We celebrated our anniversary yesterday with a trip into the financial district to the new restaurant SHO Shaun Hergatt. It recently was awarded a Michelin Star, and had lots of good press. We arrived at 40 Broad Street, and after the bomb sniffing dogs checked our cab for explosives, the cabby dropped us off at the front door. We took the elevator up to the second floor, and walked through the gorgeous bar area, and through the glass enclosed wine storage to a serene dining room. We sat and the waiter brought the wine and cocktail list. I had scoped it out on line, and was interested in trying the prickly pear martini. Bleck. I won't be ordering that again. Just too much pear - more of a fruity drink than a martini. The waiter brought a selection of fresh baked breads - we chose the ciabatta rolls, and they were served with soft french butter and soft truffle butter. The truffle butter was heavenly :)
The amuse bouche was a trio of interesting tastes. The middle one was a pair of home made crispy crackers with a soft herbed cheese between the crisp squares. My favorite :) The round one on the left was a cheesey truffle with complex savory flavors, also quite nice. The shot on the right, a sabayonne like creme in the bottom topped with a savory chicken gelatin was flavorful as well. And yes, those are mother of pearl spoons on top - very beautiful.
The menu is a price fixe 3 course meal for $65 each. Really a steal, especially for a restaurant with a Michelin star. Rick ordered the Red Chili and Coconut Milk Glazed Quail with Shiitake Duxelle and Wilted Tetragonia (above) and it was amazing. The breast was stuffed with a creamy savory pudding, and the soft boiled quail egg was a delicious accompaniment. I ordered the Purple Garlic Roasted Rock Shrimp with Butternut Fondant with Crustacean Espuma, and it was very salty.
For our entrees, we enjoyed some Pinot Gris as there was no Pinot Grigio available. It was a little sweet, but paired nicely with the food. Rick ordered the Milk Fed Veal Tenderloin with Veal Tongue and Double Cream Emulsion. It was again, complex and savory - a very nice dish with baby roasted veggies. I ordred the Glazed Day Boat Chatham Cod with Smoked Pork and Black Bean Sauce. I was disappointed as it was luke warm, and the mushroom pasta on the left was just cold :( It would have been tastier if it was hot.
I had to take a picture of the fish knife - I've never been to a restaurant where they actually had fish knives :)
The desserts were beautiful. Rick ordered a banana dessert with coconut ice cream, and I had a chocolate confection. They also brought a yellow cake which was inscribed with "Happy Anniversary" which was sweet. Then a cart filled with macarons, candies, truffles and other sweets was wheeled up, and we tasted a number of delectable treats. We felt like we'd had more candies and cakes than actual dinner lol! I had a Blue Point Toasted Lager with dessert. I love my beer, and this one was really delicious, served in a pretty pilsner glass.We walked a couple of blocks to Broadway to get a cab back home. It was a nice, relaxed evening, and the company was the best part :)
