Food for Thought | Erma Bombeck

“I am not a glutton -- I am an explorer of food.”

--Erma Bombeck

Goods & Grocery | Bellocq Tea Atelier

This past weekend was the first one where I didn't have to work this year, so I took the opportunity to sweep Marcus away for the day, crossing the Hudson for some quality time in Brooklyn. Our first stop? Greenpoint!

We took the East River Ferry run by NY Waterway from the terminal in the Financial District all the way to India Street at Greenpoint. Unfortunately, the ferry runs every half hour on the weekends from Wall Street, so we made sure we wouldn't miss it.

A couple blocks away from the ferry terminal was Bellocq Tea Atelier, a tea company and purveyor of fine artisan tea blends. After seeing Alice's snaps from there, I had to hop on over there pronto! I am a lover of tea, so I've actually been on the lookout for some quality tea leaves here in the city. So with Bellocq on the brain, I was impatiently waiting for a Saturday to free up from my bean counting life (the Atelier is open twice a week on Fridays and Saturdays from 12-7 PM), and this weekend was it.

So just a fair warning, the entrance to Bellocq on West Street is pretty non-descript -- there was only this tiny square sign on a heavy metal door. It took Marcus and I a good five minutes to walk back and forth to figure out where it was.

Relocating from its original location on Kings Road in London, Bellocq has found its new home in Greenpoint, continuing to "curate an inspiring selection of the organic full leaf teas." Founders Heidi Johannsen Stewart, Michael Shannon, and Scott Stewart had decided to come together with their "creative forces with a desire to collaborate on a shared aesthetic vision that captures their appreciation of traditional artisan work and a love of fine tea." In fact, Bellocq's award-winning handcrafted blends aim to "unite the finest traditional teas with a modern, adventurous spirit." I think Ms. Johannsen Stewart, a former Martha Stewart Living editor, stylist, and columnist, says it best: "Tea is an affordable, everyday luxury. Bellocq’s sophisticated approach to flavor and fragrance is tailored to an educated, stylish, and sophisticated customer. Our teas suit the needs and desires of the modern well traveled client. We use all of our resources to create extraordinary teas and cultivate genuine relationships with our clients.”

Together with the design backgrounds of Mr. Shannon (product designer who has worked with companies such as Martha Stewart Omnimedia and Anthropologie) and Mr. Stewart (co-owner and founder of fabrication firm, SAAW, Inc. with clients such as Anthropologie and Barney's New York), these three creative individuals sought to create and start up Bellocq, the name inspired by a region in France.

The sitting room off to the side of the Atelier shop space, as Bellocq Tea Atelier is a tasting and design studio -- "a place to inspire and realize new and ever-evolving ideas."

Bellocq's tea are stored (and can be bought in) these hand-crafted metal canisters, which the Atelier refers to as "traveler caddies," in multiple sizes. Uncap the lid and you will find a loosely attached cover on the inside which ensures additional freshness of the tea leaves.

Boxes of Bellocq Breakfast tea with a brass tea strainer and other trinkets.

Behind the Atelier's counter are these large "traveler caddies" in which tea leaves are stored for retail service, one for each distinct offering of full tea leaves. You'll notice that each blend/tea has a "No." (i.e, numero sign) associated with it -- makes it easier to keep track! The Atelier counter offers tea "cupping" services on site, which give clients an opportunity to learn more about its tea selection through "a full-sensory experience." We were very fortunate to have met Mr. Shannon during our visit -- he was super knowledgeable and very welcoming.

This "full-sensory experience" is reiterated with the table opposite the Atelier counter, which displays nearly all of its tea offerings (pure/blended/black/green/white/herbal/oolong/etc.) in traveler caddies as well as a little dish filled with a few spoonfuls of loose tea leaves from each. This gives visitors a change to observe the vibrant colors of the tea leaves as well as smell the aromas exuded, however delicately or boldly, by each. Marcus and I went a little crazy -- we took in the scent of pretty much all of the teas. It took me some time to narrow down to which teas with which I wanted to leave the Atelier. With the "cupping" services offered by the shop (we asked to have a taste of No. 45, The White Wolf), I was able to reach my decision a little easier, though my wishlist was happily growing longer with every minute we occupied the shop.

