When I heard about this latest event from
Emerging Chefs, I knew it would be something special. And obviously so did a
lot of other people because this event sold out in a flash.
Chef Brian Rosander prepared a meal that
was composed of cold or slightly warm dishes in an effort to beat the heat. He
encouraged us to take our time and savor the complex flavor combinations as we sipped the cocktails created to
compliment them by the Velvet Tango Room's owner and mixologist Paulius Nasvytis. Sip
and savor we did!
The dashing owner of the VTR Paulius Nasvytis (photo from https://www.facebook.com/paulius.nasvytis ) |
I initially was disappointed that I wasn’t
seated on the beautiful patio, but as the temperatures soared, I was thankful
for the shade and air conditioning my spot in the "secret" back room offered.
This seat proved to be extra special
because I was accidentally seated next to a Twitter friend I had hoped to meet
in person for the first time that night – bonus!
@anet414 IRL - awesome! |
This brings me to my one complaint of the night - the seating. While the VTR offers the perfect setting for some nibbles and small bites to go with your cocktail, it was overflowing with guests and many of us had to balance our plates and silverware on our laps due to the lack of room on the tables. Especially for a blogger, this created a juggling act that was very distracting. But luckily, no major mishaps at our table!
Thanks for working so hard for us ladies! |
Aligot-purple majesty and american potatoes, laguiole and cave-aged rogue blue cheese and toulouse sausage |
Best. Manhattan. Ever. Get it just for the cherry. |
Apricot Lady |
Chicken Mousseline with Tomato Tarte Tatin |
Love how the juices ran into the basil puree and acting as a dressing |
If only I had bread, this plate would have been clean! |
I though this course would be hard to beat and I was right. The next course was good, but paled in comparison. This was a cold bread pudding type dish with chunks of pork belly and apples. I think I only had one piece of pork in mine and many stated they had the same or none. I liked the flavor of the pork but some other diners commented on not liking the texture so maybe it was good that I only had one. The dusting of powdered sugar reinforced that this should be breakfast in my mind. I also wasn't a huge fan of the Bershire Martinez cocktail that was paired with it - it was just a tad too bitter for me and really really strong.
Poached Pork Belly with Brandy Clafoutis |
We ended the evening on a high note - the dessert course was a unique and interesting combination of creaminess, rosemary and chocolate. Sounds crazy right? My mouth was shocked by the first bite but by bite #2, I was digging in for more. The flavors danced on your tongue and were a wonderful combo. I loved the green apples too - that and the rosemary kept the creaminess in check. Loved it! The creamy goodness was echoed in the beverage choice - one of my all time favorites - a White Russian. The VTR's famous ice cubes were dusted with just a touch of fresh cinnamon that was the perfect compliment to the dessert. What an ending!
Ginger Fruit Tartare with Rosemary Cream Catalana & Chocolate Rosemary Ganache |
These ice cubes are specially made in a specific shape and lower temperature than normal to ensure that your drink doesn't get watered down. Genius! |
In addition to the great food and drinks, they teased us by having the chef for their upcoming event come and say hi.
Chef Jeff Fisher promised a heavenly feast at Sagra di San Rocco on August 3rd from 6-9pm. $50. It will be a family-style Italian party with wines from Tuscany Distributors. Buon appetito! Get your tickets here. You just might be saying "Ne voglio ancora" by the end!
*Disclosure: I was provided a media pass for this event.
As always, my opinions are my own.*
You can read some of the other bloggers post about this event by clicking on their name below: