Alinea September 27, 2014

OSETRA- traditional Caviar. Paired with Champagne Pierre Moncuit Blanc des Blancs Brut NV.

SALSIFY- branch camouflage.  We had to go looking for the hidden food item in the nest of branches.

 Me "smoking" the found root. What's a restaurant blog without a cigar involved?

KING CRAB- melon, lardo, honey. Paired with Keller "RR" Riesling Trocken, Rheinhessen 2006.

SKATE - brown butter, lemon, herbs.
You ate this with silverware but you had to hold it in your hand.
It would not sit on the table without toppling over.
It was an interesting experience keeping the plate in hand while eating.
It was as thin as a paper plate and reminded me of a napkin.

RHUBARB - celery root, celery branch, red wine. Paired with Liquid Farm "Vogelzang" Rose, Happy Canyon 2013.

SWEETBREADS - orange, ginko nut, cinnamon chop sticks. Paired with Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Mont" Domaine Huet 2007.

TOMATO - ashed goat cheese, pistachio, licorice graffiti. Paired with Habit Gruner Veltliner, Santa Ynez 2013.

MATSUTAKE - pine, huckleberry, tapioca. Tensei "Song of the Sea" Junmai Ginjo-shu, Kumazawa Shuzo, Kanagawa - ken.

LILY BULB - rambutan, distillation of caviar lime.

Melon ball with cheese, chocolate and tapioca.

The corn was cooked and placed back into the husk to look like a corn cob.  The husks were placed in a tin can with Alinea's label and lit on fire and then blown out before the corn was placed in front of us to eat.  The smell was a great compliment to eating the corn.

Boiling broth was poured into a dish of duck and vegetables. Again the smell of the boiling broth was a great compliment while eating the duck.

Duck dish

PORK BELLY - parsnip, black trumpet, kombu. Paired with Broc Cellars Valdiguie, Solano County Green Valley 2013

A type of Bubblegum flavored dried meringue was placed over bits of fruit.

Fruit was stretched and formulated to become as thin as cotton candy when it melts in your melt.  The balloon did the same thing when you went to eat the balloon.  (It also got all over your mouth like cotton candy!)

TROPICAL FRUIT - rum, vanilla, kaffir lime

Ingredients for TROPICAL FRUIT