I brought home a grand total of 10 ounces in tea leaves -- love the "custom-like" labeling that's adhered onto the packages of tea! Along with a brass tea strainer (couldn't resist!), here's a peek at the loot:

{1} No. 35, The Earl Grey

Per Bellocq, "the gentleman of the tea world" is comprised of Ceylon black tea scented with natural Sicilian bergamot and accented with blue cornflowers.

{2} No. 45, The White Wolf

One of Bellocq's signature blends, this is a blend of organic white peony, cedar, juniper, and mint -- also wonderful iced.

{3} No. 5, Ali Shan

This is a super aromatic oolong (dark-colored Asian tea made by fermenting the withered leaves to about half the degree usual for black teas) from the central highlands of Taiwan.

{4} No. 52, Etoile de L'inde

A tropical blend of organic green tea, passion- fruit, rose, and marigold, this blend is comprised of organic Dragon Well (a Chinese green tea, flat (pan-)fried by hand in large woks one small batch at a time), organic jasmine silver needles, organic flower petals, and natural essences.

Findings: I found our experience at Bellocq Tea Atelier to be very enlightening and fun. Michael Shannon and the other gentleman working the counter that day provided stellar customer service as well as gracious hospitality -- the personal interactions at Bellocq undoubtedly make it a one of a kind shop in the New York City area. We got to experience Bellocq's selection of teas first hand, becoming quite intimate with their natural perfumes and aromatics. This certainly took tea shopping to a whole other level for me. The experience was also interactive for both the client and the purveyor. The "cupping" service was probably one of my favorite things about Bellocq, permitting its clients to try the teas before impulsively buying something that you may or may not enjoy. Additionally, since the teas are packaged to order (the teas remain in their respective connoisseur caddies, i.e., the hefty dandelion-colored canisters) as any specialty tea shop should, you will undoubtedly receive unbelievably fresh, full leaves of tea that await its initial brew when arriving back home.

All in all, I'd say a deliberate trip over to Greenpoint for Bellocq is a must! Plus, Williamsburg is about a 10-15 minute walk from there! :) I am already checking my schedule to see when I can squeeze in my next trek to Bellocq -- after all, those traveler caddies are calling my name!

Price point: varying prices for different teas/blends -- please visit Bellocq.com for further details.

--March 3, 2012

Bellocq Tea Atelier

104 West Street

Brooklyn, NY 11222

http://www.bellocq.com

Dinner | Recette

This past Friday, Linda and I went out to Recette in the West Village to belatedly celebrate my birthday. Upon deciding where to go, Linda and I perused through the New York City restaurants on the list of 2012 James Beard Award semifinalists for some suggestions. We stumbled upon Recette under the "Rising Star Chef of the Year" category, where its chef, Jesse Schenker, has been nominated. The menu seemed way too good to pass up, so we were good to go.

An American restaurant that "marries traditional and progressive techniques and flavors," Recette (French for "recipe" -- love this!) originally began as a supper club pop-up as a collaboration between Chef Schenker (formerly of Gordan Ramsay at the London) and Per Se pastry alum, Christina Lee, in East Harlem. The move from catering to brick-and-mortar has not changed the restaurant's mission, i.e., continuing to "celebrate bold flavors and playful touches."

Inside the intimate dining area of Recette -- very West Villagesque. Upon being seated, a man, who was the uncannily splitting image of a younger Stanley Tucci came by to introduce himself as our server for the night. I knew right then and there that we had to prepare for a wild ride ahead (in the best way, of course).

