I was fortunate enough to get a last minute table for lunch yesterday. Given the chance, I went with the tasting menu (which closely resembles the dinner tasting menu) with the wine option…
Appetizer
Baby Turnip in salted butter, Cumcumber chunk with salmon
Amuse Bouche
Corn Soup with Creme Fraiche (?) & Bacon Crumbles
Greenmarket Heirloom Tomatoes
Composition with Terre Bormane Olive Oil and Fino Verde Basil
Foie Gras
Mille-Feuille with Green Market Plums, Umeboshi and Bitter Almonds
Atlantic Halibut
Seared with Sweet Corn, Summer Radishes and Purslane
Elysian Field Farm Lamb
Herb Roasted with Sheep’s Milk Tart, Garbanzo Beans and Bacon
Cheese Plate
Chocolate Peanut Butter Palette
Caramel Popcorn and Popcorn Ice Cream
Even though it wasn’t counted as one of the courses, the corn soup (though that’s not what they called it) was a bona fide course.
The tomato course consisted of a perfectly round tomato ‘cloud’ which his some tiny heirloom tomatoes; a slice of tomato (which may have been slightly compressed) topped with a thin layer of minced dried tomato and a bit of minced black olive; tomato sorbet with a Provencal “granola” (oats and herbs). This was a spectacular course, with very intense tomato flavors throughout. The sorbet was texturally more like a creamy gelatto. Amazing trio.
The foie was quite fun. The paper thin sliced plum (both the raw and pickled) made for a nice accompaniment to the foie terrine, which was between what seemed to be these paper-like honey wafers.
The halibut was terrific, in the chicken and corn broth and summer vegetables. Another solid dish, but at this point I thought the tomatoes would not be topped. Then…
The lamb dish was perfection on a plate. And a honest full course (in the midst of the tasting menu). Perfectly cooked two rib chop, with intense aromas of thyme and rosemary. The tart, which was a maybe 1/8 inch layer of pastry, topped with a 1/4 inch of the cheese, and a layer of minced chive, was sublime. The veg were a ideal match with the lamb. Lamb jus. And… their “tribute to Ferran Adria,” two liquid olives were dropped onto the plate. Everything worked together perfectly.
Cheese (especially a whipped creme-like chevre) and dessert were excellent - but the absolute standouts were the tomato trio and the lamb plate. I have absolutely no qualms with Frank Bruni’s four-stars for EMP.