I was momentarily disappointed that we weren't in the library, where I could look for hidden liquor in the books... but once we reached the penthouse, walked past the lounge area, and through the outdoor seating with the white tablecloths, I was over it.
We had the cupola all to ourselves. The decor came out of a medieval times fairy tale. We sat at a round table with an oversized brass chandelier in a comfortable (but almost claustrophobic) dark blue dome with colorful framed butterflies all around us. No wonder one of the guests asked about Rapunzel.
The blackberry and ginger cocktails looked very interesting and spurred a lot of conversation, but I never got to it, so it's all hearsay.
7/10 Honestly I was so hungry at this point that I wasn't listening, and now I can't remember what it was. If I bother to find out tomorrow, I will post an update. It was fish with creme fraiche and lots of little chunks of different radishes and salmon roe.
It was very citrusy and fun with the pop of the roe and all the different textures and the lime ice, but apparently they over salted some of the portions.
10/10 Zucchini bread with melted cheese. I had 2 pieces, and that's why I'm hurting. 'Nuf said.
8/10 Tagliatelle with lobster. Everything was perfect except that it was too sour. The appetizer was sour, and the bread did not completely clear my palette, so I found the lime in this dish a little overpowering. Clearly I liked it enough that I nearly forgot to take a picture.
5/10 Eggplant. The eggplant was okay... the barley pieces and sauce were great... but the crazy assortment of greens were a little tough and quite bitter. I'm not sure if they added anything to the dish. There was also some sausage that was halfway between a blood sausage and a chorizo that caused confusion. In the end, I barely tasted the eggplant.
9/10 Lobster was tender and very well poached and the sauces were nice and creamy. All the beans around it were fun to eat and were very playful in size/shape/flavor etc.
8/10 Black bass. I only said 8/10 because the portion was miniscule. This is a main course! No one ordered a carpaccio. The asparagus was a great pairing with the fish, and the salad was much better in this dish. I was very full in the end, but imagine if I didn't have that extra piece of bread! I would have wanted more fish.
9.5/10 The duck was excellent. I deducted 0.5 for whatever it was under the slice of carrot was really sour and shocking. Also the flowers in my food looked like bumblebees. Otherwise the duck was perfectly cooked. The fat melted in your mouth, and the rest of the dish complimented the fattiness of the meat.
10/10 This had everything you would possibly want in a dessert except chocolate. There was cherry sherbet and marinated cherries, roasted pistachios and pistachio sponge cake, mascarpone ice cream, and brittles (that were more like light rice crackers) made of cherry and other random goodies. Every bite had a different combination of flavor and texture. The moment this was served, conversation died.
8/10 We finished with a palette cleansing strawberry, coconut, and lime shaved ice. It was a great way to end the meal. I was already about to burst by the time they gave us our spoons, so I was glad to find out that it was something that wasn't actually a solid.
Overall, I thought the style, approach, and citrusy undertones were reminiscent of Eleven Madison Park (and for good reason), but it was a different atmosphere and experience. It was great food all around, but the ambiance and company made the meal.
I hope to come back some random Friday night for one of the themed dinners on the roof!
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