Dinner the night before last was sooo good the humans made reservations to return to the scene, even before the feast was fully digested. I tried to convince them to wait, carefully consider the options, and then, perhaps, next year make another reservation. After all, second acts can be disappointing (think about that guy you were crazy about after your first date with him and then remember that after the second time, you really hoped the glass of water you doused him with had caused the ink to run in his address book – or, for the younger set, shorted out his iPhone). In a thoughtful attempt on my part to prevent disappointment, I threatened to boycott the meal if the humans didn’t promise to order completely different items than the last time, thinking that if I wasn’t paying the tariff, they might not simply try to recreate a previous moment of gustatory bliss. [Stop the presses – major admission follows] I was WRONG. If anything, tonight’s dinner was more blissful than Wednesday’s.
Dinner began with the 2009 Chehalem 3 Vineyards Pinot Noir from the Williamette Valley. Smooth, a touch tart and rounded with the taste of ripe gooseberries and a medium finish, it set the right tone for the food. We began by sharing a portion of lobster spring rolls and second of grilled artichoke hearts. The lobster spring rolls were exquisite – sweet tender lobster meat wrapped in gossamer wings of incredibly crispy light egg rolls skins and served with a mango puree for the our pleasure. The grilled artichoke heart was surrounded by kalamata olives that had been kissed ever so lightly with a flame and caressed by lightly grilled shreds of Bermuda onion, sweet red peppers and a delicate dusting of parmesan cheese. The sweet lobster spring roll and the piquant artichoke heart set upour tastebuds for the salad course – and the humans cheated. They ordered the grilled fig salad again – you remember, the one with the melted cheese, balsamic honey, toasted walnuts and butter lettuce bed? I nearly had to stab the human male in the wrist to get my fair share of this treasure, despite this being a repeat.
Tonight’s fish special was a fresh, local Rainbow Runner – a species apparently related to snapper. Served with an unbelievably delicious spinach risotto and lovely rapini, it proved firm, buttery, flavorful and was set off by a local onion relish. Milady was extremely pleased with her choice and devoured it with gusto. Following my experience with that exquisite sous vide short rib the other night, I chose the Pork Trio. Comprised of a grilled skirt, a sous vide belly, and a tenderloin of wild boar – served with a fig compote, a chimichurri, asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes, it was spectacular. Each of the three preps paired perfectly (say that three times fast) with the sauces. I am at a loss to tell you which of the three was best – but I am rapidly becoming enamored with sous vide cooking. The belly was at once crispy on the outside and flowingly tender on the inside, an unbeatable combination of textures with just the right saltiness throughout. The skirt was grilled to perfection – a touch chewy under a very light char. The wild boar tenderloin was moist, pink and black and hinted at the flavor of the forest with a little chestnut for depth. {SLURP!}
Our shared dessert was a perfectly sized crepe of apples browned in cinnamon, butter and sugar, with a dollop of homemade buttermilk ice cream. It is arguably the best apple, butter and cinnamon combination since apple pfankuchen at the Old Dutch Tavern on Maiden Lane in Manhattan.
There was one disappointment – Barracuda Grill is closed for private parties on Saturday and Sund, so we will have to wait until next year to eat here again.