A couple weeks ago, lucky me got to experience a much deeper
dinner experience when my boyfriend surprised me by taking me to eat at the
chef’s table at
Park 75 for a special occasion. As much guessing as I try to do
about these kinds of things, and usually being right, this one really caught me
off guard in an amazing way. Our host walked us through the dining room into
the kitchen where the butchering table was (slightly) transformed into our
dining table for the evening right in the middle of the restaurant kitchen (as
opposed to the pastry and catering kitchens). Unfortunately, Chef G himself
wasn’t in that night, but we very much enjoyed the experience Sous Chef Sydney
Jones served us.
The evening was a long and tasty one with 7 courses, 6
wines, and a tour of the rooftop gardens afterwards. The real standouts of our
special menu were the Ahi Tuna Tartare with crispy won ton, spicy avocado, and citrus on
top of watermelon, the NC Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Grits, and the Midnight Moon
Goat Cheese with blueberry compote and the Four Seasons honey. Although all of
the other dishes were very good too, those 3 are what put the meal above and
beyond a good meal.
I wish I knew more about wine to appreciate all that I
drank, but what I know is that the more wine I had at the beginning of the
meal, the more willing I was to drink the reds later in the meal. Normally I’m
not a huge fan of reds, although in the 7 months I have legally been able to
drink I haven’t done too much wine experimenting.
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| View from our table |
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| Ahi Tuna Tartare with crispy won ton, spicy avocado, watermelon, and citrus paired with Ruinart Rose champagne |
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| Seared Diver Scallop with lobster chowder, swiss chard, artichoke heart, and tomato paired with Jean-Luc viognier |
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| Halibut with confit fig, pickled red onion, brown butter caper, and (I think) whipped white carrots paired with Matanzas Creek chardonnay |
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| Seared Duck Breast with duck confit cake, farro, and bourbon-cherry sauce paired with Robert Sinskey pinot noir |
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| NC Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Anson Mill Grits with tomatos paired with Beaulieu Vineyard cabernet sauvignon |
Sadly, I forgot to get a picture of the Midnight Moon Goat Cheese with Blueberry Compote and honey harvested from the Four Seasons rooftop garden (no wine pairing)
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| Compressed Pineapple Tart and coconut ice cream paired with Nivole moscato d'asti |
