The Peacock Inn, Krug Champagne Dinner

Last week Alan and I went to the Peacock Inn in Princeton with Mary & Steve for their Krug champagne dinner. This was our first time to the Inn. After a rather difficult time trying to get into the tiny parking lot, we arrived on time at 6:30pm and settled in at the bar (at a lovely corner, elevated seat) to have our first glass of bubbly and enjoy passed Hors d'Oeuvres.

The bar filled up fast with the forty or so people there for the private dinner and the champagne being poured was Domaine Chandon Etoile. Nice everyday champagne a bit on the simplistic side with a short finish but nice nose. To accompany the wine were four appetizers: shrimp "cocktail" with cocktail sauce en gelee, cucumber and lemon; cremini mushroom stuffed with oxtail, persillade and bone marrow; caviar blini with vodka spiked creme fraiche and red onion and a house gravlox on rye toast with apple and dill cream cheese.

The appetizers were better than expected with the shrimp and caviar blini as the standouts. I think we all liked the shrimp the best but unfortunately, it was the only one to make only a single appearance at our table in the corner.

Promptly at 7pm and proprietor escorted everyone to the main dining room and to our tables. We shared ours with another couple from the Princeton area that frequents the Inn regularly.

As with many Inns, the dining room looked like it was the original living room, expanded and converted to fit the dozen tables peppered throughout. There's a wonderful looking brick fireplace in one corner and many of the tables are against the windows looking out the front of the Inn. Overall a cozy and welcoming feeling permeated the space.

Our host for the evening, the Krug head of sales for LVMH, welcomed everyone and gave a brief but entertaining introduction to the champagne house and a few comments about our first Krug wine of the evening, the Grand Cuvee. He came back throughout the evening with notes about each wine being poured. I found listening to him one of the highlights of the evening.

The Grand Cuvee was served alongside our 1st course, Terrine of Hudson Valley Foie Gras with sweet pickled grapes, raisin puree, tarragon and brioche crisps.

I didn't like this course - - I really, really wanted to but there was something off about it. Almost bitter, like something was inadvertently tainting the flavor. Disappointing considering how much I love foie gras. The champagne was fantastic though and didn't have any problem being the star of the first course.

The second course was a warmed Beausoleil oyster with sea scallops, cauliflower foam and a caviar & leek butter sauce. This course was served with Krug Vintage 2000.

HOLY HAPPINESS!!! This course was outstanding! And the champagne, served in white wine glasses to allow the bouquet to fully open is basically perfection in crystal. The oyster was big and succulent with a wonderful consistency and flavor...not at all overpowered by the joyful mix of caviar, leek and butter but more living in blissful harmony. I could have climbed into that bowl and just lived there.

As this was going on in front of me, Mary was having a very different happy experience. With an allergy to shellfish (so sad) she was assured that restaurant could accommodate her while still making it dinner special. While we were noshing on oyster, Mary was fork deep in a plate of brown butter gnocchi with spring peas. Being Mary's closest neighbor at the table I was able to grab a bite. A wonderful, simple and earnestly comforting dish, the gnocchi was tender and fluffy. I loved the flavors. I saw longing in the eyes of Steve from across the table as he gazed upon Mary's dish - - disheartened to be too far away to score a taste for himself.

Next course up was the main dish...butter poached Maine lobster with aged sirloin "Surf & Turf" served with fondant potato, honshemijji mushroom and bone marrow sabayon. This was paired with the 1998 Vintage Krug.

My lobster was cooked just past opaque - tender and sweet. The sirloin was medium rare. While the beef didn't have anything super special about it, it was tender and easy to cut. I liked the potato and thought this dish was well thought out and well executed. Mary's dish was similar with two pieces of beef and no lobster.

Once again though the real star was the champagne. The 1998 vintage was perhaps even more balanced and sophisticated than the 2000 but I go back and forth on which I enjoyed more. They both could probably age for another ten years while still growing more and more elegant and smooth in the bottle.

For our final course of the evening I couldn't have cared less what was served for dessert. I just wanted to get my hands on the granddaddy of them all, the Krug Rose. One of my all time favorite champagnes, just the sight of this blush-hued baby gets me giddy with excitement.

The dessert course was a fennel-vanilla panna cotta with marinated strawberries, five spice chantilly and candied fennel. There were mixed reviews around the table from, "it's okay", "it's good", to, "ugh, I don't like it". I fell in the middle - it was ok. I liked the strawberries and didn't mind the fennel but I'm not a fan of the consistency of panna cotta or anything flan like. Luckily I had my glass of Krug Rose and didn't really have eyes (or taste buds) for anything else.

Overall it was a pleasant experience- a fun night out with good friends. The food was hit and miss though where they got it right they REALLY got it right. Since the focus was on the champagne - which was outstanding - the evening was a success.

I won't rate the restaurant as we didn't order anything off the menu. Based on this evening I would give the regular menu a try but probably wouldn't have my hopes up too high.