The menu at Recette is broken down into snacks and plates, giving diners a chance to find something appealing for their own palates as well as the ability to order several dishes (without just committing to two (i.e., appetizer and main course). The plates are sized in a way for the diner to have a few for himself/herself or to share several more plates among a group of guests. The menu also changes frequently to "showcase fresh products and twists on seasonal American favorites."

We started with a little something from the "snack" category. These were the salt cod fritters with lamb sausage ragù and curry aioli. I didn't think it would happen with this, but I was quite taken with the salt cod fritters. They were really, really good, as they came to us nice and hot with a wonderful salty-savory banter between the cod fish and the lamb sausage. The spiciness from the lamb also allowed the salt cod inside the fritter to be easier on the palate (otherwise, it would have been straight salted fish). The aioli also provided a cooling layer to tame the bold flavors of the fish and lamb in a well-flavored harmony. Definitely a must-order.

Next, we had the lobster torchon with marinated wild mushrooms, olive purée, and micro celery. The accompanying vegetable medley here was especially delectable as the flesh of the lobster along its shell was mixed right in, giving it a meaty base to boost the vegetables' flavor even further. The torchon of lobster was absolutely tender and lightly buttery and tasted even better with the mushrooms, olives, and celery. The components of this dish worked very well together, each tasting better when enjoyed simultaneously.

As a recommendation from our very own "Stanley Tucci," we decided to get the "onion soup" with onion espuma (foam), oxtail, gruyere, and consommé (clear broth). The quotations surrounding the soup are intentional, in a manner similar to the quoted menu items that Marcus and I have observed and noted during our visit to Chef Thomas Keller's Yountville restaurant, The French Laundry. Essentially, this "onion soup" was an aerated soup which emulated the same delicious taste and flavors of the classic French onion soup without its typically dense and heavy consistency but with the lovely bonus of braised oxtail meat waiting to be discovered at the bottom of the soup bowl. Every spoonful was like taking in a beautiful cloud of onion-flavored waves with the creamy gruyere riding its peaks. The oxtail meat was incredibly tender, falling apart in the way after several hours of dedicated braising. You'd be a fool to pass on this dreamy bowl of sublime liquid air.


A long time guilty treat of ours, Linda and I couldn't have a meal at Recette without having ordered the duck fat fingerlings. Coated in a nice layer of duck fat, these fingerlings were rich and oily with slightly burnt skin, giving it some texture and character. This was the perfect side dish to go along with our next two plates.


Here we had the Berkshire pork belly with rock shrimp, turnips, romesco (a Catalonian sauce typically made from almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, roasted garlic, olive oil and nyora peppers), and sherry caramel. The meat itself was very soft and tender, going really well with the hearty. winter flavors of sherry, caramel, and toasted nuts. The small piece of rock shrimp also seemed out of place, while the turnips were crisp and crunchy. I only wish the interior of the pork belly had absorbed these savory flavors into its warm and flesh. Otherwise, it was pretty good.


The last of our plates before dessert was the orzo with sunchoke purée, forest mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and shaved black winter truffles. Simply put, this was ahhh-so-amazing. Definitely on the pricier side of pasta dishes (a whopping $41), but the thin, black-spotted medallions justify the price point, delivering an explosively umami-rific (my very own lexiconic creation) experience on the palate. You not only have those black wisps lingering a while along your taste buds but this dish's other ingredients, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese (both of which are two elements of the "ultimate umami trifecta" -- tomato is the other) underscore further the realms of umami in a singular dish in the most natural way possible. The price is hefty, so I advice if you're in a group -- take advantage. You can have several bites with some of your closest friends, sharing in a seemingly well-kept secret. I'm already yearning for some more!


