(Tradução do Google) Quando ouvi pela primeira vez que o pioneiro do Food Network, Emeril Lagasse, era dono de seu restaurante principal desde 1990, não fiquei muito animado, pois presumi que seria uma operação fortemente comercial. No entanto, li a crítica do New York Times no início deste mês e fiquei esclarecido de que o restaurante havia se tornado um destino gastronômico de classe mundial. Li elogios desenfreados o suficiente para fazer uma reserva no final da noite de sábado, durante nosso fim de semana em Nova Orleans.
Nenhum de nós dois era um sargento elegante; meu marido e eu nos vestimos apresentavelmente e chegamos com cinco minutos de antecedência. O maître nos conduziu à nossa grande mesa, decorada com almofadas de brocado. Fomos imediatamente recebidos com champanhe e, em seguida, recebidos por uma das subchefes, que nos levou de volta à cozinha. Ela apresentou a equipe dedicada que nos recebeu e me desejou feliz aniversário em uníssono e vibrante coro.
Em seguida, ela compartilhou a abundância de ingredientes frescos que compunham todos os pratos do menu degustação. Recebemos nossa primeira mordida na cozinha, um amuse bouche coberto de caviar. Uma delícia salgada e saborosa. Voltamos à mesa e, inesperadamente, recebemos uma série de deliciosos amuse bouches em duas ondas de três pratos com pequenos pedaços. A primeira onda consistia em queijo de cabra, rolinhos primavera e um sanduíche pequeno de atum.
A segunda onda incluía mini-po' boys de camarão, tortas de camarão com molho barbecue e uma xícara de gumbo de ostra. Vale lembrar que o jantar em si ainda nem tinha começado, e nos presentearam com toalhas quentes em formato de cápsulas e dispostas sobre lagostins de vidro soprado. O cardápio do dia chegou, oferecendo-nos algumas opções para o nosso jantar de seis pratos. Começou com um grande bolo de milho.
Ele foi cortado em quatro partes e acompanhado por uma montanha gigantesca de manteiga, da qual recebemos uma generosa porção. Já era hora de eu ressaltar que o chef principal não era Emeril, mas seu prodigioso filho EJ, de 22 anos, que chefia a cozinha há três anos, tendo se destacado em outros restaurantes de luxo. Foi EJ quem reformulou o cardápio, sem deixar de homenagear o pai, começando pelo primeiro prato, o Cheesecake de Salmão Defumado.
Uma especialidade da casa, saborosa e com aparência de sobremesa, desde o início do restaurante, era feita com caviar Kaluga curado e endro. O segundo prato era o saboroso Ensopado de Ostras com creme de ervas, cogumelos honshimeiji e foie gras. O prato de peixe era o seguinte, e tínhamos uma escolha. Meu marido pediu a aparentemente simples Truta Almondine com vagem e batatas. Eu pedi o Scamp tenro por mais US$ 35.
Um tipo de garoupa, com o mesmo caviar Kaluga curado, além de tomate e abobrinha defumados. O primeiro prato de carne trouxe outra opção. Meu marido pediu a linguiça de sangue Boudin com couve, presunto cru e jus gras crioulo. Eu pedi o Sweetbread por mais US$ 50 com cogumelos chanterelles, all-hum, vagens e molho vin jaune. Cheio de sabor, foi o único prato que não atingiu o mesmo nível de textura.
O prato final de carne foi estelar. Meu marido pediu o delicioso White Sand Homestead Duck com erva-doce, damasco e Madeira por mais US$ 40, enquanto eu pedi o prato especial da noite, o incrivelmente macio Miyazaki Wagyu com jus de carne por US$ 125. A sobremesa foi a altíssima torta de creme de banana, mas não antes do sorvete SnoBall de cortesia. Eu pedi o creme de néctar derramado sobre o meu, enquanto meu marido pediu morangos.
Finally, a dazzling array of petit four confections arrived...tiny beignets, truffle bonbons, citrus gumdrops, Portuguese tartlets, and a mini Mille-feuille for my birthday. The basic dinner was $225 each, but with all our add-ons, let's just say we were lucky we weren't doing the dishes. A $200 deposit was required with the reservation. Regardless, it was a stellar feast Louisiana style. I'm sure Emeril is proud of his talented son.
(Original)
When I first heard Food Network pioneer Emeril Lagasse owned his flagship restaurant since 1990, it didn't excite me initially because I presumed it would be a heavily commercial operation. However, I read the New York Times review earlier this month and was enlightened that it has evolved into a world-class culinary destination. I read enough unbridled praise to make a late Saturday evening reservation during our weekender in New Orleans.
Neither of us sartorial sartyrs, my husband and I dressed presentably and sauntered over with five minutes to spare. The maitre d led us to our large booth festooned with brocade cushions. We were immediately greeted with Champagne and then met by one of the sous chefs who took us back to the kitchen. She introduced the hard-working staff who welcomed us and wished me a happy birthday in one unified booming chorus.
She then shared the bounty of fresh ingredients that made up all the dishes on the tasting menu. We received our first bite in the kitchen, a caviar-topped amuse bouche. A salty, tasty treat. We returned to the table and unexpectedly received a parade of delicious amuse bouches in two waves of three platters with bitesize morsels. The first consisted of headcheese, spring rolls, and a petite tuna sandwich.
The second wave featured mini-shrimp po' boys, BBQ shrimp tarts, and a cup of oyster gumbo. Mind you, the actual dinner had not even started yet, and we were presented with warm towels shaped like capsules and presented on blown glass crawfish. The menu for the day arrived providing us certain choices for our six-course dinner. It began with a large Cornbread Cake.
It was quartered and accompanied by a mammoth mountain of butter of which we received a generous shaving. It's about time I pointed out that the main chef was not Emeril but his prodigious 22-year-old son EJ, who has headed the kitchen for the past three years after earning his chops at other fine restaurants. It's EJ who has remade the menu while still paying tribute to his dad starting with the first course, the Smoked Salmon Cheesecake.
A savory dessert-like house specialty since the restaurant's beginning, it was made with aged Kaluga caviar and dill. The second course was the richly flavorful Oyster Stew with herbsaint cream, honshimeiji mushrooms, and foie gras. The fish course was next, and we had a choice. My husband went with the deceptively simple Trout Almondine with green beans and potatoes. I had the tender Scamp for an extra $35.
A type of grouper, it featured the same aged Kaluga caviar plus smoked tomato and zucchini. The first meat course brought another choice. My husband ordered the Boudin blood sausage with collard greens, hamhock, and creole jus gras. I had the Sweetbread for an extra $50 with chanterelles, all um, summer beans, and sauce vin jaune. Packed with flavor, it was the only dish that wasn't quite at the same level texture-wise.
The final meat course was stellar. My husband ordered the luscious White Sand Homestead Duck with fennel, apricot, and Madeira for an extra $40, while I had that evening's special, the impossibly tender Miyazaki Wagyu with beef jus for $125. Dessert was the mile-high Banana Cream Pie but not before the complimentary SnoBall shaved ice. I had the cream of nectar poured on mine, while my husband had strawberries added.
Finally, a dazzling array of petit four confections arrived...tiny beignets, truffle bonbons, citrus gumdrops, Portuguese tartlets, and a mini Mille-feuille for my birthday. The basic dinner was $225 each, but with all our add-ons, let's just say we were lucky we weren't doing the dishes. A $200 deposit was required with the reservation. Regardless, it was a stellar feast Louisiana style. I'm sure Emeril is proud of his talented son.