So when I come across a chef who has a similarly whimsical approach to things, I get quite a kick out of it.
The very generous folks at Alexandra's American Fusion at Turf Valley invited the Sous Chef and me to one of their monthly dinners where they partner with a local brewery or vineyard to create a seasonal menu with delicious beverage pairings.
April's partnership was with Flying Dog Brewery out of Frederick, Maryland. The scene was cozy and intimate, in an event room adjacent to the main dining room area of the restaurant. A built-in fireplace lit up the back wall, and bottle after bottle of Flying Dog brews chilled in a large trough of ice. Just the set up let us know we were in for something special.
Chef Russell Svoboda and a representative from Flying Dog started off the evening with a brief introduction to the menu and a background on the brewery. It's so much fun to geek out over food, the Chef did just that; to listen to him as he put into words the passion and creativity that went into each course was quite a treat. It was very clear from his descriptions that Chef Svoboda takes great pride in what he puts on the plate, and the twinkle in his eye told us that he really likes what he does.
The eye sparkle also told me to look for fun little twists on the plate. We were not disappointed.
The amuse bouche was a pea and leek puree with whipped lemon ricotta and pancetta. The taste was very Springy and fresh. It was presented in a glass, so of course I drank from it and the Sous Chef just sat there, mortified, holding his spoon. It was all very "Beauty and the Beast" - but reversed, since I'm the girl. Not that I was acting like it.
Moving on.
The first course was tuna tartare paired with the Woody Creek Belgian white. I love me some raw fish, let me tell you. The creaminess of the tuna was balanced well with the zing of the lemon-ginger dressing, with just a hint of spice from sriracha.
After that, we enjoyed a vegetarian dish (the Chef once worked at Great Sage, so he knows his way around a vegetable) - a grilled eggplant terrine with rosemary and sundried tomato pesto. The coolest part was that the Chef had (eye twinkle alert!) made an olive oil powder to sprinkle over the dish! I actually applauded as he explained it to us.
Such a food geek am I.
Wasabi salmon skewers made their way to our table next. They were paired with one of the Chef's favorite beers of the evening, and one of Flying Dog's most popular varieties - Raging Bitch. It's aptly named - it kind of smacks you in the face while at the same time winning your heart.
Sous Chef noticed that the Chef had (sparkle!) tied the greens together with a chive - what fun! What whimsy! What resourcefulness! Love it.
The fourth and final savory course was a humdinger. (Are you allowed to use that word if you're not an 85-year-old man?) Ribs, smoked for nine hours, served with a chipotle molasses barbecue sauce and scallion cornbread. This course was paired with the Horn Dog barley wine. Brad, the rep from Flying Dog, said that it's a rarity in the beer world in that it gets better with age - the "sweet" spot for this one is at about two years. The taste was interesting and well developed. Bravo, beer makers. Plus, we got to keep the glass. Bonus.
Chef had twinklingly teased us that the dessert would include a "surprise" that would "help" us enjoy the final course of the evening. What came out of the kitchen was the epitome of having fun with your food: a sea salt caramel truffle "trapped" inside a house made marshmallow, served with a cookie spoon to help you dig it out!
Of course the spoon didn't work - the cookie was too delicate. But oh my goodness, I was giggling like a school girl at that point.
It's nice to be able to play at the dinner table; fine dining doesn't have to be stuck up. So often we get caught up in the tedium and formality of being adults, which is just plain not as much fun as being a kid. An evening at Alexandra's reminded me that food can feed your spirit just as much as your cells.
Eat (and play) well.
P.S. Check Alexandra's web page and Facebook page for more information about their monthly event dinners. I highly recommend them for the hungry fun-lover within us all.
No comments:
Post a Comment