So Linda and I cheated a little bit. The table next to ours -- a party of four -- had ordered four different desserts (pretty much all of the offerings on the menu) to share amongst the table. We noticed right as they were all finishing up, taking note of which dessert had been essentially demolished and it was the deconstructed "s'mores" dessert with graham cracker ice cream, toasted homemade marshmallow, and "hot" chocolate ganache. In many ways, the presentation here (the deconstructed aspect, for sure) reminded me of the "pecan pie" that Linda and I had at Chef David Santos's Um Segredo Supper Club weeks prior. The toasted homemade marshmallow, resembling the tail of a fiery comet, which to me was quite fitting, considering the "hot" chocolate ganache (again with his deliberate use of quotation marks) had a tickling spiciness on the finish of each bite. It was as if those young days of campfires and scout troops flashed forward into the gourmet, more refined ways of adulthood, with the inner child giggling right behind. Highly recommend this dessert -- it'll send you back to the times of slumber parties and sweet comfort foods.

The kitchen also gave us a complimentary dessert -- the passionfruit "tart" with white chocolate, Champagne foam, and spiced orange. The puff pastry (the "tart" part, I'm guessing) was very fresh and had a flaky crumble to it, complementing the spiced orange slices and delicate flavors of champagne and white chocolate. Didn't love this as much as the "s'mores" dessert, but still very enjoyable if you're more of a fruit dessert kind of person. Chef Lee's pastry expertise is undoubtedly impressive and articulate, which is refreshing to see in a world that is saturated with mediocre, run-of-the mill haute pastry.

Findings: In summary, Recette gave Linda and me an extraordinary dining experience by way of small plates and snacks. Given the design and structure of the menu to move away from set "courses," Chef Jess Schenker ensures his patrons are not left hungry but happily sated. The overall cohesion of ingredients on these relatively smaller, portioned dishes was more conducive to trying more items than a traditional menu would permit for (both cost- and portion-wise). This is no American tapas joint where some bites can be considered afterthoughts. Instead, we set forth for a journey of six shared plates, each one distinctly different from the next, that teased, amused, gratified, and delighted our palates for the next few hours, while we munched and chatted away. And while we did not directly participate in a formal tasting (a five- and seven-course are available at Recette), our awesome server ("Stanley Tucci") informed us that a "tasting" here does not require the entire table to have the same rundown of courses -- it can be tailored to each individual's likes, dislikes, preferences, and the like. Score! Another plus one for Recette! Totally going to try doing that for my next visit! The things I would repeat again would be the salt cod fritters, the orzo, the "onion soup" as well as the "s'mores" -- total home runs!

All in all, Recette certainly has the "recipe" for a memorable dining experience (haha, get it?!). I definitely know that I'll be back for more -- we were only able to conquer have the menu, after all! The service was wonderful (thank you, "Stanley Tucci"!) -- you really felt at home, even among the bustling in the kitchen and the shuffling in the super cozy dining area. So if you're in the neighborhood, make a stop here! You won't want to leave after your first few bites!

Also, a BIG thank you to Linda for taking me out to celebrate my birthday -- you are the best culinary soul sister a gal can ask for! :)

Price point: $12 for each snack, $15-41 for each plate, $8 for each side, $8-10 for each dessert.

--March 2, 2012

Recette
328 West 12th Street
New York, NY 10014
http://www.recettenyc.com

Etcetera | minor housekeeping

While some major features posts are in the works, I just wanted to run down some minor housekeeping tweaks I've made to Four Tines and a Napkin (all good, of course) to help communicate more effectively to my readers and followers. I'm trying my best to stick to the resolutions I made at the beginning of this year, and hopefully, with all of this in tow, I'll be able to maintain readership and interest as well as attract some new visitors!

{1} new favicon

I thought a new "favicon" for Four Tines would be a great initial start to the new year -- it's a blue rounded square with illustrated image of a fork (for four tines, haha).

