Have you ever wished there was a restaurant with guest chefs on permanent rotation? I did. Years ago I bounced around the idea of a kitchen lab with friends where chefs from around the world would spend an evening or two showcasing their specialties. They said it would never work. No one buys “tickets” to eat a meal…this isn’t like filling up a theater.
Well ha ha ha…. what do you call the Test Kitchen then!? Eh??
The concept is brilliant. Basically chefs come through to experiment with a menu for future restaurant projects and are paired with an accomplished mixologist to bring a well rounded tasting experience to life. So basically you will eat and drink well. Real well.
This past Monday we finally made a visit and had a magical adventure with Chef Joshua Smith (Church and State) and mixologist Davidson Fernie (The Library Bar). Everything was exquisite. Mackerel paired with walnut paste and pomegranate; coffee drenched figs and yogurt cakes. The drinks were no follow up act – Endive to compliment the Cynar; Jalapeno to spice up the muddled berries.
Sigh and Yum. I’m officially overindulged. I guess it’s nothing but salads for me the rest of this week….
The dynamic duo of the night:
Grilled Octopus with Pardon Peppers – Fried little peppers that reminded me of Okra, thick green chili paste and chunks of beefy avocado. I want to know how to get my Octopus that tender. Do you boil it before grilling, or not? Someone tell me please.
Shishito Gimlet – Aviation Gin with a chili pepper tartness. You know I can’t say no to Shishito.
Thank you for a lovely evening fellas, we’ll be back!
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Joshua Smith says:
Sep 26, 2010
Thank you for the kind words.. The biggest secret to my octopus is that I have found a heavenly source. It comes wild from Japanese waters, I purchase it through IMP. I boil it in an aromatic bouillon (the aromatics change based on the desired finished result) but it always has salt, water, and a splash of vinegar. The water should be boiling before the octo enters (never crowd the pot) and then it cooks for about 1.5 hours. I test it by literally cutting a little piece and tasting it to be sure. Next the octo is removed and lightly cooled (careful not to rip any skin from it). Once it it cool enough to touch it is segmented tossed in oil and put in a hot oven for a few minutes, this is to re attach the loose and sort of slimy skin. I then cool it a second time and submerge it in an olive oil marinade (again the aromatics vary based on the dish). Then when it is time to serve it is crisped on a grill or in a cast iron pan. The skin should be crunchy like chicken skin but the octo should be fork tender. That's it! Oh and those were fried okra
So happy you enjoyed our meal, we had an absolute blast! J
Mindy says:
Oct 17, 2010
What an awesome idea for a restaurant- hope it's still going strong!