I was lucky enough to grab the last 2 spots for this dinner the day of. The previous visit to Studiokitchen had been such a great experience that I couldn’t wait to come back. Spotted some tweets about the dinner and I realized Sandy and I didn’t have plans that night. Shola was kind enough to add us to his table.
This time around, the theme was Breakfast for Dinner. Our host divided the menu in 3 parts.
First up was “Flavors of Breakfast”
Scallop. Chamomile-Apple Gelee. Breakfast Radish. Celery
Ok, so I’ve never had Scallops for breakfast but I wouldn’t mind having this in the morning again. What really made this dish was the gelée. It tasted like a nice Chamomile Tea. Great mise en bouche.
Marble Rye Ice Cream. Smoked Arctic Char. Sorrel
Shola’s take on a Smoked Salmon Sandwich. The Marble Rye Ice Cream was amazing. It formed a great pair with the Smoked Char. The chip it was served on gave it some nice texture and the Sorrel helped cut the Ice Cream.
Egg Salad "Chiboust". Caviar. Puffed Parsnip
I could’ve easily eaten the whole tray of these delectable single bites. The creaminess of the Chiboust, the Caviar, and the crisp Puffed Parsnip… Just thinking about it makes my taste buds tingle. (Sandy’s favorite if I recall)
Second part of the dinner: “Breakfast for Dinner”
Rainwater Madeira Oatmeal. Roasted Matsutake. Parmesan
My favorite dish of the night. I’m a sucker for good mushrooms and the way they were incorporated in the Oatmeal was nothing short of perfect. I just couldn’t get enough of it.
Toasted Croissant Soup. Cheddar Whey Froth. Bacon Wrapped Andouillette
A croissant soup?? Yes, a Croissant m*therfreaking Soup. And it couldn’t have tasted more like Croissant than it did. Skewered is the Bacon (Benton’s Ham) Wrapped Andouillette. Pretty damn good take on a Croissant Bacon Egg & Cheese.
Spanish Mackerel. Chermoula. Tomatoes
My least favorite dish of the night. But it’s really because I’m not so fond of cooked fish. Still a very solid dish. The fish was cooked just right and the Chermoula added a nice kick to it.
Meadow Run Farm Egg. Triple Chicken Bouillon. White Truffle. Whipped Foie Gras
Savory Bouillon with some Whipped Foie Gras to elevate it. The Egg looked beautiful. Until…
...@alexrolfe suggested I took a pic w/ the Yolk out.
Turns out that it looked even better thanks to the yolk’s color.
"La Ratte" Potato-Oxtail Terrine. Potato-Egg Yolk Foam. Oxtail Jus
My second favorite dish of the night. An interesting Steak and Eggs rendition. I literally finished it in 3 bites. I really wish I had had seconds.
Old Spot Pork Belly. Miso Dulce de Leche. Fennel. Apple. Celeriac.
Basically Bacon and Chocolate. Except here it’s called Pork Belly and Miso Dulce de Leche. If you’ve never had bacon with chocolate or vice versa, you ought to try it.
Third part of the dinner: “Dessert for Breakfast”
Puffed Caramel Corn. Celery Root Milk. Corn Sorbet. Mint Gelee
Simply the best of bowl of cereal I’ve ever had in my life. Everything worked. The Caramel Corn, the Celery Milk, the Corn Sorbet, and the Mint Gelee. It all came together almost magically.
Frozen Butterscotch. Smoked Chocolate. Blis Maple Glazed Benton's Bacon. Roasted Banana Sorbet
Oh hey! Another Bacon and Chocolate Combination! At this point the bacon becomes almost gratuitous but you won’t hear me complain about it. I have to say I wasn’t as impressed by this dessert as by the previous one. I think it was too much sorbet for me. But I’m nitpicking here.
Sandy smiling = great meal
Another unbelievable meal at Studiokitchen. This time around, the guests seemed more jovial and Sandy and I had a great time conversing with others. I’m eager to go back (Nov 19th Game Dinner) already!
For prettier pictures and more insight on the dinner and the thought process behind it, visit Shola’s blog. There’s also some serious food porn going on in the gallery so don’t look at it on an empty stomach! Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!
Thanks again to our fellow guests, our host Shola, and Sandy for a great meal and great company!
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