{2} new photo albums on Facebook

I've added two new photo albums to Four Tines' Facebook page: (a) 2012: Things I Ate and the Places Where I Ate Them and (b) 2012: Things I Cooked. Self-explanatory, of course. Plus, who doesn't love some additional food porn coming their way? ;]

{3} new Tumblr, an "abridged" ode to gourmandise and epicurean delights

To deliver more short-term content (photographs, articles, reads, etc.) to you, I've created a Tumblr for Four Tines. Check it out when you get a chance -- you'll find the latest foodie news that I'm reading!

{4} new Flickr, consolidated

I've also created a Flickr just for all things Four Tines, starting with all of the 2012-related content that I've blogged about so far. I've been trying really hard to showcase some decent food photographs, so hopefully this will help me get it out there! :)

{5} new widget on toolbar, "Personal Highlights"

There's a new section on the side bar of Four Tines, where I just wanted to highlight the posts that I found my food writing/reporting/photography at its best.

{6} return of Food for Thought quotations

Revived are biweekly inspiring quotations (under the category, Food for Thought), now with photographs!

{7} return of Fresh Finds

Also returned is a regular, biweekly report of gadgets, gizmos, goods, and the like that fascinate me and/or have changed the way I conduct myself in the world of cookery, gastronomy, etc.

{8} return of Q&A

I figured since I talk about certain individuals in my life quite a bit on this blog (i.e., my dining/cooking/adventure-seeking companions), you all should get to know them, too, which is why I've decided to bring back the Q&A sessions, now on a monthly basis, featuring the foodies in my lives (beginning with Lisa) -- those who keep me in lovely company and who inspire me daily to be a better friend and writer.

{9} more Toasts

. . . for remembering the important events in my life -- birthdays, anniversaries, dedications, and holidays.

{10} coming soon

Hoping to have by mid-2012:

- a visual, Google map of the current page "Eaten & Conquered" (i.e., places at which I've eaten, explored, visited, etc.)

- a feature page featuring "Where to Go" (currently, Wanderlust posts), a rundown of my favorite spots to hit up in different cities

I know there has been a heavy focus on "dinner" meals as of late, but bear with me -- I've been especially embracing the "bean counter" part of my occupational title the last few months, therefore only really allowing me to go out to dinner during the latter part of restaurant service. Hopefully, once the weather warms up (aka, when busy season concludes itself), the "desserts," "snacks," and "lunches" will return with more frequency!

Dinner | SHO Shaun Hergatt

So I wanted to choose my birthday dinner this year, and after narrowing the list down, I finally decided on going to SHO Shaun Hergatt, located at The Setai New York of downtown Manhattan, to celebrate. A little bonus is that SHO is a participating restaurant on Savored.com, which offers 30% off the entire meal if your reservation is booked through its reservation service. From strong recommendations from Lisa, Alice, and some Chowhounders, SHO was definitely the spot I was looking for a food-focused dining experience. Having been to Ai Fiori, the main restaurant of The Setai Fifth Avenue (its midtown location), I knew I'd be in for a highly aesthetic ambiance and décor as well.

Chef Shaun Hergatt, originally from Australia, began his career as the chef de cuisine of The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton in Sydney, and during his stint there, the restaurant was named "Top 5 Up-and-Coming Restaurants in the World by Condé Nast Traveler. Later, he came to the U.S. where he worked as the executive sous chef of Atelier, the now-shuttered Ritz-Carlton Central Park restaurant, in 2003 and as the executive chef at The Setai in Miami in 2005. Four years later, Chef Hergatt returned to New York City to open his eponymous restaurant, SHO Shaun Hergatt, where the menu draws its influences from modern French cuisine with "Asian accents."


Very "zen-inspired" décor of SHO's dining room. I love how the reds and organic woods playoff each other.

Menu at SHO.

We started with three amuse-bouche along with freshly baked bread and flavored butters.

{1} coconut cream with carrot paper: The coconut cream had a tapioca-like texture, followed by a thin, earthy crunch from the carrot paper.

{2} squid ink-colored potato balls stuffed with foie gras: There were warm and super savory.

