Showing posts with label wolvesmouth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wolvesmouth. Show all posts
Return to the Wolvesden
It hadn't even occurred to me until I arrived at wolvesden that my previous and first visit was a year ago. Having run into and chatting with wolvesmouth, aka Chef Craig Thornton a couple of times, it seemed more recent.
But that was most likely because that first dinner blew my palate and mind and stayed in my foodie memory as a precious experience. You can read about that post by clicking here. Needless to say, it felt great to be back.
Being one of the later arrivals, seeing the group gathered around the kitchen and smelling the food cooking is the best way to enter this feast.
This gathering was a private dinner organized by my friend Abby, so several diners were wolvesden alumni.
The handwritten menu on the refrigerator also brought last year's memories back, this menu being as exciting with its diversity of courses and ingredients.
Throughout the meal, I noticed times each course was served next to each item. Although the atmosphere feels laid back, the meals are planned and executed with great precision.
After blocking the refrigerator trying to take photos of the menu, while the Chef was trying to get ingredients, I tried to lay low and not talk too much or be in the way until the meal started.
I didn't remember seeing the ingredients throughout the kitchen last time, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the raw materials, given the sheer variety and highest quality of ingredients.
I saw many ingredients that were new to me, despite being an avid cook and adventurous eater most of my life. The beautiful apples above worked their way into the first course.
1st Course: delicata Moroccan squash Arkansas black apple cider brown butter goat cheese
This bold, flavorful and bright course started off the meal with a bang, much like the first course (my first course ever) of Tahitian squash last year.
The skin on squash took on a very solid, meaty consistency, rounded out nicely with vinegar. I thought I bit into some ground meat in the squash puree, but was told there was no meat in the dish.
2nd Course: black sea bass cauliflower puree lemon
There was no way this dish wouldn't be perfect. Three of my favorite ingredients. There is an are to cooking fish and this version maintained that juicy flesh, crispy browned skin. The creamy cauliflower with lemon complemented the sea bass.
3rd course: chicken liver mousse chicken skin poached pear watermelon radish wild arugula pain de mie
The greens and radish provided nice contrast to the creamy mousse, which contained cherry brandy. I used the buttery pain de mie (toast soldiers) to wipe up every last drop.
Looking at the components of this dish made our mouths water. Profiteroles, fried green tomatoes?
4th Course: corn crab fried green tomato crystal hot sauce profiterole
And those weren't even the highlights. They piped a spicy creme fraiche, seasoned with Crystal hot sauce and Old Baby seasoning into the profiteroles. The juicy, sweet dungeness crab seasoned with olive oil, lemon and chives was the star of this dish. I did not expect the corn sauce.
The flavors reminded me of the Chinese classic crab corn soup to which I always add hot sauce.
The plate says it all for this course.
5th Course: rabbit baked beans celery root remoulade sorghum
Sorghum, a sweet grain, provided a sweet glaze for these rabbit meatballs. The contrast of the smoky beans and the celery root remoulade, which had a lot of bite and crunch, kept the textures varied.
By this point we were thankful for the large loft setting and I began walking around between courses trying to keep going. My stroll included passing by the immersion circulator.
A couple of the diners left the building for a walk around the block.
And the Anti-Griddle, often used to make ice cream. I've seen all these tools put to use on Top Chef and got to hear how the Chef uses them too.
6th Course: Roman gnocchi glazed carrot kale parmesan fennel pollen 12 year balsamic
I didn't expect a traditional Roman dish to be part of the meal, but when I saw it, I wasn't surprised to find a cloudy gnocchi on the plate. The carrot cooked for a long time and tasted almost like vegetable candy. A good balsamic enhances any dish.
The sous chefs worked nonstop and were so aware of everything going on at the table.
We all enjoyed Chef Craig's visits to the table. In fact I passed by the kitchen a couple of times and with all burners full and multiple dishes going on, he actually held up fairly detailed conversations. He really makes this daunting effort look easy and natural.
When this came out of the oven, the bubbling and loud sizzle filled the room. I wish I took a video of it for full sound effect.
