and all the good things a cheddar should be, yum!
Between the cheese course and the dessert course we were offered an amazing palate cleanser called simply, "mint chip" on the menu. This was heaven! It was mint ice cream that tasted just like mint from the garden and the bottom half of the ball was coated in dark chocolate dust! This was exactly the reason that I bought John an ice cream maker and a mint plant many years ago. We never have made the mint ice cream with real mint, but after this dish, I am inspired to do so.
The gourmet dinner was capped off by a decadent chocolate and peanut butter terrine that was accompanied by a dark chocolate cookie that was lighter than air, a scoop of creamy milk chocolate ice cream, and butterscotch sauce. This was served with an amazing port that tasted like spiced raisins. What a topper to an unforgettable meal!
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