{3} mushroom espuma (Spanish for "foam") with espresso powder: This was very custardy with a strong flavor of mushrooms and a hint of lingering espresso. Loved this!

{4} country white bread with {5} truffle butter, French butter, and sage butter: The bread had a soft middle and a loose and crusty exterior. The butter was incredibly soft, considering they were served in the shape of logs, which made for easy spreading on the slices of bread. The truffle butter was my favorite, primarily because it, one, had truffles, and two, was the most fragrant and flavorful.

The first course was the "cool appetizer" within the scheme of our five-course dinner.
{1} Marcus's first course -- salt-pressed Petuna ocean trout with compressed nashi pear (aka Asian pear): This reminded us of a course (i.e., Atlantic halibut and green curry ceviche) we had at the JBF LTD dinner we attended last year with Chef Laurent Gras as the featured chef. Only differential here was that this course at SHO had citrusy highlights and the soft texture of pear. Marcus and I both really liked this as it was very refreshing.

{2} my first course -- Hudson Valley foie gras with duck skin tuiles and three flavors of apple: The foie gras terrine had a nice flavor to it, especially when eaten with , though it was a bit oversalted for my liking -- this saltiness was hard to take in, especially when there was no brioche to eat with it. What I did like, however, were the duck skin tuiles (tuiles are in actuality a pastry term for thin curved cookies, typically made with almonds) that topped the terrines, which added a crisp and fatty (in the way bacon is) layer of greatness to the already juicy and smooth textures.


The second course, to counter the first, was the "warm appetizer" for the night.

{1} Marcus's second course -- housemade polenta-filled agnolotti with grana padano (a hard Italian cheese) and brown bread granola: These were circular pillows of creamy and chunky meatiness (but without the meat!). An absolute delight, it was one of our favorite courses.
{2} my second course -- slow poached Knoll Krest egg with crunchy black rice: Don't get me wrong -- the egg was delicately poached to the ideal runnyness of yolk, and the crunchy black rice was a nice way of sweeping up that concentrated sunshiny syrup gradually without being overpowered by egg. What really upset me was that the menu (see above) described this course with an additional ingredient: Santa Barbara sea urchin. It was the entire reason (well, most of the reason -- gotta love me poached eggs, too) I wanted this course. You tell me there's sea urchin/uni in a dish, and I'm there. With that being said, when I inadvertently said "sea urchin" when I was running through my choices for each of the five courses with our captain, he looked at me as if he had no idea what I was referring to. I responded by saying that one of the second course options had sea urchin as an ingredient and that I would like to order that. He then said something along the lines of, "Oh, he said you mean the egg course? That has a poached egg and crunchy black rice. There is no sea urchin." I proceeded to point out where I saw the item with said sea urchin to him on the menu, and he still insisted that I was wrong. I was frustrated beyond belief, but I didn't want to argue anymore -- there was nothing more I could do. His heavy accent and my "delusions" were not on the same page. When you say there is going to be sea urchin, there better be some gosh darn sea urchin! You do not play games or joke when it comes to sea urchin -- it is serious business, especially for those who are enthralled by it.

Next came the "fish course" -- one of two main courses.

{1} my third course -- East Coast flounder with langoustine and black truffle cauliflower purée: I was enticed so much by the black truffle cauliflower purée that I decided to order the flounder. The sauce was well done, and the purée was great. While the flouder broke apart really easily and became creamy with the accompanying sauces, it tasted like mediocre hotel catering. I thought the langoustine would salvaged the dish a bit, but alas, the langoustine was a little tough and let's face it -- the flounder was just not very good.

{2} Marcus's fourth course -- Nova Scotia lobster with coconut cream rice balls and coconut curry: Marcus really enjoyed this dish. The drops of coconut curry around the circumference of the plate was done by one of the waiters -- in a very precise yet artsy. The lobster was cooked perfectly, just to opaque. The coconut curry was too strong in South Asian flavors for me, losing the lobster's natural flavors and everything. Beautiful presentation, nonetheless.