7th Course: pork belly rice paper calamansi chili garlic peanut
This course is inspired by the Filipino delicacy Sisig, sour and spicy pork. This version contained a sous vide pork belly, rice paper in place of steamed rice and papaya pickled in palm vinegar. The base was a raw calamansi (Asian citrus) sauce including garlic and Thai chilies.
Each bold flavor combined well and countered the rich, fatty meat.
Once again, seeing the components of chanterelle mushrooms, brussels sprouts and shallots, the next dish already was made up of some of my favorite ingredients.
8th Course: duck breast leg chanterelle farro skin maple brussels sprouts
I enjoyed the chewy texture of the farro, chive risotto. The creamy chanterelles, crunchy brussels sprouts and crispy skin provided a hearty base for the duck breast and leg meat (the meatball). The sauce consisted of maple cider vinegar.
9th Course: brown butter maize pound cake red wine wine fig creme fraiche
A most unexpected dessert from this chef, I did not expect a composed cake dessert. The brown butter flavor added to the flavor with very fresh fruit, vanilla and cream notes.
The figs were both fresh and poached and played well with the tart Granny Smith apple balls. The sauce of poaching liquid and wine and the bits of bacon provided contrasting flavors.
10th Course: latik ice cream letik shortbread baby banana lime coconut ube pudding
I enjoyed this light, hot and cold dessert, another Filipino inspired dish. Latik involves extracting coconut cream and cooking the curd down with brown sugar to form a topping.
The ice cream and the shortbread cookie crumble are based on this flavor.
The ube (purple yam) pudding, thickened with tapioca, adn flavored with lime and coconut formed the warm component.
By this time I only had a couple of bites possible and was thankful the ice cream had a super light consistency. I loved the flavors.
I enjoyed seeing the antler centerpiece which I loved so much during the first visit, as well as other bone and antler decorative items. I over course, came equipped with my antler necklace, to dress the part!
Overall, the meal once again wowed me in creativity and presentation, taught me some never before seen ingredients, yet also provided that same degree of comfort and familiarity I love so much about wolvesmouth food.
He continues to take feedback from repeat diners, which only serves to enhance the experience. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the meal just as much this time.
I hope to enjoy another unforgettable evening at the wolvesden before another year goes by.
Once again, one could hardly ignore this crispy skin sitting on a tray, to be integrated into the next course.
3rd course: chicken liver mousse chicken skin poached pear watermelon radish wild arugula pain de mie
The greens and radish provided nice contrast to the creamy mousse, which contained cherry brandy. I used the buttery pain de mie (toast soldiers) to wipe up every last drop.
I like the color variation in these eggs.
Looking at the components of this dish made our mouths water. Profiteroles, fried green tomatoes?
4th Course: corn crab fried green tomato crystal hot sauce profiterole
And those weren't even the highlights. They piped a spicy creme fraiche, seasoned with Crystal hot sauce and Old Baby seasoning into the profiteroles. The juicy, sweet dungeness crab seasoned with olive oil, lemon and chives was the star of this dish. I did not expect the corn sauce.
The flavors reminded me of the Chinese classic crab corn soup to which I always add hot sauce.
The plate says it all for this course.
5th Course: rabbit baked beans celery root remoulade sorghum
Sorghum, a sweet grain, provided a sweet glaze for these rabbit meatballs. The contrast of the smoky beans and the celery root remoulade, which had a lot of bite and crunch, kept the textures varied.
By this point we were thankful for the large loft setting and I began walking around between courses trying to keep going. My stroll included passing by the immersion circulator.
A couple of the diners left the building for a walk around the block.
And the Anti-Griddle, often used to make ice cream. I've seen all these tools put to use on Top Chef and got to hear how the Chef uses them too.
6th Course: Roman gnocchi glazed carrot kale parmesan fennel pollen 12 year balsamic
I didn't expect a traditional Roman dish to be part of the meal, but when I saw it, I wasn't surprised to find a cloudy gnocchi on the plate. The carrot cooked for a long time and tasted almost like vegetable candy. A good balsamic enhances any dish.
We all enjoyed Chef Craig's visits to the table. In fact I passed by the kitchen a couple of times and with all burners full and multiple dishes going on, he actually held up fairly detailed conversations. He really makes this daunting effort look easy and natural.
