First night was in-house at the Ritz-Carlton. Fearing's is Dean Fearing's place after Ritz lured him away from the Mansion at Turtle Creek.
Fearing's
The menu is a fusion of classic continental with Southwest influences. Since we're great fans of the SW cuisine of Santa Fe, it looked like a sure bet. Foie gras and crab cake appetizer for me then a roast breast of pheasant.
Night two was Stephan Pyles stand-alone restaurant. Pyles has long been recognized as a landmark of Dallas fine dining. The restaurant is modern, glass and tile clearly meant to contrast with places like the traditional and stodgy French Room at the Adolphus Hotel.
Stephan Pyles
Again the cuisine is billed as Southwestern. First course was the signature tamale tart and then a "surf and turf" offering of a tenderloin filet and a "chicken-fried" lobster. A high point was an introduction to a winery that I had not previously encountered, Wrath Vineyards. A rich, full-bodied syrah was possibly the start of a beautiful friendship if I can get more of the limited production offerings.
Night three was Charlie Palmer's at the Joule. The Joule is a boutique hotel on Main Street Dallas and a treasure chest of modern art and decorating. The restaurant was even more impressive than the hotel lobby.
Charlie Palmer at the Joule
The decor is designed around wind and the power of wind energy. The ceiling focuses on six huge "fans" which are art and not air circulation. Fifteen foot diameter blades rotate ever-so-slowly creating kinetic sculpture. The walls feature a set of eight large art pieces based on wind and famous literary linkages to wind. Here is the one from just above our table. Can you figure out the story?
Dinner was seared foie gras on pineapple upside down cake for a first course followed by a bleu cheese crusted filet with Armagnac reduction. I seldom make it to dessert, but the offering of a pecan tart with bourbon whipped cream was enough to get my attention.
A neat feature in concept, but not quite mature in execution was an e-winelist presented on a tablet computer. You choose type (red/white/rose/bubbly) then pick a region, varietal, winery and/or price range. The tablet delivers the choices and you can check wines of interest to build a list for yourself and to discuss with the somellier. The problem was that you really didn't get to browse and for someone who was not already fairly wine-savvy it could be restrictive and intimidating. It makes it difficult to stumble upon new varietals or offerings from unfamiliar regions. The waiter agreed and said he has many customers who ask for the traditional paper wine list. Still, it is something for the future.
Of the three night bacchanal, SWMBO and I agreed that Charlie Palmer's was the best experience on all fronts--ambience, service, staff, presentation and food. Fearing's was a disappointment with too much smoke in the flavors and way too many contrasting notes piled upon the plate. The informal short-sleeved striped shirt "uniforms" of the wait-staff seemed out of place for the Ritz. Stephan Pyles was similarly steeped in smoky flavor and noisy. Both were definitely up-scale but the perfection was at Palmer's.
7 comments:
OK, I'll take a swing at it - The Wolf blows down the Three Little Pigs' house of straw?
I hope that all the indulgence this week hasn't converted you into a limousine liberal, and recommend some beer and [hot] pork rinds to cleanse the palate.
Well yes, and speaking of indulgence, can we expect an update on that hardware seen here a month or so ago?.
From memory it was a choice between a fully blued or a blued/stainless finish.
.. very curious!.
The Donald, close but no cigar. This is the two pigs escaping from the house of sticks. The straw house was apparently already gone. In the background detail (the window light at the far right) is the third pig looking out from his house of bricks. Pretty imaginative work.
Others in the series included Bronco Billy riding the TX whirlwind, the tornado in Wizard of Oz, a Buster Keaton homage and Don Quixote tilting at the windmill. Really creative stuff.
Ed,
What do you have against ducks? I'm not sure, but it appears that in your travel journal, you've partaken of duck liver every day. Not that that's a bad thing, but it does not repair any damage your own liver may have taken in your raucous past. Just sayin'
Juvat, it is goose, not duck. I consider it a cell transplant for the therapeutic repair of my liver. It also coats my arteries against bruising and injury. The coating insures my blood pressure remains alarmingly high and that I always have a healthy red glow to my face.
Goose? Well that requires a story.
While stationed in Okinawa, we heard that there was a very fine French Restaurant off base. So, the Missus and I decided to go there on our anniversary (had to be a special occasion as this was at the time when the dollar to yen ratio was pitiful). Sat down in a very tastefully decorated restaurant and, hard to believe, a Japanese waitress came up to get the evening started. Ordered dinner and wine whilst frantically counting the yen in my wallet, when up walks a Japanese assistant waitress whose English was only slightly better than my Japanese. She placed some bread on the table and a ramekin of something I assumed to be butter. Slathered some of it on the bread, quite tasty but certainly not butter. So I asked her what it was. She replied "Baklava!". Now, I think to my self, Hmm, doesn't look like pastry, she must not have understood me. So I ask again, she replies again "Baklava!". And then proceeds to place her hands under her armpits and flap her elbows while making honking noises. As the French are know to say "ze light bulb, she came on". So, Ed, you may be right that foie gras is made from Goose, but it'll always be Duck Liver to me.
Baklava is a middle-eastern sweet: layers of filo pastry drenched in honey, usually with slivered almonds. Quite good.
I suspect your Japanese waitress was mistranslating or grabbed a word she'd heard somewhere.
Your language escapade reminds me of a visit to Bordeaux where we ate in a wonderful Michelin starred restaurant. The waiter spoke no English. I spoke no French. We communicated in Spanish...
Which neither of us spoke!
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