<< previous review   next review >>

reviews

“Blue Hill Stone Barns”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Upper West Side	Break the Bank	Good

Jerusalem artichokes, arugula and dried plums. Though the chicken was cooked perfectly, slowly poached so it was silky sweet and moist, it was served with a risotto-like mixture of farro and cauliflower and it was just plain D-U-L-L dull. The dish was monochromatic in color and flavor. There was no Oomph, no punctuation. I’m not saying the dish tasted bad, it just didn’t taste at all. On the other hand, the braised bacon and roasted pig dish was—other than that chicken liver pate and those great rolls—the best thing we ate all night. A small juicy loin was served with a fat square of luscious pork belly and a killer gratin of Jerusalem artichokes layered with caramelized onions and marbled with sweet dried plums. A small arugula salad with shaved circles of radish added a dimension of sharpness and spice that cut through the richness of the lovely pig on the plate. This is winner—a dish that finds a voice louder than a whisper.

For dessert, we had the sheep’s milk ricotta cheesecake that was pretty much destroyed by a boiling hot pineapple sauce that was poured over the cake tableside. The sauce was a mistake on two levels—it tasted like something from Del Monte, and it was so hot that it cooked the creamy ricotta, turning it into farmer’s cheese before our very eyes. I wanted to yell, “STOP! Leave my cake alone!” But it was too late. It was cooked. Our other dessert, however, was simple and lovely, a gorgeous garnet red rhubarb soup dotted with poached diced rhubarb topped with mint sorbet and vanilla ice cream. This dessert was light, refreshing and ended our meal on as perfect a note as possible.

It was now time for Steven to change out of Dan’s pants and for us to pay our check and grab a taxi back to the station. When the check arrived we found that our second bottle of wine—a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, was $102, a significant jump from the $44 Fiano. The sommelier didn’t mention that when he recommended it as our second bottle, and we hadn’t even finished half of it. At almost $400, and we were pissed and disappointed. The meal was not worth that kind of money. And wasn’t there a discount for being in the chef’s pants? Apparently not.

We returned Dan’s pants (Steven changed in the manure shed again, this time without a visit from anyone) then we walked out to the courtyard to wait for our cab that the hostess had arranged for us ... [more, click below]

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  

 Make a reservation

<< previous review   next review >>

Posted: May 16, 2004

Other restaurants in Upper West Side :
+ 'Cesca   + Asiate   + Blue Hill Stone Barns   + Per Se   + The Neptune Room   + Spigolo   + Telepan   + Aix Brasserie   + 'Cesca   + Bar Boulud   + Dovetail   + BarBao   + Dinosaur Bar-be-Que   + Kefi   + Bar Luna   + Ed's Chowder House   + Red Rooster, by Rachel Barbarotta   + Loi by Dara Pollak   

Share ! Post a comment