When this came out of the oven, the bubbling and loud sizzle filled the room. I wish I took a video of it for full sound effect.
7th Course: pork belly rice paper calamansi chili garlic peanut
This course is inspired by the Filipino delicacy Sisig, sour and spicy pork. This version contained a sous vide pork belly, rice paper in place of steamed rice and papaya pickled in palm vinegar. The base was a raw calamansi (Asian citrus) sauce including garlic and Thai chilies.
Each bold flavor combined well and countered the rich, fatty meat.
Once again, seeing the components of chanterelle mushrooms, brussels sprouts and shallots, the next dish already was made up of some of my favorite ingredients.
8th Course: duck breast leg chanterelle farro skin maple brussels sprouts
I enjoyed the chewy texture of the farro, chive risotto. The creamy chanterelles, crunchy brussels sprouts and crispy skin provided a hearty base for the duck breast and leg meat (the meatball). The sauce consisted of maple cider vinegar.
9th Course: brown butter maize pound cake red wine wine fig creme fraiche
A most unexpected dessert from this chef, I did not expect a composed cake dessert. The brown butter flavor added to the flavor with very fresh fruit, vanilla and cream notes.
The figs were both fresh and poached and played well with the tart Granny Smith apple balls. The sauce of poaching liquid and wine and the bits of bacon provided contrasting flavors.
10th Course: latik ice cream letik shortbread baby banana lime coconut ube pudding
I enjoyed this light, hot and cold dessert, another Filipino inspired dish. Latik involves extracting coconut cream and cooking the curd down with brown sugar to form a topping.
The ice cream and the shortbread cookie crumble are based on this flavor.
The ube (purple yam) pudding, thickened with tapioca, adn flavored with lime and coconut formed the warm component.
By this time I only had a couple of bites possible and was thankful the ice cream had a super light consistency. I loved the flavors.
I enjoyed seeing the antler centerpiece which I loved so much during the first visit, as well as other bone and antler decorative items. I over course, came equipped with my antler necklace, to dress the part!
Overall, the meal once again wowed me in creativity and presentation, taught me some never before seen ingredients, yet also provided that same degree of comfort and familiarity I love so much about wolvesmouth food.
He continues to take feedback from repeat diners, which only serves to enhance the experience. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the meal just as much this time.
I hope to enjoy another unforgettable evening at the wolvesden before another year goes by.
The Wolves Den - Went Curious, Left Sated
Once in awhile you enjoy a meal that blows you away. For me, a few examples were my first time at Ludo Bites v2.0, the Chef's Table at Providence and my first meal at Animal. The wolvesmouth underground dinner not only exceeded my high expectations, but it was a feast for all senses. This meal was as artistic as it was explosively flavored and beautifully textured.The wolvesmouth website refers to the unique dinner experience being stripped down, gritty, refined. And that's exactly right. The loft does not have excessive decorative distractions. The focus is on the food. Guests bring their own drinks and decide what to pay for the meal as donations. There are no servers, with a couple of friends, including the charming DimSumPup, helping with operations. The recent kevinEats review contains fantastic shots of the loft. In fact Kevin did a great job all evening of keeping everyone's glasses full.
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| antler centerpiece at dining table |
It's remarkable that these 10-17 course dinners are prepared solo (!) by the chef Craig Thornton, who has been serving these meals for about 5 years. The menu is revealed after arrival at the wolvesden, which creates an element of surprise so exciting for a tasting meal.
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| Chef Craig Thornton preparing first course |
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| hand-written menu |
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| the food papparazi |
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| dual immersion circulators |
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| plating setup in the kitchen |
Here are the courses.
Course 1 - Tahitian squash, sweetbread, BLiS maple syrup.
Most first courses help us ease into the meal. This course packed a punch of color and bright flavor. The squash was seasoned with butter, salt and BLiS maple syrup that was aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. It provided a comforting bed for the strong, meaty taste of the sweetbread.
Course 2 - crab, Jerusalem artichoke puree, watermelon radish, pickled persimmon.
The pureed Jerusalem artichoke had a subtle flavor that complimented the ocean taste of the crab. The pickled persimmon added a splash of color and tartness. The radish was thinly sliced and airy. This dish was striking in color and flavor.
