The dinner was in honor of a collaboration with Orval brewing (Belgium), and Orval's Brewmaster Jean-Marie Rock was also present. I know this because I practically flattened him whilst rounding the corner to the restrooms after a few beers.
But enough about my antics.
I snuck a photo of the menu:
Chef Celina Tio of the restaurant "Julian," created this meal, and the pairings were done by people from Boulevard.
The first course: Mussels with Bob's 47, Red Onion, and Fresh Thyme.... Read More
Pros: The sauce was amazing. So flavorful, and you could really taste the red onion and thyme without either one of them being overpowering. The kind of sauce you want to sop up with your bread at the end of the course. The mussels were cooked perfectly, and although they were a tad small, they were delicious... one of the few times I've actually really enjoyed eating mussels.
Con: I had at least 3 mussels with sand in them, and most plates I saw had at least one mussel on them that had not opened. Unopened shellfish just should not be served, that's a basic tenet of cooking. You are risking the health of your guests by serving unopened shellfish. Those mussels should have been discarded, even if her Sous chef was in charge of that dish he should have known better.
The second course: Pork Belly, Parsnip Puree and Sautee of Wild Mushroom.
Pros: The puree was delicious, and the mushroom selection was quite nice, a good combination. The pork belly over all had a very nice flavor, and was seasoned well.
Cons: I felt the pork belly could have been a little crispier on top, with the fat more of a "melt-in-your-mouth" type and less of a "mouthful of jiggly fat" type. The meat underneath the fat seemed a tad bit tough. The sauce with the sauteed mushrooms tasted very reminiscent of brown sauce on a mushroom swiss burger.
The third course: Baked Chocolate Puddin' with Ginger Doughnut Hole.
I expected a warm, chocolatey goo... what I got tasted vaguely of chilled jello instant chocolate pudding... not that that's bad, but if you call something "baked," you expect it to be warm.
Temperature issues aside, it was a very tasty chocolate pudding, and the addition of a tiny bit of kosher salt on top of the pudding really added some depth to the flavor, and "made" the pairing with the Smokestack Series Long Strange Tripel work exceptionally well. The salt was the key. This was easily the best pairing of the evening.
The doughnut hole was fluffy and moist on the inside, but the outside I felt was a bit overdone, and the whole thing lacked the ginger flavor that was advertised... however it was tasty nonetheless and I left nothing in my dish. :)
Over all it was a tasty dinner, very enjoyable, and I had a great time. I'd highly recommend going to one of these events anytime you have the opportunity. I can't wait to see if we get to go again.
