DELECTABLE! CRAZY! and perhaps a tad bit over the top DELICIOUS….
Tuesday evening a very good and loyal friend to the Good Earth, Ms. Jennifer Hopkins and her delightful husband John whisked this chef and her boss (Nicolette to you) out to the Black tree Restaurant for a winemaker’s dinner featuring Angelo Pavin of Cave Spring Cellars.
It was a four course meal that paired poached lobster with nutmeg marshmallows and sweet pina colada with salty cured gravlox. The combinations of sweet and salty on the palate were not only genius and fun, but truly tasty. Beyond tasty thank you very much. They paired well with the vino too. Did I mention perfectly seasoned terrine of fois gras with a bobble of nectarine puree and crunchy puff pastry. HELLO 🙂
As for discussions at the table, well there were a few. The big one was large platters used for food and how one’s cutlery doesn’t sit well in said plates and falls down towards the messy goop of food. Then you have to reach into this large vessel and try to fish out the knife and fork, and oh your poor little fingers get oily and wet with finger lickin goodness. Well, I for one LOVE negative white space, the bigger the better, and frankly if my fingers need to get some juicy goodness gooped on them, I’ll clean them be licking that goopy goodness off. MMMMM mmmm.
It was a fun night, full of laughter and friends. Angelo is a wonderful winemaker. Matteo Paonessa is a most talented chef, and he is finally at The Good Earth this fall, but alas, he is already SOLD OUT! Lucky are those who are signed up, he is a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.
His restaurant is small, outfitted in black and white, and cozy. His food is a mix of some molecular practices, but the food left untouched by this trend he handles with care, and leaves it to its own devices. Simple. Pure. As a chef , he makes me want to challenge myself a bit more after a meal like that. I question and wonder how, and why?
So needless to say, a big hearty thank you to Jennifer, John, Nicolette, Betty ( for not being available to go) and Matteo and Angelo. Ciao, and in the words of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are.”