Course 3 - scallop, potato, chive, chanterelle.
The scallop was perfectly seared and tender. The potatoes were riced and seasoned with brown butter. It was such a unique and tasty way to serve potatoes as a side dish. A shallot sauce covered the earthy chanterelles. This dish was one of my favorites of the meal.
Course 4 - tomato. olive oil. saba.
This course was absolutely stunning, showing less is more. The four types of tomatoes were served completely unspoiled with great quality olive oil and Saba, a Trebbiano grape vinegar that tastes slightly carmelized. Each tomato tasted distinct. It took at least 3 minutes for me to stop staring at the colors of the halved tomatoes and actually eat the dish.
Course 5 - ocean trout, pumpernickel, lingonberry, creme fraiche.
This trout looked like a lighter color of salmon, probably closer to arctic char. It was perfectly browned while remaining juicy on the inside. The sauce and creme fraiche rounded out the dish well, along with the crunch of the toasted pumpernickel bits.
Course 6 - rabbit, bacon and onion muffin, Swiss fondue, green apple, mustard greens.
Another beautiful and balanced plate, all ingredients meshed well. The cheese sauce rested on the sous vide cooked rabbit. Green apples were formed into tiny balls that were glazed with butter and sugar, providing an infusion of freshness. The varying textures and flavors provide perfect contrasts. A lot of the dishes, like this one, provided harmony and variety of flavors at the same time.
Course 7 - pork cheek bao.
Course 8 - Buddah's hand sorbet.
For this palate cleansing course, Chef Craig walked around the table showing us this unusual produce. Buddah's hand is a type of exotic citrus that is segmented into finger-like sections. It yields a small amount of pulp and mostly its zest is used. This sorbet was refreshing with a faint herbal vibe.
Course 9 -squab, roveja, prune leather, squab skin, sauce, Tokyo turnip.
A hearty sous vide squab was cooked with red wine and served with a piece of crispy skin over a cake of roveja. Roveja is an ancient Italian wildly growing legume, resembling a pea. It is dried and ground into flour. In this preparation it was made into a browned cake on which the squab rested.The prune fruit roll up was a fresh, chewy contrast to the meat. The Tokyo turnips were braised and tender, tasting similar to braised endive or fennel.
Course 10 - ube mochi, coconut milk powder, palm sugar coconut shortbread, avocado ice cream, lime styrofoam.
Normally, dessert is the throw away part of the meal for me. Very few chefs make the switch from savory to producing delicious desserts. This dessert was perfect. I am a sucker for the sweet and salty, for multiple textures and colors and this dessert did not disappoint. Just the sight of it made me smile. The lime styrofoam looked so much like styrofoam, down to the round grooves on the surface. It turned out being a meringue that practically dissolved in the mouth. Coconut milk powder and sweet/salty shortbread provided more crunch. The beautiful green ice cream and the chewy steamed ubi cake were the creamy elements. It was so exciting, I dug in before remembering to take a photo of it!
Course 11 - s'mores. toasted marshmallow ice cream, graham cracker pudding, salted chocolate, smoked pop rocks.
The classic S'mores in any form just kills it in the dessert department, but this deconstructed version elevates them. The day of our dinner I read some Tweets from the chef talking about wood ice cream, but ditching it because the wood element overpowered everything else. He opted to toast the marshmallows before working them into the ice cream. The graham cracker pudding was more like a thick sauce, also very successful. Chef Thornton's decision to tone down the chocolate element was brilliant. It looked like chocolate bars but were lighter in taste. They tasted of dark chocolate with a bit of salt, blended with agar, a type of Asian jello. Any dessert containing pop rocks is a winner with me, but these smoke flavored pop rocks were at a whole new level. Overall it was another layered taste and texture party.
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| dining table after the meal |
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| Prince |
We learned that he usually prepares the menu the day before or even the day of each meal. He is known to go through stacks of produce to pick the perfect and planning the menu according to the best protein on the market that day. He does not eat the day before or of the meals, explaining that he cooks better when he's hungry. This dedication to his craft and passion for sharing his gift expresses itself in so many ways through his food and vision.
You can read about my return visit to the Wolvesden, a year later, by clicking here.