{1} my fourth course -- three-day red wine braised beef cheek with black trumpets and potato crisps: Out of all the courses I had, this was my favorite (which isn't saying a lot, as I felt the courses I had were unimpressive). Braised in red wine for three days, the beef cheek was bursting with intensely dark, hearty flavors. The thinly sliced black trumpets perpetuated the overall earthiness in the dish's core. The potato crisps added a decorative and textural effect, complementing the softness with a bit of structural crunch. Just like the traditionally braised short rib, this was done very well.

{2} Marcus's fourth course -- Upstate New York guinea hen with caramelized salsify, quinoa, garlic cream, and rillette: The guinea hen was our mutual favorite, for it was unbelievably tender and moist. Upon cutting right into it, Marcus found it to be super soft and so very tasty. Never knew poultry could melt in your mouth like that -- defies culinary gravity for sure.

{1} my last course (dessert) -- caramélia custard with dehydrated chocolate sponge cake and crispy dark chocolate: The dehydrated sponge cake had an interesting texture to it -- airy yet exuding a soft, velvety flavor of chocolate. The custard, however, was way too sweet, making the enjoyment of this dessert rather muted. Another disappointment, sadly, despite the beautiful presentation.

{2} Marcus's last course (dessert) -- lemon meringue with fennel lemonade: Another delicious hit for both Marcus and myself which tasted like a gourmet lemonade slushie. Quite sour, but it was much to Marcus's liking, considering his sour-driven, citrus-inclined palate.


The five-course tasting concluded with three mignardises.

{1} This was some shortbread dipped in chocolate -- mostly a vague memory. Nothing too special.

{2} These were a delightful post-meal refreshment -- in summary, large homemade junior mints.

{3} Miniature cinnamon ginger doughnuts proved my love for all pastries covered in cinnamon sugar. Delectable and savory sweet in one bite.

Findings: Overall, I wasn't very impressed with our five-course prix fixe at SHO Shaun Hergatt. In all honesty, I think (1) I overhyped myself, (2) I got bad taste in my mouth from the getgo with the sea urchin incident that I previously mentioned, and (3) the courses, at least the ones I had were pretty disappointing. Marcus certainly ordered better than I did, and I have to admit that I am a bit upset with myself and kinda jealous that he was able to carve out a much better experience than me. The service was just okay -- it wasn't particularly welcoming nor was it at all conducive to a relaxed and enjoyable dinner. I can sense the talent hidden underneath Chef Shaun Hergatt's toque filled with enlightening culinary experience (e.g., with the flavors of guinea hen and the agnolotti as well as with the presentation of the foie gras and lobster), but for whatever reason, our meal wasn't very representative of such refinement. I was very letdown, especially since we were out celebrating my birthday with what I had hoped would be a spectacular meal. I'm blaming myself partially for this because I got so hung up on the menu mishap that I ruined the rest of my night. I probably should've been more aggressive in trying to understand our captain, but I was so beyond annoyed and frazzled that I just gave up. I need to not do that in the future. Damn you, sea urchin. Why do you have to be so mesmerizing, so much so that if I am promised to have you and later that promise is reneged, I turn into a crazy food fascist where nothing else matters? Ugh, I need to be more forgiving.

I think I would give SHO another chance during another season and probably during lunch -- I am not sure I can justify the $85-$100 prix fixe when a hit-or-miss game is involved. So lesson here? Just know what to order, and you will be okay. Oh, and don't let the sea urchin become a siren to your gastronomic ears. You will be very disappointed otherwise.

Price point: $100 for five-course prix fixe.

--February 25, 2012

SHO Shaun Hergatt
The Setai New York
40 Broad Street, Second Level
New York, NY 10004
http://www.shoshaunhergatt.com