Let me preface the blog post by saying: BEST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER!!! (Please feel free to click on the pictures for higher quality versions)
In my searches through restaurants in Philadelphia, I stumbled across Lacroix inside the Rittenhouse hotel. When I was perusing the website, I noticed that they had a Chef's table in the kitchen. Thus guests could sit inside the kitchen; a dream come true. The problem was that the Chef''s table had a particular menu that was way out of my work's meal budget. I emailed the staff to see if I could have the Chef's table at a lower tasting menu price. I received a call from the manager saying that they discussed it with the Chef and he said sure and was looking forward to my visit. She asked if I had any allergies. "No, just my dislike for eggs," was my reply. She said that it wouldn't be a problem to accommodate.
When I arrived I was welcomed to the dimly lit restaurant by two hostesses who were very warm and friendly. They greeted me by name and said that I was in for an amazing experience. I was then whisked away to the kitchen which was, in contrast, brightly lit yet still relatively quiet just like the dining area.
Here is a video from my seat:
Jean Paul was my waiter and quickly introduced himself by pouring a complimentary glass of champagne. This small gesture indicated the experience I was going to have. Water was offered and poured from a bottle and at that time I ordered an Iced Tea.
At this point, Chef Jon came by and introduced himself. He said to feel free to get up at anytime and walk around the kitchen, take pictures, etc. (JAW DROP)
Amuse Bouche (oyster with foam)
A nice refreshing way to start the evening.
Fluke (honeydew, celery, white chocolate)
First off, this dish just
looked too amazing to eat. Even though it was my first dish, this ended up being my favorite dish of the night. The fish was very soft mixed with white chocolate powder, celery ice cream and crisp cold pieces of honeydew. The bar was thus set high for the remainder of the meal.
Baby Octopus (coffee, corn custard)
This was the best preparation I have
ever had of octopus. It was not as chewy as others. The corn custard was a nice bite of smooth texture. There was a brittle added for textural contrast which was a little sticky, but the nonetheless flavorful.
Here is video of the dish being "constructed." Note the use of tweezers.
Cobia (lima bean, blue crab, eggplant)
The fish was firm yet soft. The lima beans were extremely flavorful and added the heartiness the dish needed. The sauce was extremely flavorful like a hollandaise.
At this point I came off cloud nine to remember to take a picture of the complimentary bread with goat milk butter and cow milk butter.
Diver Scallop (fennel, honeydew, pork belly)
Great textural contrasts with a great sauce. The searing of the scallop was, I hate to be redundant, but the best I've had. The scallop was infused with salty flavor and not bland at all.
Lobster (parmesan, porcini, cherry)
I had been given a menu to see what I was in store for. I got up to watch the chef's put a lobster dish together, but Foie Gras was next on my menu. Then Jean Paul brought the lobster dish and placed it in front of me. I said that I thought pork belly was next. He said, you're in for several extra dishes tonight. (JAW DROPS) They gave me the normal experience of the Chef's table, but for $100 less!!!
The lobster was very delicate and harmonized well with the porcini mushroom.
Foie Gras (apricot, chanterelle, watercress)
For my first experience with a real piece of Foie Gras, the bar was sent extremely high. It was extremely smooth, creamy and paired well with the sweet apricot.
Intermezzo (strawberry yuzu soda)
Strube Ranch Beef (morel, english pea, peanut)
The beef was sooooo tender and blended well with the pea puree. If only it was a little bigger, but I still had a few more dishes to get through, so probably best that it wasn't any larger.
At this point in the dinner, I see an older gentleman (middle) walk in and beginning talking to Chef Jon (right.) He then approached me and asked if I was enjoying myself, to which I quickly said, "YES." He then introduced himself at Chef Lacroix. He is the originator of the restaurant and now retired! What an unexpected treat!
Lamb Belly (cauliflower, scallion) [before broth]
The lamb was tender yet not fatty. Well seasoned.
Lamb Belly (cauliflower, scallion) [after broth]
Tourmalet (
heirloom tomato, boquerone, aji amarillo) [before pour]
This was the
cheese course. Mixed together, after the pour, it tasted like my mom's cornbread. Delicious and very warm.
Tourmalet (
heirloom tomato, boquerone, aji amarillo) [after pour]
Instead
of Jean Paul bringing me dessert, it was now the Pastry Chef.
Blueberry (caramel ganache, berry meringue, chocolate mousse, blueberry ice cream)
This was a multi-layered dessert with a "plate" of chocolate that needed to be broken. Once broken, I melded all of the elements together and created a beautiful symphony in my mouth.
Watermelon & Basil (citrus panna cotta, lemon-melon medley, watermelon hibiscus soup, basil ice cream) [before pour]
Probably one of my favorite desserts ever. Basil ice cream? Yes! It was so creamy with the basil giving it a sweet flavor.
Watermelon & Basil (citrus panna cotta, lemon-melon medley, watermelon hibiscus soup, basil ice cream) [after pour]
Once the soup was poured, I heard a sizzling sound. I put my ear next to the dish and it was sizzling, yet it was a
cold dessert. I discovered that there were Pop Rocks in the dish which added that extra dimension. Brilliant!
Mignardises
View from my seat
Take Home Menu & Chocolates
At some point in my meal, I asked Jean Paul if I could get a menu of what I had. He said that he had it already prepared for my departure. The bag had the menu with every dish I enjoyed as well as a box of chocolates which I shared with my wife. They were exquisite!
All told, I spent 2 hours and 45 minutes in heaven, I mean in the restaurant. It was the most incredible restaurant experience I have ever have and will be hard to top. I spent a few minutes with the Chef after my meal, thanking him for everything. He asked me what my favorite dishes were. I paused for a brief moment and said the Fluke followed by the Foie Gras. He smiled and was happy with my choice I also asked if he was interested in TV shows, like Top Chef, etc. He said no, it doesn't fit his personality. But, who knows? Maybe he'll be on some day. He could easily go far based on this meal.
