New York Whirlwind
Jan. 13th, 2019 11:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lillibetAs a belated birthday surprise, Jason took me on a mystery adventure this weekend. We left early on Saturday morning and drove down to New York City!
We stayed at the Walker Hotel which was charming, comfortable, and very conveniently located. After a brief pause there we walked around the block to Susan & Daniel's. They were setting up for their party that evening, but already had food out and insisted on giving us sub slices for lunch.
Next on the agenda was The Lifespan of a Fact, a new play starring Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale. It's an interesting play, about the conflict between fact and truth, and the dialogue is extremely well-written. The acting was fantastic--three people that I totally believed in. OK, I admit I never quite forgot that Radcliffe is Radcliffe, but he's made such a schtick of the anxious millennial that it was entirely credible that he would be saying these things. Cherry Jones was channelling Candace Bergen and Bobby Cannavale has a deep likability that made his grumpy artist never too exasperating. The only problem was that I disagree with what the play is saying, the way that it tries to make a conundrum out of a dilemma that I think is easily threaded. Jason and I had a lovely time at Thalia for a drink and a chance to digest what we had just seen. Sadly, that production closed today, but if you have another opportunity to see it, I'd be curious what you think.
We headed back to our hotel to change and enjoyed another drink in the lounge to keep ourselves warm on the walk to the restaurant--I had the Boogie Woogie, while Jason had the Secret to Staying Young, which he's always seemed to enjoy. When the time arrived we strolled west along 13th Street to Gunter Seeger, a Michelin starred restaurant that we'd never heard of before, where we embarked upon their Ten Course Menu.
Flower Herb Tart
* A delightful start to the meal, the base was a savory shortbread shell, the goat cheese was tangy and creamy and made a lovely contrast with the sharp flavors of the chive and flowers.
Confit Moulard Duck Foie Gras, Lychee, Riesling Gelée
* An optional addition, with a fascinating dark "rind" and just a dollop of balsamic on top. The lychee was too sweet for me, but the gelée was beautifully balanced and complex.
Four Sensations of the Oasis Farm Egg
* This reminded me very much of the similar dish at the Tasting Counter--an eggshell filled with egg custard and unsweetened maple froth, with a sliver of bottarga on top providing salt and color. It was delicious and incredibly light, but I found myself wishing for some black pepper or something else with a little more snap to contrast with the egg.
Maine Uni Toast, Lardo, Périgord Truffle
* This was the highlight of the night for me. The list of ingredients made me wonder if the chef were simply throwing darts at names of random foods, but they blended perfectly--the lardo picked up the fat of the uni, while the truffle underscored its earthiness, and the salt crystals on top brought out the essential brininess. Two bites of heaven.
Langoustine On A Salt Rock
* After that richness, the perfect counterpoint--one single langoustine marinated in lemongrass, just barely warmed on the rock, with a sweet spicy dipping sauce on the side. This was also one of the best wine pairings of the night.
Kumamoto Oyster, Curry Sauce, Basil
* Another fascinating blend of unexpected flavors that perfectly suited each other.
Bluefin Tuna, Vegetable Kimchi, Bird of Paradise Pepper
* I'm guessing that the tuna had been poached in olive oil, to bring out its silkiness. The kimchi was finely diced and suggested root vegetables, and the pepper had a surprising and delightful flavor without too much heat.
Roasted Quail, Young Onion, Sweet Potato Chutney
* This was a beautiful conclusion to the savory portion of the meal, though I was somewhat surprised that the chef stopped short of red meat.
Selection of Table-Side Farm Cheese or Tea Service
* This was the biggest disappointment of the meal--four different creamy French cow's milk cheeses, which are not a favorite for either of us. As I said at the time, it reminded me of listening to electronica--if one paid more attention, I'm sure the distinctions would become clear, but when you don't care for it to begin with, it's all rather same.
Kiwi Marinated in Lavender, Sheep Yogurt Sorbet
* A lovely palate cleanser with a brilliant melding of lavender and kiwi flavors contrasting with the sharp yogurt tang.
Passion Fruit Paris-Brest, Peanut Praline
* This was somewhat lackluster--perfectly nice, but not outstanding in any way.
The dining room was all white, with white art and white-painted branches. The starkness was relieved by ashes of roses light fixtures, echoed by table flowers of the same hue. The staff and patrons were all in black--we were glad to have fit the dress code--except for one woman in a silver top. The two other parties of white people stood out from the largely Chinese clientele. The wines, which you can see listed in the photo below should you care about the details, were very interesting, especially the German whites. I was sorry that the menu kept us away from deeper reds.
Overall, it was a very exciting and delicious meal and definitely one I will remember!
From the restaurant we strolled back to Susan & Daniel's, where they were celebrating Daniel's birthday--and mine, since we're birthday twins. They'd even added my name to the cake! Another college friend and his boyfriend, whom I met last year, were there, and it was fun to meet some of their other friends. They are some of my favorite people in the world and it was so kind of them to let us crash their weekend.
We peeled ourselves away at a reasonable hour and got back to the hotel to bed. I was very impressed by the blackout curtains and soundproofing on the room--it was pitch black and very quiet. We got a good night's sleep and hauled ourselves up and on the road before 7am. That's definitely the time to travel--we made it in under four hours, plus a stop in Danbury for coffee and gas. I did most of the driving on the way down, but Jason drove all the way home, while I shamelessly napped most of the way.
