Jul 24, 2010

A night of glorious excess

A four-hour long affair of food and wine at Daniel. Ahhh, my spoiled, spoiled taste buds and stomach. They are going to have a fit when I get them back on the daily grind of ramen and other offensive processed foods.

These people really know what they are doing. Service was very personable and knowledgeable. Quite phenomenal all around. I was amazed how accommodating the menu was for vegetarians. Of course I wanted to whip out my Digital SLR but it was so quiet in the dining room, the obnoxious shutter click would have been the only noise heard all around. So I present you with a mix of iPhone and point & shoot shots.


Naturally, it is in the Upper East Side, where monies abound. :P
Pre-dinner cocktail called "Pomp and Circumstance." In hindsight, a cocktail followed by 6 glasses of wine pairings was not the smartest decision I've ever made.
I never remember what is in the amuse bouche, but these were so daintily plated.

And it begins (I had the carnivorous dishes on the left, and my friend's vegetarian selections on the right):


I did actually take home both of the menus, so if you are interested...
1) Mosaic of Lola Duck, Porcini and Red Wine Gelee | Yukon Gold Potato "Quiche" with Chanterelles
2) Peekytoe Crab Salad with Persian Cucumber | Ragout of California Corn
3) Hazelnut and Chorizo Crusted Maine Sea Scallops (this was INCREDIBLE) | Minted Ratatouille with Ricotta Gnocchi
4) Black Sea Bass with Syrah Sauce | Roasted Daikon Radish and Black Mission Figs
5) Duo of Beef (Short Ribs and Wagyu Tenderloin) | Arugula and Spinach Subric
6) Warm Guanaja Chocolate Coulant | Coconut Lemongrass Soup

Wine pairings were, of course, fantastic. I was holding up fine until I had to stand up after all of it. Oof. Most intense food coma ever.


Hehe spotted Daniel chatting to some diners! Also got a quick view of the kitchen. It's such a frenzy in there and lots of shouting/cursing. Pretty amazing.
I regretted not being able to polish off the petit fours. Or the selection of chocolate that came around.


My dining companion and I go way, way back. :) And I am quite lucky to have such fantastic friends. Thanks for the unbelievable dining experience!

3 comments :

  1. Yum! I'm drooling looking at these pics....

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  2. looks and sounds so elegant and fun! thanks for sharing the photos.

    xo Alison

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  3. Wow everything is so artfully done! I wouldn't want to eat that eye candy!

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