Two years of wedded bliss is certainly something to celebrate! DJ had the brilliant idea of trying Degustation: a restaurant with a stellar reputation for its Iberian and French influenced cuisine, very similar to the food we sampled on our honeymoon adventure in the Basque region.
One of the fun elements of Degustation is the dining area. All patrons are seated around the cooking area so you can see the chefs at work.
It reminded us slightly of the concept of pintxos, where people sit around a bar sampling small plates. So we were excited to see how the flavor profiles compared to our European experience. Overall, we were definitely impressed though a few dishes stood out as our clear favorites.
the full menu
(zoom in to see details)
Croquetas
(served atop delicious cream; smooth rich center; very similar to croquettes we had in Spain)
Brussels Sprouts with Funyuns and Cashews
(awesome concept, though DJ would have liked a hint of sweet [perhaps maple?] to balance out the strength of the char on the sprout leaves)
Crisp Octopus
(one of our favorites; the Thai curry sauce was PHENOMENAL and the octopus was grilled perfectly)
Scallop with "Paella" Garnish
(another one of our favorites; the "paella" had a fabulous hint of citrus to balance the savory)
Foie Gras
(grilled! we'd never had it prepared this way and quite enjoyed it; also enjoyed that it was paired with celery rather than bread because the light, refreshing nature of the celery really let the foie flavors be the star of the dish)
Apple, Lavender, Spicy Oats and Granita
(the "modern" movement in a dessert: the "apple" was actually in frozen green granita form and the lavender flavor was concentrated in the gelatin cubes; very light and refreshing)
Degustation is definitely a fun night out. The food is playful while still remaining true to classic flavor profiles, and the setting is obviously a conversation starter in and of itself. However, one downside we discovered to sitting around the kitchen is that you see everything the chefs are doing - the good and the questionable.
While we sat mesmerized by the chefs' skill at navigating their small work area and creating beautiful plates, we noticed that they didn't pay much attention to hygiene. The chef working closest to us would pull out raw scallops and arrange them on the grill, then move the lamb belly to a cooling rack, then cut bread and put it in the oven to toast - all of this with grace and precision, but without washing his hands in between. Another interesting trick: the chefs would put a metal rod into the meat and touch it to their faces to be sure it was the right temperature. But occasionally we noticed they would use the same rod they'd just touched to their faces to test the temperature of the second piece of meat on a plate. Now, we are 99.9% sure that all of this happens in most restaurant kitchens when we're not looking. But as DJ said: if you're going to have a restaurant where you know people are watching your every move, you might want to take the time to be super diligent with cleanliness. It didn't ruin our experience in any way; the food was still delicious and brought back memories of our fabulous foodie fun in Spain. But we might not be running back, and we will be sure to offer a disclaimer when folks ask if we recommend it.
Cheers to two wonderful years of marriage and food adventures, and to all the delicious years ahead!
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