Thursday, July 31, 2014

experiment #44 - Cobaya Brasel at Meat Market


Another experiment is in the books. Number 44 was with Sean Brasel, chef/owner of Meat Market on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Brasel, it seems, used the opportunity to test run dishes for his new Palm Beach Meat Market, opening soon. You can see pictures in this Cobaya Meat Market flickr set, and stay tuned for recaps read a recap here at Food For Thought.

Here's the menu Brasel and Chef de Cuisine David Valencia put together for us:

First Course
Buffalo Cheese Steak
Cipollini Onion Brulee, Cheese Fondue, Cherry Peppers, Wild Mushroom Jus
Lobster Pigs in a Blanket
Puff Pastry, Mustard Seed Relish, Lobster Mayo
2011 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France

Second Course
Beet Salad
Arugula and Frisee, Beet Mousse, Truffle Vinaigrette, Baby Beets, Herbed Goat Cheese Mousse, Croutons
2013 Nobilo Icon Sauvignon Blanc, Malborough, New Zealand

Third Course
Octopus Carpaccio
Fava Bean, Fingerling Potato Chips, Pickled Mustard Seed, Micro Cilantro
2012 Far Niente Chardonnay, Napa Valley California

Fourth Course
Duo of Short Rib
White Bean and Quinoa Cake, Bacon Mousse, Charred Scallion
and
Prime Roasted Dry Aged New York Steak
Black Truffle Puree, Red Wine Jus, Brussels, Mushroom Duxelle
2012 Numanthia Termes Tempranillo, Toro, Spain

Sides
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Creamy Polenta
Gouda Tater Tots

Dessert
Open Face Cherry Rhubarb Pie
Salted Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, Morello Cherry Sorbet
NV Dow's 20 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal

Thanks to chefs Brasel and Valencia, to the crew at Meat Market, and most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest, support and understanding make these kind of events possible.


Sunday, July 20, 2014

experiment #43 - Cobayapalooza! at Shikany


Seven chefs. Nine courses. One night. Cobayapalooza! We finally made it happen. A huge thank you to Chef Michael Shikany and all his crew at the recently opened restaurant Shikany in Wynwood, for serving up three of those courses (plus a dessert from Shikany's pastry chef Jill Montinola), and for opening up his dining room to nearly fifty of us guinea pigs, and his kitchen to five other great chefs – David Sears of SushiSamba Coral Gables, Diego Oka of La Mar in the Mandarin Oriental, Mathias Gervais of the Setai on Miami Beach, Timon Balloo of Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill in Midtown, and Danny Grant of 1826 Restaurant & Lounge on Miami Beach.

Sorry for the delay in providing this quick recap, but it's taken a little while to recover. You can see pictures in this Cobayapalooza flickr set, and we'll update when more complete recaps are posted a recap from Chowfather here plus another at Food For Thought. Here's the menu, with each course featuring a different spice blend from the renowned purveyor Lior Lev Sercarz's La Boîte.

Course 1
(Galil N. 13)
Fresh Diver Scallop Crudo
Pickled watermelon rind, sour gooseberry, creme fraiche sorbet, white truffle oil
Michael Shikany, Shikany

Course 2
(Coquelicot N. 24)
Oysters & Salmon
White sturgeon caviar, sweet heirloom tomatoes, pickled pearl onion
David Sears, SushiSamba

Course 3
(Luberon N. 4)
Wild Quahog and Madai
Fermented bean broth, crispy sprout petals, Tosaka seaweed, Okinawa sweet potatoes, Coke syrup
Michael Shikany, Shikany

Course 4
(Vadouvan N. 28)
Yellowtail Snapper
Peruvian potato stew with chocolate, Vadouvan, aji panca, black Andean mint
Diego Oka, La Mar

Course 5
(Cancale N. 11)
Foie Gras Terrine & Apple Cured Duck Breast
Sage/parmesan gremolata, candied asparagus, blackberry, pernod
Michael Shikany, Shikany

Course 6
(Ararat N. 35)
Organic Slow Poached Farm Eggs
Jabugo Iberico broth, harlequin bell peppers, marjoram, Ararat chocolate spice
Mathias Gervias, The Setai

Course 7
(Apollonia N. 29)
Veal Breast
Sweetbreads and tongue, burnt peaches, summer beans
Timon Balloo, Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill

Course 8
(Tangier N. 23)
Roasted Lamb Loin Crepinette
Pig skin, chanterelles, ras al hanout
Danny Grant, 1826 Restaurant & Lounge

Course 9
(Lula N. 41)
Tupelo Honey Cremeux
Fennel, apple crisp, Lula seaweed snow, raspberry, cilantro sponge, green apple sorbet
Jill Montinola, Shikany

It was a blast seeing everyone working together in the kitchen to turn this big production out right. Thanks again to Chef Shikany and all of his team at the restaurant, to all of the chefs who pitched in, to Rockaway PR for helping herd all these cats, and as always most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible.





experiment #44 - 7.28.14

Greetings, Guinea Pigs. We've barely recovered from "Cobayapalooza" and it's already time for another experiment! Move fast, there's a quick turnaround time on this one.

Quick Details:
Date: Monday July 28, 2014
Price: $80 (inclusive of tax & tip), w optional $45 pairing
Start time: probably 7:30ish

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 24 hours, with additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

Please send an email to request seats using the "contact the underground" link on the right side of this page, and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Tuesday July 22 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Thursday July 24, or we may need to release the seats to the waitlist to ensure all spots are filled. Please note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly. Due to space limitations, we may limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

Aside from the pairing option, there should be a la carte beverages available for purchase on site and BYOB should be OK too, we will confirm when details are released.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #44 - choose pairing?




Thursday, July 3, 2014

experiment #43 - 7.16.14

Greetings, Guinea Pigs - it's time for another experiment! This one is something of a "Cobayapalooza" - seven chefs in the kitchen (that's all we're telling).

Quick Details:
Date: Wednesday July 16, 2014
Price: $135 (inclusive of tax & tip), w optional $45 pairing
Start time: probably 7:30ish

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours, with additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

Please send an email to request seats using the "contact the underground" link on this page, and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Monday July 7 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Thursday July 10, or we may need to release the seats to the waitlist to ensure all spots are filled. Please note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly. Due to space limitations, we may limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

Aside from the pairing option, there should be a la carte beverages available for purchase on site and BYOB should be OK too, we will confirm when details are released.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #43 - choose pairing?



Note: (1) If you wish to purchase one seat with the pairing, and one without, just select one, "Add to Cart," and then "Continue Shopping" and add the other one; (2) the prices are slightly higher than originally advertised to cover PayPal fees.