of work on the plate; every component is prepared with thoughtful precision. Spring for the six course tasting menu, $75 is a good deal. There’s a rustic meets modern aesthetic in the restaurant that’s speaks to us loudly. what to eat: Start with the velvety parsnip custard, and cold smoked scallops served with black garlic and knobby sea beans. Then try a deconstructed version of New Zealand comfort food, the steak and cheese ‘pie’ with a mound of lusty taleggio buried beneath a crispy pastry disk. We also love the perfectly prepared rosy hued venison flavored with juniper. You’ll want them to mix master a drink from the Musket Soda Fountain, just pick a “shrub flavor” (crab apple or perhaps smoked corn?) then select a fizzy upper from a range that includes ginger beer and bitter lemon soda, and a downer from the booze section, dark rum or tequila? It’s a toss up.
EVERYTHING from the charcuterie selection – it’s just too hard to choose between grandma’s terrine and classic pork rillettes.
Gorge
West Hollywood, CA Chefs Elia Aboumrad and Uyen Nguyen are currently running an all female kitchen, not by intention, but just because the “boys we hired didn’t really work out.” This tiny slip of a restaurant is really more of a dimly lit wine bar and the pair running it (who originally met in Paris while attending culinary school) are serving outstanding French fare to those who truly care about fat laden, silky meat, in all manipulated shapes and sizes. what to eat: It doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as the menu dictates, but order the lobster mousse, a dome crowned with pine nuts trapped within a tomato en gelée nipple. The frommage de tete is also a must; it lacked Montmartre the weight and inherent oiliness one often Chelsea, NY encounters in head cheese. A wild pheasant Chef Michael Toscano recently handed over terrine is layered with black truffles and the reigns at Perla to take Tien Ho’s place pecans for crunch, and the duck sausage with in the kitchen at Montmarte, so out are smooth potato puree qualifies as sublime the Asian influences and in are eats that a comfort food. For dessert, order Nguyen’s Francophile will adore. Although we are happy St. Honoré style pastries, cream filled puffs to see Toscano has taken the traditional menu covered in chocolate, or crunchy caramel, or route, we sure are going to miss that Hong meringue…all delicate and delicious. Kong PB&J French toast that used to be on the brunch menu. what to eat: Begin your meal with the difficult choice of ordering the unexpected, like an octopus version of pasta Provençal, or sticking to bistro classics such as the mousse-y chicken liver with shallot marmalade, escargots or steak tartare. Lamb lovers will appreciate the use of leg, neck and tongue, whereas those simply in search of a superb burger will be rewarded with dry aged beef topped with “béarnaise cheese.” Try 18 | November 2013