My Top Dishes of 2014

My Top Dishes of 2014

The Bazaar Uni Steamed Buns

The Bazaar Uni Steamed Buns

My job had me on the road more than not in 2014 and while I’ve had many, many unforgettable meals in 2014, I’ve tried to narrow down the 10 best dishes I enjoyed during the past year. Here’s the list in restaurant name alphabetical order.

Hushpuppy – Atera

Chef Matthew Lightner’s take on hushpuppies is simply brilliant. The fried exterior encased a smoked egg yolk and pickled corn. While innocent in appearance, the hushpuppy with its smoked yolk is mind-altering.

Oysters with Three Caviars – Cosmos at Loews Minneapolis

Chef Tim Fischer tops the freshest of oysters with a scrumptious sabayon then three caviars. Creamy, briny and texturally-perfect.

Escape Lobster Knuckle

Escape Lobster Knuckle

Charred Octopus with Boudin Noir Ravioli – Chakra Restaurant

I attended an Emilio Moro wine dinner at Chakra where Chef Thomas Cizsak served this fabulous dish as a first course. The octopus was of the utmost tenderness with a perfect amount of char and the boudin noir ravioli was outstanding.

Lobster Knuckle, Matsutake, Foie, Foie Juice – Escape Montclair

Chef Bryan Gregg outdid himself with this stellar dish. Sweet lobster, earthy mushroom, slab of seared foie gras with foie juice – spectacular dish served during a cancer charity dinner.

Boudin Noir – Joe Beef

Moist, flavorful bound noir paired with pork belly, pears and pierogis in foie broth – need I say more?

Sfixio Pasta

Sfixio Pasta

Octopus with Mediterranean Chickpea Salad – MP Taverna Astoria

Chef Michael Psilakis likely makes my favorite grilled octopus and this version in the form of a salad with chickpeas, fresh herbs and fantastic olive oil.

Sfixio Pasta – Sfixio Beverly Hills

Chef Massimo Denaro’s pasta special knocked my stilettos off. Perfectly-cooked spaghetti with truffle and caviar in a light cream sauce. The truffle aroma was intoxicating and the briny caviar paired exquisitely with the light sauce.

Corn Crème Brulée – Terre à Terre

At a tasting dinner I attended, Chef Todd Villani pleased my guests with his corn crème brulée served in an egg shell. The accompanying corn gelato was both refreshing and satisfying.

Joe Beef Boudin

Joe Beef Boudin

Uni Steamed Buns – The Bazaar by Jose Andres

Yes, I’m a little obsessed with uni and this dish satisfied me completely. The steamed buns were pillowy and a perfect nest for the avocado and sea urchin.

Deconstructed Bouillabaisse – Triomphe

With his modern take on the classic bouillabaisse, Chef Florian Wehrli showcases the freshest seafood and fish: clams, squid, striped bass and shrimp in a flavorful saffron broth.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these dishes and what some of your favorite 2014 dishes were.

Happy New Year!

Veronique

Chef Florian Wehrli Triomphe-ant in Manhattan

Chef Florian Wehrli Triomphe-ant in Manhattan

Chef Florian Wehrli

Chef Florian Wehrli

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of revisiting Chef Florian Wehrli’s delightful food while hosting a client lunch at the popular Manhattan restaurant, Triomphe. Until last fall, I’d enjoyed Chef Wehrli’s food when he oversaw five award-winning restaurants while he was Executive Sous Chef at New Jersey’s Crystal Springs Resort.

The Swiss-born chef uses classic techniques and farm fresh ingredients to create dishes that are both beautiful and delicious. Wehrli trained in Switzerland where he completed his culinary apprenticeship under renowned chef Georges Wenger at his two-star Michelin restaurant.

Bison Carpaccio

Bison Carpaccio

Triomphe, which opened in 2000, is located in the luxurious Iroquois Hotel in midtown. The refined yet comfortable French restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and houses the super popular speakeasy-ish bar Lantern’s Keep.

During my visit, I had the privilege of joining Chef Wehrli at his new chef’s garden on the rooftop of the Iroquois Hotel. Chef Wehrli already has several planters with various produce items and eatable flowers he incorporates in his dishes. He hopes to continue expanding his garden in an effort to source more of his own products for the restaurant.

The lunch menu offers three distinct options: Tribute to Provence, Power Lunch and a standard menu. The Tribute to Provence is fabulous as it features a glass of rosé along with either a Shrimp Niçoise or a Grilled Flat Iron Steak Salad for $25 – sign me up! The $44 Power Lunch promises a three-course meal within 60 minutes with a selection of either Revel – A Summer Indulgence or Bounty – A Vegetable Celebration. We opted for the standard menu as we wanted to share a starter and a dessert.

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse

We began with the Bison Carpaccio with Dijon Mustard and Tête de Moine Cheese ($16). The presentation was nearly too beautiful to eat, but we managed to devour the paper-thin slices of bison gilded with a flower-like shaving of Tête de Moine, a cheese well-known in Chef Wehrli’s homeland of Switzerland. The dish was as delicious as it was satisfying. On our next visit, we’ll sample the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras and Sea Scallops with micro greens and porcini cream – completely decadent.

Stuffed Chicken

Stuffed Chicken

For our entrées, we selected the Deconstructed Bouillabaisse ($26) and the Crema de Bleu Stuffed Free Range Chicken Breast ($27). The bouillabaisse showcases clams, fresh squid, striped bass, shrimp, fennel and a saffron broth. I was told all the seafood used for the bouillabaisse was poached separately then assembled with the incredibly fragrant saffron broth. The bass was perfectly cooked and the seafood as fresh as one could possible hope it to be but the broth made the whole dish shine. While my guest and I don’t typically order chicken at restaurants, fortunately for us, we did at Triomphe. The sizeable chicken breast was moist and flavorful with its blue cheese stuffing and served with Jersey sweet corn and heirloom peppers succotash with a Huitlacoche sauce. The crispy chicken skin along with the corny and earthy flavor of the Huitlacoche sauce, a Mexican delicacy, were a perfect pairing.

Sorbets and Gelatos

Sorbets and Gelatos

Our dessert was a gorgeous presentation of various sorbets and gelatos service with berry and an almond cookie ($9). A refreshing, light ending to a fabulous meal.

We’ll be returning to Triomphe for its comprehensive lunch program but are also looking forward to dinner at the beautifully-appointed dining room. Chef Wehrli has another winner on his hands and is bound to incorporate his magic touch to the upcoming fall and winter menus.

Triomphe – 49 West 44th Street NYC, NY 10036. 212.453.4233.

Cheers,

Veronique