The Food Was Not Undelicious: May 25-June 1, 2007!! Completed - Post #794

[CampbellScot]

We had dairy goats when I was a kid. Nothing better to a kid than the mineral salt licks (the brown ones - the white ons are just plain salt).

so good to know I'm not alone!!!!

c'mon Brenda...spill it...which barnyard animal did YOU share a salt lick with?!

 

[oybolshoi]

Victoria and Albert's - The Chef's Table, Part II

Where were we before the group discussion turned to bizarre childhood food habits? For what it's worth, I never went anywhere near a farm growing up as a child but Grimace once told me that I had a fondness for dog biscuits, which is decidedly odd because we never had a dog...

Oh well, look at how far I've come since then!


Anyway, as I previously mentioned, this is apt to get a little sloppy since Jay and I didn't always have the same food. But bear with us...I think you'll be pleased with the outcome, or at least with the pictures.

One of things that was really cool about the Chef's Table was that the sommelier was choosing wines to compliment each course that Chef Scott was preparing for us, but he was also taking our personal likes and dislikes into account. His name is Israel Perez and he's also the restaurant Maitre' de, and I took the opportunity to mention that I really didn't like strong red wines because the sulfites give me a headache. But, to make things more interesting, I had to tell him that I don't care much for really sweet wines, either.

"Ah," he said with a small smile. "A challenge!"

I am so glad that I told him this because he gave me some wonderful alternatives to try during the evening, including that Rosa Regale that we all love so much!

I strongly encourage you to make your wine likes and dislikes known whether you are at the Chef's Table or having dinner in the dining room - either way you're paying for this experience...you might as well enjoy it!

Course I (Brenda)

Dungeness and King Crab with Spring Asparagus and Calvisius Caviar
Wine pairing: Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino, Sardegna 2004


DING DING DING!!! We have a winner! I love crab, especially when I don't have to crack open the claws to get to the good stuff, although I do admit to a certain prehistoric Cro-Magnon satisfaction in breaking apart a crab leg, sucking out the sweet, succulent meat inside, and brandishing the knuckles threateningly at anyone else at the table who may be considering a raid on my crab stash...and then I like to... oh, uh ...too much information, right.

Ahem...as I was saying, on the left you will see a hunk, a hunk of tasty crab... (Get it? It's King crab ) ... surrounded by a small swirl of creamy butter sauce topped with what looks like a single stalk of ragweed. The crab and the sauce were wonderful, and I tried some with a scoop of the caviar in the middle of the plate ... that kind of incredible taste combination is probably illegal in 37 states.

The asparagus was perfectly cooked, tender and lightly seasoned; it also tasted quite good with the cream sauce. On the right is the Dungeness crabbie patty wearing a leafy green hat accented with a single, vivid red petal. This was also very good, a little more sweet, but excellent and really tasty with the caviar clump.

Wondering about the caviar? So was I. Calvisius Caviar is from Italy - white sturgeon are farm raised in clean, spring-fed pools and their roe are large and dark. The flavor was rich and a little salty, but overall the taste was very nice and I really enjoyed it with both crab selections and by itself.

As for the wine, it was also from Italy - Sardinia - and it is made from the Vermentino grape. This is considered an exceptional choice to accompany seafood and shellfish due to the subtle presence of a natural marine salinity in the wine. **I am not smart enough about wine to know this - this information is coming from my wine notes**

I am a huge fan of white wines, especially Pinot Grigios and Pinot Noirs, and this wine was fabulous - light and crisp with a full flavor and just a bit of an underlying bite to it.


Course I (Jason)

Seared Colorado Buffalo Tenderloin, Braised Fennel, Radishes, and Satsuma Tangerine Vinaigrette
Wine pairing: Cantina Del Taburno Falanghina, Campania 2005


I'm not going to lie to you... Jason had to work late tonight and is not available for comment. But don't worry, I feel comfortable putting words in his mouth and I don't think he'll mind. If he does, we'll come back and let him editorialize to his heart's content.

For me, personally, buffalo is too gamey. It's not that I don't want my meat to taste like meat, but I don't want it to taste like the Great Plains, either. I love the presentation, though... the color is gorgeous and those Tangerine Vinaigrette sperms are a true inspiration.

Jason really enjoyed this dish - the buffalo was well prepared, similar to "medium" in steak grilling terms, and the garnishments made it seem as if each piece of buffalo tenderloin was served with a miniature salad. As for the Tangerine sperm, Jay said that their presence just proves that this was a man's dish!

The wine was a very tasty, full-bodied Italian white with underlying fruit flavors, especially pear, and it did have some acidity to it. We were both a little surprised to see the buffalo paired with a white, but Jay thought it worked really well.