What a wonderful birthday treat!
We stayed at the Walker Hotel which was charming, comfortable, and very conveniently located. After a brief pause there we walked around the block to Susan & Daniel's. They were setting up for their party that evening, but already had food out and insisted on giving us sub slices for lunch.
Next on the agenda was The Lifespan of a Fact, a new play starring Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale. It's an interesting play, about the conflict between fact and truth, and the dialogue is extremely well-written. The acting was fantastic--three people that I totally believed in. OK, I admit I never quite forgot that Radcliffe is Radcliffe, but he's made such a schtick of the anxious millennial that it was entirely credible that he would be saying these things. Cherry Jones was channelling Candace Bergen and Bobby Cannavale has a deep likability that made his grumpy artist never too exasperating. The only problem was that I disagree with what the play is saying, the way that it tries to make a conundrum out of a dilemma that I think is easily threaded. Jason and I had a lovely time at Thalia for a drink and a chance to digest what we had just seen. Sadly, that production closed today, but if you have another opportunity to see it, I'd be curious what you think.
We headed back to our hotel to change and enjoyed another drink in the lounge to keep ourselves warm on the walk to the restaurant--I had the Boogie Woogie, while Jason had the Secret to Staying Young, which he's always seemed to enjoy. When the time arrived we strolled west along 13th Street to Gunter Seeger, a Michelin starred restaurant that we'd never heard of before, where we embarked upon their Ten Course Menu.
Flower Herb Tart
* A delightful start to the meal, the base was a savory shortbread shell, the goat cheese was tangy and creamy and made a lovely contrast with the sharp flavors of the chive and flowers.
Confit Moulard Duck Foie Gras, Lychee, Riesling Gelée
* An optional addition, with a fascinating dark "rind" and just a dollop of balsamic on top. The lychee was too sweet for me, but the gelée was beautifully balanced and complex.
Four Sensations of the Oasis Farm Egg
* This reminded me very much of the similar dish at the Tasting Counter--an eggshell filled with egg custard and unsweetened maple froth, with a sliver of bottarga on top providing salt and color. It was delicious and incredibly light, but I found myself wishing for some black pepper or something else with a little more snap to contrast with the egg.
Maine Uni Toast, Lardo, Périgord Truffle
* This was the highlight of the night for me. The list of ingredients made me wonder if the chef were simply throwing darts at names of random foods, but they blended perfectly--the lardo picked up the fat of the uni, while the truffle underscored its earthiness, and the salt crystals on top brought out the essential brininess. Two bites of heaven.
Langoustine On A Salt Rock
* After that richness, the perfect counterpoint--one single langoustine marinated in lemongrass, just barely warmed on the rock, with a sweet spicy dipping sauce on the side. This was also one of the best wine pairings of the night.
Kumamoto Oyster, Curry Sauce, Basil
* Another fascinating blend of unexpected flavors that perfectly suited each other.
Bluefin Tuna, Vegetable Kimchi, Bird of Paradise Pepper
* I'm guessing that the tuna had been poached in olive oil, to bring out its silkiness. The kimchi was finely diced and suggested root vegetables, and the pepper had a surprising and delightful flavor without too much heat.
Roasted Quail, Young Onion, Sweet Potato Chutney
* This was a beautiful conclusion to the savory portion of the meal, though I was somewhat surprised that the chef stopped short of red meat.
Selection of Table-Side Farm Cheese or Tea Service
* This was the biggest disappointment of the meal--four different creamy French cow's milk cheeses, which are not a favorite for either of us. As I said at the time, it reminded me of listening to electronica--if one paid more attention, I'm sure the distinctions would become clear, but when you don't care for it to begin with, it's all rather same.
Kiwi Marinated in Lavender, Sheep Yogurt Sorbet
* A lovely palate cleanser with a brilliant melding of lavender and kiwi flavors contrasting with the sharp yogurt tang.
Passion Fruit Paris-Brest, Peanut Praline
* This was somewhat lackluster--perfectly nice, but not outstanding in any way.
The dining room was all white, with white art and white-painted branches. The starkness was relieved by ashes of roses light fixtures, echoed by table flowers of the same hue. The staff and patrons were all in black--we were glad to have fit the dress code--except for one woman in a silver top. The two other parties of white people stood out from the largely Chinese clientele. The wines, which you can see listed in the photo below should you care about the details, were very interesting, especially the German whites. I was sorry that the menu kept us away from deeper reds.
Overall, it was a very exciting and delicious meal and definitely one I will remember!
From the restaurant we strolled back to Susan & Daniel's, where they were celebrating Daniel's birthday--and mine, since we're birthday twins. They'd even added my name to the cake! Another college friend and his boyfriend, whom I met last year, were there, and it was fun to meet some of their other friends. They are some of my favorite people in the world and it was so kind of them to let us crash their weekend.
We peeled ourselves away at a reasonable hour and got back to the hotel to bed. I was very impressed by the blackout curtains and soundproofing on the room--it was pitch black and very quiet. We got a good night's sleep and hauled ourselves up and on the road before 7am. That's definitely the time to travel--we made it in under four hours, plus a stop in Danbury for coffee and gas. I did most of the driving on the way down, but Jason drove all the way home, while I shamelessly napped most of the way.
What a wonderful birthday treat!
