Last night, it was Scott's turn to pick the restaurant. He was indecisive between Central Kitchen or Harvest. Boy, am I glad he chose Harvest! I don't know where to begin with this restaurant. Yes, it was that good! Perhaps I will start with the location. Harvest is located on 44 Brattle Street in Harvard Square. The restaurant is located on a walkway right off Brattle Street. The food is heavily influence by French cuisine and the combination of ingredients are rare and creative.
Drinks
Scott and I both ordered the Ruby Red Cocktail, a martini made with Orange Vodka, Blood Orange Juice, Chambord and Bubbly and garnished with an orange slice. The combination of these drinks were heavenly! It was sweet and tangy and the bubbly provided the perfect amount of carbonation. Think of it as a very upscale orange soda. As soon as I took the first sip, I realized that it was the perfect summer drink. I can picture myself drinking this on a hot summer day while I am tanning in my backyard.
Appetizers
I ordered the Chestnut and Hazelnut soup with Smoked Duck and Candied Cranberries. Before I go into the details of this dish, I must tell you how it was presented to me. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture so please try to picture it as best as you can. The bowl was shallow and it was served empty with the exception of three slices of ducks breast fanned out next to three cranberries. The soup came in a small copper pitcher, which the waiter proceeded to pour into the shallow bowl, drowning the duck and cranberries in a pool of goodness!
The soup was made from a cream-based broth and had a subtle, nutty after taste. The smokiness of the duck complemented the nutty broth, very, very well. I cut the duck breast in half and scooped them up with every spoonful of broth. I added a couple of shakes of black pepper because I felt that the soup was missing that extra little 'oomph'. Otherwise, this dish was perfect.
Scott ordered the Peppercorn Crusted Venison Carpaccio. Four paper thin slices of venison carpaccio were served in the center of the plate with four accompaniments in each corner. These were: a creamy truffled cheese, crispy shallots, watercress and radicchio salad and three slices of grilled baguette. The point was to make small open faced sandwiches with the carpaccio and the accompaniments. The venison was buttery in both texture and taste, but it was subtle enough to bring out its natural gamey flavor. The peppercorn crust added the perfect amount of spice and texture. It goes without saying that piling up the venison and the remainder of the ingredients on the baguette was the best culinary decision I have ever made. Kudos to the person who thought of marrying all these ingredients.
Entree
I ordered the Pennsylvania Duck Breast as my entree. This is a very complex dish with a lot of different flavors, so pay close attention. The duck breast was sliced, served on top of a small salad of baby bok choy, carrots, and pearl onions and drizzled with a lemongrass sauce. The duck was seared on the outside and very juicy on the inside. The duck breast had about a half-inch of fat and although it was very flavorful, I would have liked it to have been crispier. Two different kinds of rice were served on the side. One was a jasmine rice that tasted like jasmine green tea. The other was forbidden black rice with shredded duck confit (duck leg). Forbidden rice is an heirloom black rice that when cooked it is dark purple in color. I had never had it before. It was salty, but not overbearing. The shredded duck confit was a nice touch, but its flavor was drowned in the earthiness of the rice. I would have preferred the confit as a garnish instead of it being mixed into the rice.
Scott ordered the Guinea Hen drizzled with an apple cider sauce and served with pureed butternut squash, napa cabbage, and haricot verts (french for green beans). The hen was perhaps the most tender piece of poultry I have ever eaten at a restaurant. The meat was extremely moist, a perfect contrast to the bird's crispy skin. It was served on top of the cabbage and green beans, both crisp and fresh. Scott's only complaint was that the butternut portion was too small. There was only small dollop in the center of the plate.
Dessert
Dessert at Harvest was the star of the meal. Scott and I shared the Chevre (goat cheese) Cheesecake. The plating was as magnificent as the flavor. A scoop of cheesecake was served on a crispy short bread cookie and plated with roasted figs and raspberries, a light raspberry sauce, and a button-sized dollop of white truffle balsamic vinegar. The latter being the highlight of the plate. I love truffles, but I had never had it with anything sweet. I usually get truffled fries or steak drizzled with a bit of truffle olive oil. I would have never imagined that truffle and cheesecake would go well together. I am glad my palate proved me wrong! The earthy, pungent flavor of the truffle balsamic sauce was the perfect compliment to the goat cheese cheesecake.
I can assure you that this is one restaurant I will be eating at again. The atmosphere was very dynamic partly due to their open kitchen. Watching the chefs prepare your exquisite food enhances your dining experience. This is a very upscale restaurant. I recommend it to those who are willing to try dishes that do not resemble (not even closely) anything you have ever eaten before. Unique, elegant and delicious. What more do you need in a restaurant.
