“Legendary”
“Epic”
My son and I had dinner over the weekend at DB Bistro Moderne in New York City. Part of superchef Daniel Boulud’s culinary kingdom, the bistro is best known for it $32 burger that’s stuffed with braised shortribs and foie gras. But it was the simple, sublime orecchiette pasta with lamb ragout, goat cheese, roasted squash and tomatoes that had Ben searching for superlatives.
And I think his “epic” is a good call.
The plump ear-shaped pasta discs were sauced with a ragout that packed a lot of flavor yet appeared to be almost sheer. We could taste each exquisite ingredient – lamb, cheese, sweet, nutty roasted squash, oregano, savory, and thyme. Yet the overall effect was one of lightness and harmony, with the squash lending an irresistible creaminess.
The rest of the dinner was exciting, too: Silken yellowfin tuna tartar with Greek yogurt and harissa; a crackle-crusted Alsatian tarte; baby beet salad with goat cheese; an ingenious fricassee of escargot and hazelnut spätzle; and terrific Atlantic cod.
(You’ll be reading more about the cod soon. Since it’s my favorite fish, and since it’s virtually NEVER served in West Coast restaurants, I went on a real cod jag in New York -- three entrees in three nights -- and in Paris the week before that.)
Perhaps the best part of the DB Bistro orecchiette dish was its inspirational value. Both Ben and I swore we’d go home and try to reproduce it in our own kitchens.
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