Forty-third posting - Dan

I would like to introduce you to my new friend Daniel. He’s not a friend in the traditional sense – he doesn’t talk, he can’t ride a bike, he doesn’t laugh at my (usually bad) jokes and (self-proclaimed) wit. Daniel is a restaurant in New York and a near-perfect stage for famed chef, Daniel Boulud.

I was very lucky to have been invited by a friend to a closing dinner for a law firm and client (evidently this client made a lot of money through this transaction). Daniel is sumptuous, with a golden glow that permeated everything. Deep red velvet and beautiful classical architecture fit perfectly with the haute French cuisine.

The evening started with champagne in glasses that never emptied. French-accented servers walked around with unbelievably delicious morsels. Each was no bigger than my thumb and included: Parmesan baskets with goat cheese and herbs, tuna tartar in a Japanese cucumber cup, tartlet of lobster with avocado purée and citrus, gougères (like savory crème puffs) with Comté and Parmesan, chicken Satay with peanut sauce, and mini crab cake with saffron aioli. This wasn’t unlike an over-the-top wedding reception, albeit with 2 chefs marrying each other.

After an hour of this, we sat down at four tables of ten or so people. With a simultaneous flourish, our first course was served: pumpkin and goat cheese ravioli. While there were only a few on the plate, every bite exploded with flavor, perfect for the cool and rainy night.

Our next course was striped bass with what I thought was a red pepper sauce. At this point, the champagne and accompanying wine were taking their effects. I recall the fish being superb and melt-in-your mouth perfect, however, unlike anything I’d had before.

The main course was a “Duo of Beef” -- braised short ribs in red wine, and seared black Angus tenderloin with root vegetables. So tender. So good. Daniel at his absolute best.

I recall the dessert being primarily chocolate, likely a sort of soufflé, but by now, I was overloaded by the previous courses’ extraordinary tastes and flavors (and the wine). We left almost five hours after we arrived, celebrating both the closing of the legal transaction as well as our introduction to a new friend.

Daniel’s not the kind of person you need to see every day, but someone you’d definitely want to keep in the back of your mind. He doesn’t mind if you stop by only on special occasions – but if you do, your visit won’t soon be forgotten. NATHAN

http://danielnyc.com/daniel/