LE BERNARDIN
SARA:
After running late at work, I arrived at Le Bernardin surprisingly first of the group. I was sweating....not because of the sprint from NewsCorp, but from shear nerves. I was about to embark on a culinary journey. With its three Michelin stars, Le Bernardin is often considered a sort of Mecca for foodies. Its a place you need to go before you die. I love food, and I believe my palate is up to par, but I burn pop tarts, and I also eat McDonald's when I'm hungover. Was I ready for this?
I felt like a little girl wearing her mother's pumps. I was a mere Padawan challenging a Jedi master to a duel. To add insult to injury, after walking two feet into the door I knocked over a standing lamp onto a eloquently dressed old man, nearly making him drop his drink. Expecting grunts of disapproval, I was happily surprised when he chuckled, toasted me with his bourbon and whispered, "I'll be knocking down more then lamps when I'm done with this drink!" I found this to be the attitude of the entire restaurant; a stuffy looking old man with a warm heart (or at least a strong drink!).
Happily content that the cold impression of the place had an inner glow, I sat down by the bar, ordered my unpretentious ($15) martini, and ate the only free food of the night; crunchy little cheese sticks, which were delicious.
GREG:
They made me wear a blazer.
SARA:
Is that all you're writing?
GREG:
Okay, I’ll give you more.
BESIDES making me wear a blazer (and who knows who wore it last?), the L.B. peeps were very pleasant. They put us near the kitchen, which normally would bug me, but not when celebrity chef Eric Ripert keeps peeking out the door. Plus, they sat us next to Charlie Rose, so clearly our blog puts us in the same company as other celebrities. I also like that they carried our drinks over for us. Nice touch, though for what we ended up spending, they should have carried US over as well.
Are we even qualified to discuss the food? The amuse bouche was a scallop sitting in a truffle foam. Super tasty, though the truffle foam didn’t taste all that different to me than Campbell’s mushroom soup. I know it was. I’m just sayin’.
SARA:
Ha. I laughed when you walked in because I knew they were going to make you put that hideous thing on. You never know, it could have been worn by Johnny Depp before you...or do you think they would force him to put on a jacket?
I actually thought the amuse bouche was one of my favorite things! A scallop in a half shell with truffle foam. YUM! Cambell's Cream of Mushroom soup makes me sick thinking about it...thanks Greg!
I loved our seat. There was so much to look at! There was a lady in a weird white fur hat that encased her entire head. You would think that since they made you put a jacket on, they would make her take the road kill off before she ate. The conversation between Charlie Rose, his "girlfriend" and Eric Ripert was humorous. They discussed their new years plans with Diana Von Furstenberg. I was sad Eric didn't come over to chat with us! (Though not surprised.)
I really liked our waiter, and the entire wait staff. The sommolier was completely on key throughout the entire menu. I even favored some of the wines over the courses.
Our first course was sliced raw salmon with apples, jicama, and olive oil. The thing I liked most about the dinner was the presentation. Every course came with a sauce that was added table side. The salmon had a mild jalapeno sauce which it needed to cut back the oiliness of the dish. It came with a nice white chablis.
GREG:
Is it rude to say I think Charlie Rose paid more for his meal than his date? (My apologies, Mr. Rose, if the young lady with you was your wife. According to Wikipedia, it’s not.)
So then came the peakytoe crab, a light dish that I might have mistaken for lobster, with thin-sliced cauliflower, crème fresh and dijon sauce. Liz asked them to hold the sauce, but I think she missed out. Libby hates mustard, but she really enjoyed this one. If only imitation crab tasted so good! And yes, they nailed the wine again, with some extra acidity to go with the dijon.
SARA:
The halibut came out next, and surprisingly was my least favorite of the dishes. It was accompanied by red and yellow cherry tomatoes, radishes and jalepenos , and topped with some fruity sauce, which I found slightly too acidic and overpowering. It came with oakey chardonay which GREATLY improved the taste of the food. I wouldn't have liked the dish or the wine separately, but together it made the dish tasty. Tasty...but still my least favorite.
GREG:
It’s an Halibut! That’s a Monty Python joke.
I liked the Halibut more than you did, but what I LOVED was the next dish...Grilled Skate, served in a spicy red sauce. God I wish we didn’t just get a tasting menu portion on this one. I could have eaten a whole fish. It was grilled to perfection, bursting with flavors both from the fish and the grill, and the sauce itself could have been on the menu. This also came with our first red wine of the night.
If I recall correctly, by this point, I was starting to get concerned about passing out before the meal ended. Wine pairings are dangerous.
SARA:
The skate came with a red wine? I don't remember that one. I probably shouldn't have had that martini to start the evening.
The next dish was my favorite. We had monkfish in a red wine reduction with truffle foam. Eric seems to like using truffle foam, and/or jalapenos in a lot of his dishes. It was moist, delicious and flavorful (and also our sommalier's favorite if I remember correctly). It was paired with a California pinot called Flowers. I'm surprised I remember this, being that it was my fifth glass. However, it was so good, I could probably bathe in it.
GREG:
Well that would be first. KIDDING!
I’m blanking on the last course. That’s bad. For $312 a person, I’d like to remember every damn bite. Yes readers, $312 a person. That’s 312 items off the McDonald’s Dollar Menu. Well, minus tax.
Do you remember?
SARA:
We had some little creme pot for dessert that was green. I remember liking it a lot. Then another dessert with hazelnut, chocolate and ice cream. I didn't like this very much and was sad it was the last thing I ate.
They paired the desserts with a port from 1980. We made fun of Liz because it was older then her. It was the best port I've ever had (though I don't usually drink port). They gave us some cookies at the end. If you calculate the price, I think each of those little cookies came out to around $10 each.
I had an amazing time, and an amazing meal overall. I'm glad I was buzzed at the end of the meal, because the buyer's remorse didn't kick in until the next morning. The next time I go to Le Bernardin will be on the arm of Charlie Rose..or some other PBS personality who will pay for my meal (maybe that guy from Antique's Roadshow?).
GREG:
We picked the shmanciest restaurant in New York to close out 2007 and, overall, it absolutely lived up to the hype. If the check didn’t ruin the evening for me, it would definitely go down as one of the best meals I’ve ever had. And the place wasn’t as pretentious as I’d expected, despite the blazer and Charlie Rose sighting. I hardly feel qualified blogging Le Bernadin given its reputation and the quality of the food, but the whole thing was a great experience and a fine way to cap year one of our supper club. So what if I’m eating nothing but lettuce this month!
FINAL GRADES –
GREG:
Ambiance: B+
Service: A-
Courses: A
Wine: A+
Desserts: B-
Value: D (value? What value???)
SARA:
Ambiance: B
Service: A+
Courses: A
Wine: A+
Desserts: B
Value: C
LIZ:
Ambiance: B+ (gotta love the fur hats)
Service: A+
Courses: A
Wine: A+
Desserts: A-/B+ (don't really remember it - was it that chocolate
peanut corn thing?)
Value: B (come on people, you only live once!)
LIBBY:
Ambiance:B-
Service: A+
Courses :A
Wine: A+
Desserts: I don't remember
Value: C (will probably seem higher one day when we're rich)
Next stop: Del Posto
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