October 16, 2007

Ooh la la. We went to New York City and Park Avenue Autumn. We started the day going down to Jacques Torres’ place on Hudson Street. (350 Hudson Street.) Mr. Chocolate didn’t disappoint. Though, I must admit, that even for me, that large and yummy hot chocolate hurt me. I had the hot chocolate Wicked which had chilis in it. Yum. However, they need to offer a lactose free version. I didn’t ask for one. My bad. So, I hope they offer it because I was hurting all day. Still, I recommend it. However, I noticed a curious thing, Mr. Torres only had a small selection of molded and dipped chocolates. I’d say they did around 15 or some different chocolates, plus bars, lots of bars, plus some cornflake clusters and dipped Cheerios. Why so few of the fabled confection’s art? Why so pedestrian? And why did they make their own chocolate and yet use other chocolate as well.

In Vienna, you would have seen scores of chocolates and pastries and, well, pretty confections. But in the good ol’ US of A, not so much. Why? I conclude it’s because of us! Yes, us. We need to eat more real chocolates. So, stay away from Godiva and Hershey and start eating real chocolates. Go right now to Life by Chocolate and order some real chocolates and confections. For shame, America.

Then we went to Provence. A lovely little restaurant in the Village. Very nice. Tasty food but, please, wash those scallops a second or third time people. Sigh. It’s the little things that are the most telling. Nice hazelnut mousse. (I peeped into the kitchen. Largish.)

Then we went to the dreaded Grammercy Park Hotel Rose Stool Bar and had a good time. It was nice seeing everyone. A quick quote from my mother, “If they are going to charge so much for their drinks, they should at least give you backs on their chairs. An old lady could get hurt drinking there.” You had to be there.

And then, finally, after catching up on family business and fun, seeing pictures, and sitting on uncomfortable stools at the Grammercy Park Hotel, we went to Park Avenue Autumn which used to be the Park Avenue Cafe.

Well, we were eating very late and had had a large lunch. I had a fois gras. Very nice. Beautifully presented. My mom had a great butternut squash soup. Sweet. I correctly identified granny smith apples in it. Beautiful soup. I think I’ll add the granny smith touch to my soup. Plus they used two different squashes. I only use butternut squash. Kim had great cheese ravioli.

Then, I had a bowl of risotto with white truffles. They kept the rice in with the white truffles and then shaved half a white truffle on top. One dollar, 1 dollar. Forty bucks for a bowl of heaven. OK. It’s a bowl of rice but it’s heavenly rice. Yeah, I did share. Kim loved it. And my mom thought it grand. We were getting full but we all ordered the perfectly braised lamb shank. I’m the only one who almost finished. We had to bring most of my mother’s home. Still good reheated. Kim thought it was perfect. I would have liked a little sauce even if it was the most tender and juice braised lamb shank I have ever had. I guess I’m a sucker for sauce on anything braised. Sure Bruni gave it two stars and Craig Koketsu earned those two stars.

The breads were out of this world. There were two savory breads. A pumpkin quick bread that was more savory than sweet and a sweet Spanish onion bread that was one of the best (savory) breads I have ever eaten. Plus there was a sesame crisp bread. Not bad. Had garlic in it if I’m recalling correctly. Bravo. And that was just the mini-bread review. Richard Leach, the pastry chef, was just warming up.

I wonder, the apply and sage amuses bouche, sweet with some crunchy on it, was that from Mr. Leach’s bag of tricks? Could I make a nougat out of this combination? You betcha. I’d would have liked more sage but that’s just me.

My mother had the raspberry sorbet. Very good. Not quite as good as our peach and Drambuie sorbet of legend but still very two star good. The dessert I had was very elaborate and well worth the eating. I had the banana crêpe with the maple frozen mousse with a banana cake and some sort of banana filling. Nicely decorated with sugar and all topped off with bacon. With crunchy bacon. Very crunchy bacon. Was the bacon freeze dried? Perhaps. It was very lean and very particulate. (Hey, the spell checker liked the word “particulate”.)

I thought the banana cake was a little dry but I ate it separately from the filling. My bad. The flavors were understated and the dessert was big. I think I could have used a team to have helped me eat it. Sigh. I almost finished it.

We looked at the chef’s table square in the kitchen. Nice. The kitchen was huge. Bigger even then the kitchen at that inn we stayed in in Austria. My kitchen, pastry and chocolates, could fit in a corner and not be noticed. Sigh! I want a bigger kitchen. And more gadgets.

With drinks, it came out to $$$. Not too bad. 🙂 Expensive on a poor innkeepers non-existent salary. I can’t wait to try it again when it becomes the Park Avenue Winter. Sigh. We also have to go back to Perilla. I want to see if Robert Curran, the new pastry chef, is shining or not. I’m sure he is.