My Top Dishes of 2014

My Top Dishes of 2014

The Bazaar Uni Steamed Buns

The Bazaar Uni Steamed Buns

My job had me on the road more than not in 2014 and while I’ve had many, many unforgettable meals in 2014, I’ve tried to narrow down the 10 best dishes I enjoyed during the past year. Here’s the list in restaurant name alphabetical order.

Hushpuppy – Atera

Chef Matthew Lightner’s take on hushpuppies is simply brilliant. The fried exterior encased a smoked egg yolk and pickled corn. While innocent in appearance, the hushpuppy with its smoked yolk is mind-altering.

Oysters with Three Caviars – Cosmos at Loews Minneapolis

Chef Tim Fischer tops the freshest of oysters with a scrumptious sabayon then three caviars. Creamy, briny and texturally-perfect.

Escape Lobster Knuckle

Escape Lobster Knuckle

Charred Octopus with Boudin Noir Ravioli – Chakra Restaurant

I attended an Emilio Moro wine dinner at Chakra where Chef Thomas Cizsak served this fabulous dish as a first course. The octopus was of the utmost tenderness with a perfect amount of char and the boudin noir ravioli was outstanding.

Lobster Knuckle, Matsutake, Foie, Foie Juice – Escape Montclair

Chef Bryan Gregg outdid himself with this stellar dish. Sweet lobster, earthy mushroom, slab of seared foie gras with foie juice – spectacular dish served during a cancer charity dinner.

Boudin Noir – Joe Beef

Moist, flavorful bound noir paired with pork belly, pears and pierogis in foie broth – need I say more?

Sfixio Pasta

Sfixio Pasta

Octopus with Mediterranean Chickpea Salad – MP Taverna Astoria

Chef Michael Psilakis likely makes my favorite grilled octopus and this version in the form of a salad with chickpeas, fresh herbs and fantastic olive oil.

Sfixio Pasta – Sfixio Beverly Hills

Chef Massimo Denaro’s pasta special knocked my stilettos off. Perfectly-cooked spaghetti with truffle and caviar in a light cream sauce. The truffle aroma was intoxicating and the briny caviar paired exquisitely with the light sauce.

Corn Crème Brulée – Terre à Terre

At a tasting dinner I attended, Chef Todd Villani pleased my guests with his corn crème brulée served in an egg shell. The accompanying corn gelato was both refreshing and satisfying.

Joe Beef Boudin

Joe Beef Boudin

Uni Steamed Buns – The Bazaar by Jose Andres

Yes, I’m a little obsessed with uni and this dish satisfied me completely. The steamed buns were pillowy and a perfect nest for the avocado and sea urchin.

Deconstructed Bouillabaisse – Triomphe

With his modern take on the classic bouillabaisse, Chef Florian Wehrli showcases the freshest seafood and fish: clams, squid, striped bass and shrimp in a flavorful saffron broth.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these dishes and what some of your favorite 2014 dishes were.

Happy New Year!

Veronique

Chef Tim Fischer Finds a New Home at Cosmos

Chef Tim Fischer Finds a New Home at Cosmos

Chef Fischer and Me

Chef Fischer and Me

It’s always unfortunate when New Jersey loses talented chefs to other states. I was sad to see Chef Tim Fischer leave the Garden State but when I found out it was to relocate back home to Minnesota I was relived as I knew I’d get to sample his delicious food yet again. My company’s headquarters are in Minneapolis and on a recent team meeting up, I messaged Chef Fischer to see where he’d landed so I could plan our team dinner wherever he was working and the response I received was “can’t announce it just yet, but I will very soon”. I was disappointed and booked dinner at the Loews Minneapolis at a place called Cosmos. Fast forward two days and I get a note from Chef Fischer “I’m the new Executive Chef at the Loews”. Call it karma! (Get to know Chef Fischer by reading the Chef Spotlight I did on him).

The Famous Oyster

The Famous Oyster

Out team of six made its way to Cosmos on a week night and were warmly greeted by our hosts, the hotel’s leisure sales manager (our team manages a hotel program that Loews is a member of) and Chef Fischer. What a treat to learn he’d be spoiling us with a tasting dinner featuring some of the dishes he’d be including on his new menu.

To start our gastronomical experience, Chef Fischer presented us with a real treat – one of my favorite dishes of 2013 he’d made at a vintage Champagne dinner I’d attended at his former employer, Crystal Springs Resort – an oyster topped with a luscious sabayon and gilded with three caviars. If you’ve seen the animated movie Ratatouille, when I tasted that oyster again, I had a moment similar to Anton Ego’s, the restaurant critic, as he tasted the ratatouille. Briny, creamy, texturally-perfect – a fantastic way to begin our meal.

Burrata

Burrata

We enjoyed a sampling of Chef Fischer’s creations throughout the meal and a super starter was the incredibly-fresh Burrata with heirloom tomatoes and basil sorbet with olive oil “caviar”, a traditional dish that screamed “inventive” with the use of the sorbet and caviar.

Next came a fish course with some expertly-cooked steelhead trout over baby beets and halibut served with fava beans. Both fish were pristinely fresh and some of the finest our team’s had.

Steelhead Trout

Steelhead Trout

A cook after my own heart, Chef Fischer served us a sizeable portion of seared foie gras from Minnesota….delectable, rich, praise-worthy.

Next came a surf & turf featuring beautifully-rare bison tenderloin paired with butter-poached lobster over creamy grits. The meat was fork-tender and the rich pan sauce served with it was an ideal complement.

Desserts were masterpieces and a favorite was the decadent chocolate ganache concoction reminiscent of a s’mores with Graham cracker dust and sea salt ice cream.

Bison

Bison

The setting at Cosmos was elegant yet comfortable and I understand the dining room will get some upgrades to reflect Loews’ contemporary feel. Our group visits many hotel properties as part of its job and all of us were surprised to hear the hotel hadn’t been remodeled in some time as it appeared in immaculate shape.

Since we visited, Chef Fischer has officially launched his new menu to the fortunate guests who frequent Cosmos. His passion and love for Minnesota are apparent at every tasty turn of the menu’s pages.

Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Ganache

For what is likely the best meal in Minneapolis, be sure to come visit this talented team. I know my future trips to headquarters will be a lot more fun to make, even in winter, knowing I’ll be dining at Cosmos.

Loews Minneapolis – 601 1st Ave N., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55403.

Cheers,

Veronique