Course II (Brenda & Jason)

Ivory King Salmon with Mustard Greens, Sauce Soubise, and Ramp Pesto
Wine Pairing: Pere' & Fils Christian Moreau Chablis 2004


Don't get confused... we did not share this dish, we were each given one of our own. The better to stuff you with, my dear.

Time for some more honesty...I'm not a big fan of salmon unless it's really thinly sliced and served chilled with marscapone cheese. Jay, on the other hand, is salmon-man... if he were a balding, half-blind, sanctimonious politician I'd call him Salmon P. Surname... (sorry, that was a Civil War joke that was about as funny as a screen door on a submarine). But this salmon was excellent - milder and more delicate than most salmon fillets, it also had a very rich taste. Chef Scott came out to fishmonger with us for a few minutes and that's when we found out that the ivory salmon are actually pretty rare, accounting for about 5% of the total king salmon population. This was also when he started talking up the Copper River Salmon over at Artist Point - according to him the Copper River is a true delicacy. We'll never know, but I'm not bitter or anything.

I was surprised by just how much I liked this salmon and I really liked nibbling on the little carrots that came with it. What I liked less was the Sauce Soubise, which is a white onion sauce, and the baby onions that were co-mingling with my carrots.

The wine, by the way, was excellent. A chablis from Burgundy, France (and I loves me the white wines from Burgundy) this had a strong fruit scent and flavor - I recall hints of apple and lemon. Yummy!!!


I must stop for now... I hope this will hold you over for another day or two. Thanks for reading!

 

[cmp1111]

Well, YUM. I can't see that I would look at any of those things on a menu and say, "Oh, yes, I want that," but everything looks and sounds delicious, which perhaps just means that I need to become a little more adventurous.

I'm sorry Jason had to work late, but you didn't say anything untoward, so he should be happy.

Thanks again for sharing!

 

[oybolshoi]

I just had to share my oddness in relation to slabs of salt b/c I thought perhaps you would find it a wee bit funny....and maybe a little gross...which goes well together...

Okay so I've always had a "thing" for slabs of salt...I don't use an awful lot of salt in my diet really....it's not good for your heart and blah blah...but giant hunks of salt have always held a deep fascination for me...When I was two my mom found me in one of the calf cribs at my granddad's ranch...I was sharing a salt lick with Lionel the Long Horn calf...mom said we were taking turns very nicely... Lionel still lets me pull up a bail of hay and share a salt lick and some conversation with him when I visit home!! I was also found sharing a little salt lick with the rabbits one day...again very nicely taking turns... I think it was only those two times I shared a salt lick with the cows and bunnies, but I've always had a "thing" for giant slabs of salt.

my therapist says I've come a long way since i was two...

Don't be offended, but I wonder if you may be a long lost relative of my mother's? She is a salt fiend...although I don't think I've found her licking salt slabs lately.

Wow, our arm flab dining room fiasco keeps getting better and better! I think the wife needs creme fraiche on her nose and cheek. Oh, and the caviar in her ample cleavage, too! Good call!

Oh yes... caviar in the cleavage is a must!

Ah, ok. When I made my roasted butternut squash soup, I brought out the outboard motor....aka the hand blender! After I roasted the squash, I dumped the squash out of its peel into a large soup pot, and it was easy to hand blend with the chicken broth I added a little at a time. Once it was at the puree consistency, I was able to add the cream and seasonings to my liking. I never tried a blender or food processor. I thought the hand blender was the best tool for the job. Although I think the blender might be easier if you tackle a little of it at a time.

Now I'm hungry for this soup.

I'm just thinking we need a hand blender ... that or a really nice food processor. I want some soup now, too!

Love LoveLove Your Dining reviews....and you look great in all the pictures.

Thanks so much!

We had dairy goats when I was a kid. Nothing better to a kid than the mineral salt licks (the brown ones - the white ons are just plain salt).

OK... this thread is starting to get crazy again.

My mom had a pet goat when she was a little girl... not that anyone cares.

Brenda you look beautiful stop being so hard on yourself and forget the bingo wings comment

The food looks beautiful but I don't think I'd like any of it It's so beautifully presented but 10 courses wow how long did the meal last?

Hi, Jo! Thanks for the compliment - I'd never heard the term bingo wings until AFEG posted it. Should have known I could count on him for something like that!

The whole thing lasted about four hours - it's a very liesurely meal, otherwise you might explode from trying to digest too much too fast.

I arrived a little late to the chef's table part UNO, but so far I am STUNNED. This looks like soooo much fun. More fun than 2 people should have in public kind of fun!


You used your fingers to eat food at the fanciest restaurant in Orlando???:

You are my hero!

What's next burping your ABC's?

Oh, wait... That's dinner at my family reunion!

Keep it up! I can't wait to read more!!!

Thanks for coming back to check out the CT! It really was a ton of fun and everything was sooooooo good. And to answer your question... yes, I ate food with my fingers at Vicki and Al's and we burped the alphabet on the way back to our hotel (didn't want to get too carried away in the kitchen).

