What is it with restaurants with the word "Blue" in their
name? Must be something because I seem to like them all: Blue Smoke, Blue Ribbon, Blue Fin and don't even get me
started on Blue 9 Burger.
I now have the honor of adding Blue Hill to the list. Make that TOP of the list. Wow, what a meal. My dining companion and I, since it was our first time there, both opted for the "Farmer's Feast" tasting menu with the addition, at the behest of a friend, of "This Morning's Farm Egg" worked into the menu wherever the chef saw fit.
Blue Hill is known for their "vegetables on a fence"-- seasonal veggies served on a block of wood with sharp spikes sticking out of it on which the vegetables are, um, impaled for lack of a better word. Lucky for us, it's the heart of tomato season so we were presented with an amuse of Cherry Tomatoes on a Fence.
I now have the honor of adding Blue Hill to the list. Make that TOP of the list. Wow, what a meal. My dining companion and I, since it was our first time there, both opted for the "Farmer's Feast" tasting menu with the addition, at the behest of a friend, of "This Morning's Farm Egg" worked into the menu wherever the chef saw fit.
Blue Hill is known for their "vegetables on a fence"-- seasonal veggies served on a block of wood with sharp spikes sticking out of it on which the vegetables are, um, impaled for lack of a better word. Lucky for us, it's the heart of tomato season so we were presented with an amuse of Cherry Tomatoes on a Fence.
So sweet and ripe, the tomatoes were served as nature made them, nothing else added or needed.
Next up, "V-8" and Kale Chips. This was delicious. If V-8 actually tasted like this, I'd have a fridge stocked with the stuff and we were pondering how it would taste as a base for a Bloody Mary (probably amazing). The "chips" were translucent pieces of dried kale, salty and wonderful.
Next up, "V-8" and Kale Chips. This was delicious. If V-8 actually tasted like this, I'd have a fridge stocked with the stuff and we were pondering how it would taste as a base for a Bloody Mary (probably amazing). The "chips" were translucent pieces of dried kale, salty and wonderful.
Following the kale was something featured in last month's Gourmet: petite tomato "burgers"* on almond financiers. Tomato with goat cheese and a sweet almond flavor, sounds like an odd combo, doesn't it? Somehow it works. Wish these had been bigger. This was also served with a special butter, tomato powder and whipped lardo to use on the table bread.
* recipe for the tomato burgers can be found here
Continuing with the tomato theme, our next dish was a salad of heirloom tomatos with grilled fruit, yogurt and tomato sorbet. Any way you prepare them, I love tomatoes, especially the farm fresh heirloom variety. Grilled fruit-- watermelon and peach-- was nice but I could've done without it; the sorbet was interesting and refreshing.
Following this was what was in my opinion, the pièce de résistance: "This Morning's Farm Egg". This was the only a la carte item we ordered and we just ordered one to share. I think we both agreed it was the best thing we had all night. So simple-- just a perfectly poached egg atop corn, lardons, foraged mushrooms in an herb broth-- but the flavors and the different textures just complemented each other beautifully. I could've eaten five more.
Poussin, cornish game hen, was next on the list. It was served skinless and sliced over a succotash of corn, lima beans and golden raisins and then with the skin on, over a sauce. Tender and delicious and the succotash was great.
Easing us into dessert was the Strawberry Sangria Soup (which, I hate to say, I preferred to the actual dessert proper). We were served a scoop of mint sorbet and fresh strawberries in a shallow bowl and the server poured the sangria over it. I am a big fan of sangria in general and this preparation was outstanding.
I'd heard such wonderful things about the desserts at Blue Hill but I must say I was rather disappointed with what came as part of the tasting menu, a concotion of grilled peach over a sort of sponge cake and peach sorbet over maple (?) granita. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it just didn't do it for me and I only ate a few bites.
All in all though, a thoroughly enjoyable meal that, for the most part, lived up to my high expecations for this place. And I think that along with Telepan, the tasting menu here is one of the best bargains in town.
Blue Hill NYC
75 Washington Place
New York City 10011
212/ 539-1776
Oinks: 4.5/5
Why Bother: food that's about as fresh as you're going to find in a NYC kitchen, simply prepared to highlight the flavor of the food
Average Setback: tasting menu for 2 people + 1 a la carte app and 1 glass of cava, approx $222
Continuing with the tomato theme, our next dish was a salad of heirloom tomatos with grilled fruit, yogurt and tomato sorbet. Any way you prepare them, I love tomatoes, especially the farm fresh heirloom variety. Grilled fruit-- watermelon and peach-- was nice but I could've done without it; the sorbet was interesting and refreshing.
Following this was what was in my opinion, the pièce de résistance: "This Morning's Farm Egg". This was the only a la carte item we ordered and we just ordered one to share. I think we both agreed it was the best thing we had all night. So simple-- just a perfectly poached egg atop corn, lardons, foraged mushrooms in an herb broth-- but the flavors and the different textures just complemented each other beautifully. I could've eaten five more.
I'd never heard of wolf fish until my meal at Blue Hill. It's a scary looking bottom feeder, similar to a catfish, but waaay tastier. It was very meaty and was prepared, as always here, simply, over a bed of cherry tomatoes and ginger broth.
Poussin, cornish game hen, was next on the list. It was served skinless and sliced over a succotash of corn, lima beans and golden raisins and then with the skin on, over a sauce. Tender and delicious and the succotash was great.
Easing us into dessert was the Strawberry Sangria Soup (which, I hate to say, I preferred to the actual dessert proper). We were served a scoop of mint sorbet and fresh strawberries in a shallow bowl and the server poured the sangria over it. I am a big fan of sangria in general and this preparation was outstanding.
I'd heard such wonderful things about the desserts at Blue Hill but I must say I was rather disappointed with what came as part of the tasting menu, a concotion of grilled peach over a sort of sponge cake and peach sorbet over maple (?) granita. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it just didn't do it for me and I only ate a few bites.
All in all though, a thoroughly enjoyable meal that, for the most part, lived up to my high expecations for this place. And I think that along with Telepan, the tasting menu here is one of the best bargains in town.
Blue Hill NYC
75 Washington Place
New York City 10011
212/ 539-1776
Oinks: 4.5/5
Why Bother: food that's about as fresh as you're going to find in a NYC kitchen, simply prepared to highlight the flavor of the food
Average Setback: tasting menu for 2 people + 1 a la carte app and 1 glass of cava, approx $222