Bon Apetit!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Acqua Restaurant NYC
My love of good food starts with my mother who only allowed me to eat fresh, natural foods-nothing frozen, canned or boxed. Everything in my house was made from scratch. Throughout the years I have been lucky to meet people that share my love for fresh foods. My closest friends are those with whom I can talk to for hours upon hours about food. I am also extremely lucky to have met a wonderful man who shares my passion for cooking and exquisite cuisine. He opened my eyes (and my appetite) to a variety of new ingredients and cuisines. I created this blog to inform my audience about the hidden culinary treasures New England has to offer. Think of it of a restaurant guide for foodies or for any one who wants to try something different. Before I review my first restaurant I want to give all of you a bit of advice:
Don't be afraid to try new things. My new year's resolution wasn't to lose weight, exercise more or eat better, it was to eat things I would have never imagined eating. A few months ago I was at the Rattle Snake Bar and Grill in Boston, MA and I tried CHILI INFUSED ARIZONA RATTLESNAKE! As someone who has an irrational fear of snakes, I couldn't believe that I was actually eating one, but I am glad I did. It was delicious! The meat was very white and it reminded me of crab, both in texture and taste. In your adventure to try exotic things, start with small portions and remember, don't be afraid! As long as it's not poisonous, it's edible! :-)
This past Saturday I went to Acqua in New York City located in the upper west side on the corner of Amsterdam Ave and 95th St. It was a very quaint Italian restaurant. The heat of the brick oven made the restaurant pleasantly warm and very cozy. It is a great restaurant to go with a group of friends, have a romantic dinner with your hunny, or simply enjoy a glass of wine at the bar by yourself . At first I was a bit upset that they were out of their Cabernet Sauvignon, which happens to be my all-time favorite red. I ordered the Malbec instead and I was very, very impressed and at $8 a glass it was a bargain. I skipped the appetizer, which is very rare with me, but there was a large variety of very reasonably priced appetizers- the most expensive appetizer was $10. I ordered the striped bass with green olives and tomatoes with a side of wilted spinach as my entree. The fish was perfectly seared on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. It was topped with olives and tomatoes that had been cooked lightly in olive oil. Did I mention that the olives were massive!? They looked like baby bella mushrooms. The spinach was not listed on the menu, so it came as a little surprise. It was exquisite. I usually have an issue with wilted spinach because most restaurants tend to over cook it and I am left with gooey leaves. This was NOT the case at Acqua. It was by far the best spinach I have eaten at a restaurant. The texture was leaning more towards that of fresh uncooked spinach, tender and crunchy. It was seasoned to perfection with just a dollop of butter. Sometimes that is all you need, butter. My food was absolutely flawless. My plate was $18, which was surprisingly the most expensive one on the menu. Inexpensive and flawless Italian food. It doesn't get any better than that!
Until next time. Bon Apetit!
Don't be afraid to try new things. My new year's resolution wasn't to lose weight, exercise more or eat better, it was to eat things I would have never imagined eating. A few months ago I was at the Rattle Snake Bar and Grill in Boston, MA and I tried CHILI INFUSED ARIZONA RATTLESNAKE! As someone who has an irrational fear of snakes, I couldn't believe that I was actually eating one, but I am glad I did. It was delicious! The meat was very white and it reminded me of crab, both in texture and taste. In your adventure to try exotic things, start with small portions and remember, don't be afraid! As long as it's not poisonous, it's edible! :-)
This past Saturday I went to Acqua in New York City located in the upper west side on the corner of Amsterdam Ave and 95th St. It was a very quaint Italian restaurant. The heat of the brick oven made the restaurant pleasantly warm and very cozy. It is a great restaurant to go with a group of friends, have a romantic dinner with your hunny, or simply enjoy a glass of wine at the bar by yourself . At first I was a bit upset that they were out of their Cabernet Sauvignon, which happens to be my all-time favorite red. I ordered the Malbec instead and I was very, very impressed and at $8 a glass it was a bargain. I skipped the appetizer, which is very rare with me, but there was a large variety of very reasonably priced appetizers- the most expensive appetizer was $10. I ordered the striped bass with green olives and tomatoes with a side of wilted spinach as my entree. The fish was perfectly seared on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. It was topped with olives and tomatoes that had been cooked lightly in olive oil. Did I mention that the olives were massive!? They looked like baby bella mushrooms. The spinach was not listed on the menu, so it came as a little surprise. It was exquisite. I usually have an issue with wilted spinach because most restaurants tend to over cook it and I am left with gooey leaves. This was NOT the case at Acqua. It was by far the best spinach I have eaten at a restaurant. The texture was leaning more towards that of fresh uncooked spinach, tender and crunchy. It was seasoned to perfection with just a dollop of butter. Sometimes that is all you need, butter. My food was absolutely flawless. My plate was $18, which was surprisingly the most expensive one on the menu. Inexpensive and flawless Italian food. It doesn't get any better than that!
Until next time. Bon Apetit!
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