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May 24, 2011

Remember when I said I had to miss Hotel Griffou’s New York in May dinner? Psych! I made it after all, and so glad I did. What a meal! A true celebration of the season’s local bounty, from Montauk scallops to Belle Rouge chicken to pickled cattails and strawberries (Chef David Santos said they arrived in the market only that morning). My favorite course, I think, was the cauliflower panna cotta. It was unbelievably airy and light, and paired beautifully with a Spanish sherry. The scallop atop a deep-green puree, unidentifiable as any one flavor except spring!, was fantastic as well, and the pickled cattails — new to me — were exciting along side the world’s most under-appreciated fish. As our friend remarked last night, “I feel like David’s food is the best-kept secret in the city. I’ll be sad when it isn’t anymore … except I like him so much.”  Get in before the hordes.

Remember when I said I had to miss Hotel Griffou’s New York in May dinner? Psych! I made it after all, and so glad I did. What a meal! A true celebration of the season’s local bounty, from Montauk scallops to Belle Rouge chicken to pickled cattails and strawberries (Chef David Santos said they arrived in the market only that morning).

My favorite course, I think, was the cauliflower panna cotta. It was unbelievably airy and light, and paired beautifully with a Spanish sherry. The scallop atop a deep-green puree, unidentifiable as any one flavor except spring!, was fantastic as well, and the pickled cattails — new to me — were exciting along side the world’s most under-appreciated fish.

As our friend remarked last night, “I feel like David’s food is the best-kept secret in the city. I’ll be sad when it isn’t anymore … except I like him so much.” 

Get in before the hordes.

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May 23, 2011

Your dinner plans are made…

Tonight, Hotel Griffou, where we celebrated M.’s birthday with an extraordinary early-spring lamb-focused meal, is hosting what sounds like an equally extraordinary late-spring-in-New-York-focused meal. Dinner, priced at $65 (!!!), begins at 8 pm. Sadly, I can’t go, but you should. Chef Santos is one the city’s great up-and-coming chefs.

The menu, with wine pairings:

Cauliflower panna cotta
Thumbalinas, pickled raisin emulsion, curry leaves
Oloroso, Lustau, Pata Gallina, NV, Jerez, Spain
 
Escargot stuffed squash blossoms
Green garlic pesto
Riesling, Hermann Wiemer, Semi Dry, 2008, Finger Lakes, New York

Scallops
Creamed spinach, new potatoes, mustard butter
Gruner Veltliner, Hirsch, Heiligenstein, 2009, Kamptal, Austria

Skate
Lolla rossa, pickled cattails, strawberries
Malbec Rose, Susana Balbo, Crios, 2010, Mendoza, Argentina

Goat Bolognese
Black pepper pecorino
Aglianico del Taburno, Ocone, 2006, Campania, Italy
 
Chorizo stuffed bella rouge chicken
Rhubarb, dandoline greens
Syrah, Qupe, Bien Nacido Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley, California

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March 28, 2011

A light fixture at Hotel Griffou. It really is one of the sexiest spots in the city.

A light fixture at Hotel Griffou. It really is one of the sexiest spots in the city.

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March 28, 2011

And finally, the third in our series (which I’d better get blogged because it’s now been a week! bad blogga)…. Did you know it’s Spring? It’s true! It’s been Spring for seven whole days now. But you’d be forgiven if you hadn’t noticed, between the snow flurries and freezing wind chills (which somehow feel all the colder because you know it could be 70 degrees if it just wanted to). Seven days ago we celebrated the vernal equinox and my boyfriend’s birthday with one one of the season’s greatest gifts: sweet baby lamb! Chef Santos put on quite a feast at Hotel Griffou,* anointing every amouse bouche, every course, every bite with the tender meat: collier d’agneau (lamb neck, the loveliest lamb-part) with heirloom peas and carrots… curried merguez with mussels (my favorite course, if you put a gun to my head and asked nicely)… lamb tortellini in brodo — or, as Chef Santos put it, “lamb tea.” I could think of nothing finer than a cup of lamb tea if I were sick one more morning… rare rack of lamb with confit shoulder, Swiss chard, pannise, and za’atar… and for desert, micemeat pie with lamb fat pastry and lavender ice cream… All in all, a meal to set the tone for the most glorious of seasons! Now if only the season would GET WITH IT. * As I said before, Chef Santos is quickly putting Hotel Griffou on the must-must map of New York City. Get in which you still can! It’s wonderfully cozy and sexy, a fabulous date spot.

And finally, the third in our series (which I’d better get blogged because it’s now been a week! bad blogga)….

Did you know it’s Spring? It’s true! It’s been Spring for seven whole days now. But you’d be forgiven if you hadn’t noticed, between the snow flurries and freezing wind chills (which somehow feel all the colder because you know it could be 70 degrees if it just wanted to).

Seven days ago we celebrated the vernal equinox and my boyfriend’s birthday with one one of the season’s greatest gifts: sweet baby lamb! Chef Santos put on quite a feast at Hotel Griffou,* anointing every amouse bouche, every course, every bite with the tender meat:

collier d’agneau (lamb neck, the loveliest lamb-part) with heirloom peas and carrots…

curried merguez with mussels (my favorite course, if you put a gun to my head and asked nicely)…

lamb tortellini in brodo — or, as Chef Santos put it, “lamb tea.” I could think of nothing finer than a cup of lamb tea if I were sick one more morning…

rare rack of lamb with confit shoulder, Swiss chard, pannise, and za’atar…

and for desert, micemeat pie with lamb fat pastry and lavender ice cream…

All in all, a meal to set the tone for the most glorious of seasons!

Now if only the season would GET WITH IT.

* As I said before, Chef Santos is quickly putting Hotel Griffou on the must-must map of New York City. Get in which you still can! It’s wonderfully cozy and sexy, a fabulous date spot.

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