October 30, 2014, Dinner at L' Esprit de Jean-Claude

phil62

Senior Insider
We headed out to Saline to start the celebration of Missy's birthday a couple of days early. Amy seems to be on a mission to photograph as many folks as possible in her new hat. So far, so good.

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The first amuse was a mini spring roll of crab on a bed of sauerkraut served alongside a cup filled with a bubbly butternut squash foam emulsion. The second was a white granite of mint which did not photograph well for me but was truly refreshing to the taste buds.

The pate of foie gras with cocoa and passion fruit was served with a plate of triangle toasts

The soup was a hot avocado broth with slices of sea scallops and diced arugula

The yellowfin tuna tartare was accompanied by a nose clearing beetroot and wasabi flavored sorbet that was an outstanding flavorful sensation
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The firm and tasty big shrimp was prepared on la plancha and was filled with pared zucchini curls and cherry tomatoes and was served with a bowl of Thai rice prepared with squid ink.
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The veal strip loin was flavored with garlic and rosemary and black olives
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The lightly seared tuna prepared on la plancha was served with a zesty chutney of sweet potato and ginger
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For dessert, Missy had the light creme brulee flavored with lime and blood orange and topped with dollops of meringue.
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Another dessert was the vanilla icing cake with apple and cinnamon tarts topped with whipped chocolate mousse. A sorbet of rich dark chocolate and dollops of caramel cream and a crunchy cookie made for a major taste sensation!
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This menu was a preseason 3 course priced fixed meal with three choices for starter, main plate and the dessert. The full menu will begin to be offered in a couple of weeks. Everything was carefully prepared by Jean Claude Du Four and his kitchen staff and well served by a friendly and attentive dining room staff.
 
everything on the preseason menu looked great, hope he keeps some of them on the regular menu (especially the veal)

the big question of the day is "where will the hat pop up next"
 
I enjoyed the pre-season menu a number of times at end of August / early September. The food, of course, was wonderful. But, even better was the mellow crowd . . . enough to have a "buzz" in the space, but not so much that Jean Claude was trapped in his kitchen. The time was a highlight of my visit.

Meanwhile, I want my metabolism to learn what allows Missy to enjoy so many tasty things without showing any lbs! Those days, sadly, seem to be ancient history for me (not that the disconnect stops me from eating frites & profiteroles!).
 
Any time spent with Jean-Claude duFour is just delightful. Not only is he talented in the kitchen, he's a funny guy!

This menu was delicious, especially the scallop and hot avocado soup. Very flavorful! The tuna was prepared perfectly and the side of sweet potatoes were pretty yummy, too. This is a must-do and at the very top of my list. Merci, Phil and Amy for another exceptional evening! Memories not soon forgotten.
 
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