Daniel, NYC

In November of this year we made our annual trek up to 65th and Park Avenue for the tasting menu at Daniel, my all time favorite restaurant. But this year was special - we weren't going alone! Conversations earlier in the fall with besties and fellow foodies, Paul & Sarah, revealed a long held desire by them to dine at this king of New York, long standing, three starred Michelin destination. We got the 5:45pm reservation months in advance and waited excitedly for the date to arrive.

Paul & Sarah made the trip up to the Empire State from lovely Virgina the night before via Connecticut to drop off a foodie in training, Amelia with family. Baby safely ensconced, P&S met Alan and I first at The Plaza for champagne and hors d'oeuvres. For a description of that wonderful kick off see earlier post.

From The Plaza we made the walk uptown in weather that felt more like September than it did mid-November. Upon entering the updated lobby (since we were there a year ago), we were immediately taken to our table in the middle of the main dining room with a 360 degree view of the entire restaurant. One of the first tables to be seated, an usual, the restaurant filled up quickly around us.

Arriving prepared and having already all taken a look over the 43 page wine list posted on the restaurant's web site, we ordered a bottle of the 2006 Marie-Noelle Ledru, "Grand Cru Cuvee de Goulte" Blanc de Noir. Alan and I were excited about trying this bottle since we had also picked it out from the wine list of Eleven Madison Park earlier in the month but didn't order it for the reason explained on the post of that dinner and that evening.

This dinner was the tenth year in a row we'd be coming to Daniel in November for my birthday and there were certain things that we'd gotten use to...expected even. So what a surprise it turned out to be that they had changed things up! The first example was the amuse bouche. For years this chef's gift was served to the table on a four tier tower with four single bite dishes for each person in the party. Imagine our delight when this clever trio of tastes came out from the kitchen, presented on a bridge across the plate. Our little dishes to start the night were three tastes of sweet potato - all interesting, different textures and temperatures and all quite yummy!

We decided as a table to do the six course tasting menu along with a mid-course addition of the Alba white truffle served two ways - pasta and as a risotto. We also picked a bottle of red wine to pair with the later courses.

Since Daniel always offered two options on each course of his tasting menus, we were able to have all of the options between the couples. The menu consisted of:

First Course:

• Duck Terrine with Marcona Almond, honey crisp apple confit, sauternes glazed date mache salad and hazelnut-cider vinaigrette
• Mosac of Griggstown Farm Mallard and parsnip with apple cider poached quince, pickled champagne grapes and peppercress salad

Second Course:

• Wasabi cured Fluke with Shiso Bavarois, roasted beets , edamame coulis and seaweed bread tuile
• Tasting of Yellowfin Tuna en Tartare with Northern Lights Caviar cured with compressed celery confit and anchovy dressing

Third Course:

• Crispy Scottish Langoustines with tandoori hearts of palm, pickled kumquat and lemon balm salad
• Artichoke and Squid Ink raviolini with little neck clams, ruby red shrimp, razor clams sea beans, saffron cream and opal basil

Truffle Course:

• White truffle Abbaye de Tamie Agnelotti
• White truffle creamy risotto with parmesan

Fourth Course:

• Bacon wrapped Swordfish with spaghetti and butternut squash, confit cipollini onion pumpkin seed gremolata and Ommegang Beer jus
• Slow poached Monkfish tail with green cabbage-sesame fricassee, parsnip mousseline and toasted cashews

Fifth Course:

• Roasted Veal Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta, poached cheeks with parsley pasta crispy sweetbreads, chanterelles and crosnes
• Duo of Beef; black angus short ribs with califlower mousseline, seared wagyu tenderloin, oyster mushrooms crispy potato and poached bone marrow

Sixth Course:

• Lemongrass Poached pineapple with coconut meringue, lime-rum gelee and pina colada sorbet
• Warm Guanaja Chocolate Coulant with liquid caramel, fleur de sel and milk sorbet

Extra Courses & Dishes:

• MAPLE-HONEY PEAR VARIATION, Poached Bosc and Crisp Asian Pear, Maple-Pecan Ice Cream
• Warm, fresh Madelaines

• Petit Fours

All in all...amazing. In particular - the langoustine and tuna courses were off the charts. The truffle pasta was perfection. The newness and excitement that both the Monkfish and the Swordfish brought to the meal are going to be long remembered. And ofcourse, the Duo of Beef continues to be one of the single best dishes served in any restaurant anywhere in the world and there is just nothing more perfect than ending this incredible meal with Lemon Verbena herbal tea and that never-ending basket of warm Madelaines. A perfect evening with incredible friends!

Jenn's Rating: 98
Zagat's Rating: 29-28-28
Michelin: 3 stars