We're good enough, we're smart enough, and doge-gonnit, we're completely smashed!

Now that is my kind of daily affirmation!

Oh, and speaking of the Simpsons (which is likely to be any minute now, on this thread), do you have any Kwik-E-Marts near you?

There's one at the Disney exit off of I-4. We're going next week. I'll have a pink donut for you!

Excellent! Say hello to Apu while you're there. We have to drive a bit to get to our closest Kwik-E-Mart...they're all going out of business.

so good to know I'm not alone!!!!

c'mon Brenda...spill it...which barnyard animal did YOU share a salt lick with?!

I did spill it... sort of.

 

[oybolshoi]

Well, YUM. I can't see that I would look at any of those things on a menu and say, "Oh, yes, I want that," but everything looks and sounds delicious, which perhaps just means that I need to become a little more adventurous.

I'm sorry Jason had to work late, but you didn't say anything untoward, so he should be happy.

Thanks again for sharing!

I'm not sure that most of the things I ate at the CT were items I would typically order, but for this kind of evening you just have to throw caution to the wind... kind of.

Thanks again for reading!

 

[S.Poppins]

Well good luck - I hope everything turns out the way you'd like it to. And no car troubles, either!!

Brenda! You jinxed me! The following is a true story: Today we went to Geyser Falls (about an hour from where we are staying) in the same car that died 2 weeks ago on the way home from a game. As we turned into the parking lot, the blinker started making a weird noise and the radio sounded crazy. When we pulled into the parking space, the car died. DH ended up spending 3 hours and $300 getting the car towed and getting the alternator changed. The kids and I spent that time in the park. DH handled it all very well. Anyway I think it is time for another car.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I just had to comment on how much I love your reports and reviews. I am working form home tonight and it is slow, you gave me some good laughs! Looking forward to the rest of your Chef's Table.

 

[S.Poppins]

I just did a long post talking about your last installment and the crazy hotel network booted me off!

So basically to sum up what I said: Crab good; salmon - not a fan, but yours looked like it might be good; caviar - never had it (not on the menu at Olive Garden) but you make it sound good.

How do you find out how much CT is? Or how much your mortgage payment is? Assuming it is one price per person? In the early, very poor, living in a mobile home, just starting our own business days, we decided to take 2 couples to dinner at a very nice restaurant for a reward. I will never forget walking out and thinking, "That was a house and car payment!!"

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[allyphoe]

How do you find out how much CT is?

Allears gives it as $165 per person, plus an additional $70pp for the wine pairing, as of 10/2006. By the time you get in tax & tip, probably $300 each?

 

[oybolshoi]

Brenda! You jinxed me! The following is a true story: Today we went to Geyser Falls (about an hour from where we are staying) in the same car that died 2 weeks ago on the way home from a game. As we turned into the parking lot, the blinker started making a weird noise and the radio sounded crazy. When we pulled into the parking space, the car died. DH ended up spending 3 hours and $300 getting the car towed and getting the alternator changed. The kids and I spent that time in the park. DH handled it all very well. Anyway I think it is time for another car.

Bilge! Sorry to hear that.

I'll just stop trying to send you good thoughts then, since it doesn't seem to be helping.

I just had to comment on how much I love your reports and reviews. I am working form home tonight and it is slow, you gave me some good laughs! Looking forward to the rest of your Chef's Table.

Thanks very much for reading and posting - glad to know you're enjoying the reviews!

I just did a long post talking about your last installment and the crazy hotel network booted me off!

So basically to sum up what I said: Crab good; salmon - not a fan, but yours looked like it might be good; caviar - never had it (not on the menu at Olive Garden) but you make it sound good.

I concur... crab = good; salmon = better than I expected; caviar = typically only have it on a cruise because then it's free!

Seriously, I tried caviar on a Disney cruise a few years ago at a brunch in Palo and I was surprised by how good it was. It's not something we'd ever order or purchase at the store (too expensive for the good stuff) but I do enjoy it when it's included with something (rarely!).

How do you find out how much CT is? Or how much your mortgage payment is? Assuming it is one price per person? In the early, very poor, living in a mobile home, just starting our own business days, we decided to take 2 couples to dinner at a very nice restaurant for a reward. I will never forget walking out and thinking, "That was a house and car payment!!"

Can't wait to hear more!

The CT is currently $170pp and another $70pp for the wine pairings. That's $480 for dinner for two people with the wine pairings before adding tax and gratuity. Also... I ordered a cake from the GF bakery for our anniversary which was another $30. So we were at $500 before tax and gratuity. I think when all was said and done we paid about $700 for everything. Keep in mind that we also tend to tip pretty generously at establishments like this because of the high level of service and attention.

So, it wasn't quite what our monthly mortgage payment is, but it was close.

