fish | EffortlessCool

Saturday evening began at my friend Mahsa’s where three girls attempted to assemble into dinner attire in one studio apartment. After that lengthy process my friends Mahsa, Eliza and I headed to the Bowery Hotel to meet up with some other friends for some pre dinner drinks. The hotel had just switched to their spring cocktail menu so three of us enjoyed the new “governor” which is a fresh, cucumber and mint infused gin cocktail which I highly suggest for a hot summer evening.

Next stop was uptown for an exceptional dinner…

La Bernadin is an acclaimed midtown restaurant with tasting menus based upon fish and eclectic wine pairings. As most of you know, I’m not a fish or meat eater, but thankfully my friend Mahsa convinced the restaurant to do a special vegetarian tasting menu for my Saturday night trip there, complete with specially paired wines.

My first course (of 7) was some lightly roasted fresh vegetables, followed up by a mushroom and greens salad in truffle oil; YUM.

Next came some more roasted vegetables along with some fried vegetables, all over seasoned cous cous. Somewhere in between there was white asparagus in an egg cream glaze…I’d never even known white asparagus existed but was so pumped and pleased I didn’t get a picture!

This was then followed by spinach handmade ravioli with mushrooms and seasoned spinach in an egg and oil sauce.

After these courses came the desserts; yes, dessertS.

Pre-Dessert #1 was a Greek panna cota with apple dices, apple gelatin, and a sliver of jalapeno, which was undetectable in the grand scheme of the slice.

Pre Dessert #2 was a La Bernadin specialy called “the egg”. It’s paired with an ale instead of wine and is heavily instructed to be consumed from the bottom up, strictly NO MIXING. It was….indescribable. All I can say is go and be sure to ask for the egg, you can not be let down by this!

This was then followed by an intricate, heavy mouse of mixed dark and milk chocolates topped with a liquidized pear and crystalized ginger. As the waiter explained it I was already in heaven, though upon diving in, the mouse proved too heavy for me. This was then followed by a sampler of mini desserts; a mini creme brulee, mini macaroons, mini puff pastries, etc. I had been craving macaroons all week so I ate about three of the minis as the ender to this exquisite meal.

My roommate, Eliza, also live tweeted her entire meal of meat and fish, so here are a few images and descriptions for her tasting menu (desserts were the same):

monkfish with egg cream and other glaze