TLDR: Yet another week of this…
@Bagel If you’re still on the fence, maybe this might convince you!
salad niçoise | olive oil-poached tuna, niçoise olives, fingerling potato, dijon-shallot vinaigrette
nice and hearty salad. the flavorful yet not-too-salty olives give you pops of salinity. working in tandem with the olives are the sweet and tangy tomatoes playing its role in brightening the salad. texturally, between the crunchy sugar snap peas & red bell peppers, supple soft boiled eggs, and meaty poached tuna, you get the whole darn spectrum here.
poached tuna isn’t my favorite way to enjoy tuna but it’s nicely done here.
bread city | fougasse with niçoise olives and herbs de provence, croutons, rouille
- rouille + croutons + broth = absolute highlight of this meal
- fougasse = herbaceous + crusty + chewy + saltiness from olives
bouillabaisse | lobster, local crab, mussels, clams, rockfish, john dory, saffron potato
hot damn. this is ariel’s worse nightmare. her friends are insanely delicious and perfectly cooked! i haven’t had john dory cooked this well since…uhhh…providence last served john dory to me! the broth is oceanic liquid crack…oh…i particularly enjoyed the ridiculously plump mussels that taste like it was cooked with white wine.
sorry, are you sebastian?
i’m gonna call you flounder
or are you sebastian?
clafoutis | fig, crème fraîche, port reduction
the clafoutis is rich, eggy, and custardy yet thick. the accompanying crème fraîche, however, lightens the dessert with tanginess while the earthy and peppery port reduction adds another complex layer of acidity. you really need all three elements in each bite for this dessert to sing.
mignardises | apricot & plum jelly
these are like fruit essence. tasty.
Needle bang bang
almond “jello”, orange, nectarine, mango, pluot, goji berry, lychee jelly
finally have a chance to try these! the almond “jello” is nicely almond-y and more custard in texture than actually jello. individually, the fruits don’t taste like much because they’re cut so finely. BUT, everything works in sync with each other oh-so-well and it’s strangely addictive and refreshing especially on this ridiculously hot day! even though it’s only moderately sweet and not having much acidity, i kept digging in bite after bite until absolutely nothing’s left…