And worth every penny.

Allears gives it as $165 per person, plus an additional $70pp for the wine pairing, as of 10/2006. By the time you get in tax & tip, probably $300 each?

I'd say that's a pretty good estimate.

 

[winkers]

Looking at the pictures of the food is great. Your descripstions sublime (hunk of crab) But this would be me if I had to eat it ! I had caviar once, and I will spare you my description of the taste. As usual your episode had me laughing!

 

[praisehisname]

Victoria and Albert's - The Chef's Table, Part II

Woo hoo! I'm having trouble sleeping tonight, so I logged on and there was an update from Brenda!!!

Course I (Jason)

I love the presentation, though... the color is gorgeous and those Tangerine Vinaigrette sperms are a true inspiration.

I'm holding back the laughter because I don't want to wake my kids, but that is hilarious!

This was also when he started talking up the Copper River Salmon over at Artist Point - according to him the Copper River is a true delicacy. We'll never know, but I'm not bitter or anything.

I know I said I was too chicken to try any of this stuff, but the pictures actually make it look pretty good...I could probably be talked into at least tasting it.

Looking forward to the next part!

Denise

 

[wilma-bride]

on the left you will see a hunk, a hunk of tasty crab... (Get it? It's King crab )

Too, too funny- another drink-snorting moment here. Not to mention the fact that my colleagues are now enquiring as to what is soooo funny

Brenda, you absolutely kill me....ded!


I love this latest installment - dare I say could even be tempted by the buffalo (not bison, are you sure? - i take it you know how to tell the difference between the two )

I am happy that you are going to manage to stretch this out for another few days, although unhappy that I may have no reading material over the weekend - and, with that in mind, I'm off to catch up on the rest of your reports (plural ).

I must ask whether you felt uncomfortable at all about taking pictures at CT My husband is embarrassed enough when I take pictures in regular restaurants but I figure he would kill me if I whipped the camera out and started snapping the food when there were only a couple of other people in the room

 

[Poppinsme]

Awwwww!
Here I am at work and I go to take a break and read your reviews.
Nuts about AP.
We have been so busy at the hospital and I have been picking up OT. Have a very sick 35 weeker in NICU tonight. So I thought I would pop into the food porn and get a smile.
But then I read the Chefs Table review and thats were we are going for our Anni.
I've saved $1,000.oo and im pumped. (Yes just for dinner)
Thanks Brenda for making this very tired woman happy.

 

[Scornelius]

I love the presentation, though... the color is gorgeous and those Tangerine Vinaigrette sperms are a true inspiration.

Crystal Light. All over the monitor. Thanks a lot Brenda!!
I also wanted to say that I thought your big-haired, one-legged, bingo-winged picture was absolutely beautiful. Both of you looked so dapper! Who knows what shenannigans you can get away with, dressed so deceptively respectably?

 

[MA pigletfan]

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner! I love crab, especially when I don't have to crack open the claws to get to the good stuff, although I do admit to a certain prehistoric Cro-Magnon satisfaction in breaking apart a crab leg, sucking out the sweet, succulent meat inside, and brandishing the knuckles threateningly at anyone else at the table who may be considering a raid on my crab stash...and then I like to... oh, uh ...too much information, right.

seriously. i can pictured you with crab claws fending off crabby invaders. hilarious. I also have an affinity for the crab, and really any crustacean with mean looking claws. Nothing like a food that tastes great and can help you defend your meal at the same time!

 

[A fat english gent]

Brenda love call me old fashioned but my preference is for my food to be served "without" the sperms,i know,i know but you can't teach an old dog new tricks can you?....

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

MMmmm, everything just looks so wonderful I can't wait to eat here. My DF is not very adventurous when it comes to food, give him chicken and he's happy! However I always love trying new things, there are so many delectable courses, I intend to try everything . I have convinced DF to try it all, he may be surprised. I too love crab, that melt in your mouth feeling from a wonderful moist morsel of crab, mmm!!!
When I saw the presentation of the buffalo I must admit my first thought was 'whats with the orange sperm?' glad to hear that you too thought this, no, I'm not weird.
Please post the next section soon, I'm dying to see the main and the desserts.

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

Whoopee! Go Brenda!!

I loved this post. The crab looks YUMMmmmmyyyyyYYY. I've never had buffalo, but sperm on a plate doesn't sound good to me... ever.

I Can't wait to see the rest!

 

[disneyjunebug]

Love the Part II!!

Now, if you really liked the ramps, I can suggest your next vacation to the great time of Cosby, Tennessee, which every year has a "Ramp Festival" including crowning of a "Ramp Queen" and several "Ramp Princesses".

For those that don't know, ramps are similar to wild onions, have a very pungent flavor and odor, and when they are having the festival, you don't need a map, just follow your nose! (Not my taste either!)

Everything looks so wonderful......