out and about: le coq apps

calvados 75: apple brandy, pear, vanilla, citrus, bubbles

ipa: harland “ipa”

Y’all know we love le coq, almost as much as it predecessor herringbone. Which is a good thing considering the exec chef of le coq once worked as a line cook at herringbone, and totally makes sense.

One of our favorite things to do with the reimagined space is grab a seat at the bar, or on a high top table thereabouts. Not only is the full menu available, but so is the happy hour menu. And as you know, our favorite way to eat is by sharing appetizers.

Personally, I love le coq’s version of the french 75. The pear makes it super yummy, and combined with the apple brandy? Deliciousness in a glass. (Although rumor has it, it is no longer on the menu).

And while the beer menu only has two options? Thankfully one of them is an ipa.

hokkaido scallop crudo: mustard, strawberry rhubarb timur vinegar

There are only two places that jamie will do raw scallops. This is one of them.

He first fell in love with them during the road to james beard series, and now if they are on the le coq menu? It’s not even a question we are ordering them.

Fresh strawberies, sweet scallops, pickled mustard seeds? Seriously? What’s not to love.

tuna tartare: pickled gooseberry, caviar, horseradish, creme fraiche

I love that le coq has gone the route of so many of our favorite restaurants — not only do the dishes rotate seasonally, but some of the favorites stay on the menu but the accoutrements change. ie there is always a tuna tartare on the menu, a crudo of sorts, and a beef tartare, what they are mixed with changes. So you are always ensured your favorite app (which is our preferred shared order) type will be on the menu, but you don’t know in what iteration you will get it.

Over the years, jamie has become obsessed with gooseberries. So much so, that I have taken to incorporating them in my own dishes.

With this tuna tartare? And the purslane? They work perfectly. A great balance for the creaminess of the creme fraiche, and the brininess of the caviar. And somehow? None of it over powers the freshness of the fish itself.

steak tartare: cornichon, caper, pippara, smoked mayo, potato chips

I love the idea of using a pickled pepper inside the tartare instead of the traditional brininess found in a cornichon. Instead the cornichons are on the outside and almost a garnish, if you will. The whole thing feels like a meat caviar platter if you will. Take a potato chip, spread some mayo, and top with tartare and pickle.

Perfect bite with all the umami one could want.

Highly looking forward to our next appetizer night, because I’ll bet the menu has already changed and we’ll get to explore even more fantastic flavors next time.