out and about: (redacted)th birthday tasting dinner at georges

champagne

louis morette, grande reserve, brut rose, champagne, epernay france, nv (b. 202)

Yes, yes. It’s that birthday. No, I’m not thrilled about it. Not with the first kiddo off to college the next week. It’s a lot.

But I did want to acknowledge all of it in two ways.

First. On my actual birthday I just wanted to order in sushi, order a bottle of Dom, and play board games… just the six of us. Since college leavings are only starting, this might be the only bday I can get all my kiddos all together before their lives take precedence. So that we did. Almost 8 hours of family, hangout time, food, drinks, and fun. It was the most perfect day ever.

Second. I wanted to enjoy a good meal with the hubs and friends the following night. I told jamie a while back that it was a bummer TBL3 no longer existed, because that is what I would want. A tasting course meal at george’s whim of the chef v/s the typical menu. So jamie, being jamie, reached out to the gm and friend, and asked him if there was any dinning experience we could do. And they could. And they did. They created a tasting menu with some of my favorite dishes from decades ago, and one of the TBL3 staples - and my favorite bite - along with new and fun dishes.

Both of our favorite exec chef’s were there, and create an experience they did. We invited 15. 9 were able to make it (and we don’t hold it against the out of towners). We were able to request our favorite waiter, and friend, for the table… which made things all the more fun. And it turned out to be hours and hours of the best food, the most fun conversation, and such an easy, no stress way to welcome in my next decade.

To start us off, we ordered brut rose for the table. And while some of us had beer, and other’s of us had various cocktails… pretty much everyone kept drinking the bubbles. To the tune of 3 more bottles (maybe 4? I wasn’t keeping track). It was light, refreshing, but had body. The gm recommended it to us as his personal fav, and I’m so glad he did. I’ll be getting this one again.

snacks

‘fish taco’: corn nuts, beer battered avocado, lime aioli, cabbage, cilantro

crab stuffed squash blossom: tarragon, corn

trout roe tart: salmon tartare, creme fraice, dill, pickled shallots

I don’t even know where to begin. This trio was unbelievable. Each bite was so unique, yet they all worked together to balance one another out. I could seriously order full portions of each one and have those three dishes as my meal. But I can’t, ‘cause they aren’t on the menu. But they should be.

The trout roe tart was fantastic. A perfect pastry bite, stuffed with salmon tartare perfect balanced with creme fraiche without being over powered. And the pop of trout roe atop everything was a serious game changer. You know it’s good when I start figuring out how to incorporate trout roe and raw salmon in everything.

Y’all know how much I love making stuffed squash blossoms… and this was no different. Albeit slightly better than mine. I loved the fresh corn, and crab take, v/s just the traditional cheese. Almost like a crab fritter, but with out the heavy breading.. just the delicate squash.

The ‘fish taco’ used to be a menu staple when george’s modern was open. And decades ago, the description was something like, “don’t ask us to describe it, you just have to try it.” Because how do you explain the idea behind making a taco shell out of a raw piece of tuna coated in corn nuts, and then stuffed with cabbage, cilantro and aioli, and then serving it along side a beer battered avocado. You don’t. You just try it and fall in love. This is one of those dishes I missed so much during covid, and subsequently afterward when modern never reopened, that I had to create my own version just to get my fix. But it was never as good. And why it was one of the dishes I did request for the menu if they could.

bread course

bread: butter and seasoned salt

Years and years ago, georges used to do bread service. And that bread service was with butter and this amazing seasoned salt. A few years before they closed, they changed their bread service offering three different (constantly changing) dips - all were amazing - but no more seasoned salt.

And you guys! They brought it back for the night, and gave me a to-go container of the rest. Best. Day. Ever.

first course

heirloom tomato salad: goat cheese, herbs espelette, balsamic ponzu

I have been obsessed. Obsessed! With heirloom tomatoes this season. They are so amazing right now, And I just can’t get enough.

This salad was so light and delicate, highlighting just how good the tomatoes really were. I really loved the mix of large sized tomatoes and cherry.

second course:

charred carrots: carrot top salsa verde, grilled peanut oil, pickled peaches

These carrots were beyond brilliant. Perfectly cooked, not mushy, not to cripsy. Just a nice bite.

Bonus for dual use of the carrots and tops.

third course

TBL3 fish taco: achiote snapper, roasted jalapeno, mango puree, cabbage, lime, cilantro, snapper chicharron

This is a dish I could cry over. This is the dish that made me fall in love with raw red snapper.

We did TBL3 once a year for maybe 8 - 10 years. And the only dish that was on every single menu, was this fish taco. But the cool thing was, they were constantly trying to evolve it. So it started with tortillas from el napolito, then house made tortillas, then blue masa tortillas, which finally morphed into galaxy taco. Little tweaks were made each year and each year was perfect. I love, love, love this dish.

Slightly cured red snapper might just be the perfect taco fish. And the house made chicharron from the snapper on top? Chef’s kiss.

fourth course

local spot prawns: wild fennel butter, meyer lemon

Yeah, so I might have been so excited for this one, that I forgot to photograph it. I’m sure I have an older picture somewhere. But I digress.

This was a seasonal dish at modern. And every year when they would post that spot prawn season had kicked off, I would call jamie at work, and make resos for that night. There is something about the fennel butter when combined with seafood that just hits. So tender, never over cooked… there is just nothing like a spot prawn. But these spot prawns? Greater than any other.

fifth course

sweet corn ravioli: chanterelles, toasted corn husk butter, parmesan

Who doesn’t love a pasta course. And, most especially a pasta with mushrooms and corn. It’s the summer trifecta.

Winning.

sixth course

stuffed lamb saddle: sumer squash, swiss chard, eggplant, jimmy nardello peppers, elderberry lamb jus

So… on the hill we are dying on… its the au jus. Forever and ever. “Cause those flavors?

Yes, and please, and pair them with anything and we are in, down, and living for it.

pre - dessert

rhubarb & cream: ginger-lime cream, hibiscus meringue, basil sorbet

Okay, what? Pre-dessert? Why is this not a thing? ‘Cause this is the pallet cleansing moment.

Favorite part? The basil sorbet. Paired perfectly with the rhubarb.

dessert

peach mille-feuille: caramel diplomat, vanilla peaches, caramelized peach jam, chantilly

Yeah… so another course I was so blown away with, that I completely forgot to take a pick of… But, if you ever get a chance to try this one? Take it. My favorite dessert ever is a french neopolitan. And this one? So reminded me of my fav… but with peaches. And the pastry? Can I just get more of that. For all the things?

Thank you to everyone who took part in making this, honestly, one of my most favorite birthdays ever.