Culinary Crush...
Doug, Jason and Eric with Christophe in the background...
my trio of amuse just before pick upIt was a grand gala celebration for 5 years being open for Crush Restaurant in Seattle! Jason & Nicole Wilson's baby...their love and passion...and their life! Jason, one of the best chef's in 
Seattle by my accord and a good friend, wanted to celebrate this special occasion in style by inviting five other chefs, a fromagier(cheese monger) and a couple sommeliers to kick some serious ass! It was a chance to have fun, to cook without inhibitions, and to give 60 of their best customers a special meal they would not soon forget. I was only too lucky and ever so fortunate to be such a guest chef. Beside one other and Jason himself, I was the only one from "the hood". The chef's who were invited were a top and stellar line up to say the least and were quite the celebrities in their own right. This was going to be one of the most talked about dinners of the year for sure and a rare treat for the select foodies who were to attend. Jason had also invited a photographer, who will most surely laugh at my lame ass shots, but knows that this merely scratches the surface of what was presented. He also had a handful of top kitchen brigade and service staff on hand to assist and execute such a fine degustation. In brief, the all star line up consisted of Jerry Traunfeld; Chef/Owner of Poppy in Seattle. Prior, he had been the executive chef at the famous Herbfarm for many years before opening his own modern Indian inspired eatery. Next up was a fun and unique gentleman; Eric Ziebold, who is the Executive Chef at Cityzen, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington DC.
Then we had Christophe Eme; the Chef/Owner of Ortolan in Los Angeles, a chic modern French cuisine hotspot inspired by his experience and life spent in France. Following was Doug Keane, the Chef/Owner at Cyrus, a very happening modern regional American restaurant in Healdsburg, California known for it's superb cooking and service. Crush also produced the tasty hors d'oeuvres for the evening as well as the dessert and little tasty treats at the end of the meal, called mignardise. Lastly, there was I, who was simply honored to be a part of something so awesome and passionate. That is what I am all about. The cooking was great and to work in the same kitchen as these five other gentlemen was what it was all about. To create a dish that represented each of us personally and Crush as a whole was phenomenal. The service staff was on the top of their game as well. From the "somms" to the servers to the wine team...all did a wonderful job. Below is the menu and a few shots to give you a glimpse of what the 4-hour soiree entailed. Drooling yet...you should be!
Seattle by my accord and a good friend, wanted to celebrate this special occasion in style by inviting five other chefs, a fromagier(cheese monger) and a couple sommeliers to kick some serious ass! It was a chance to have fun, to cook without inhibitions, and to give 60 of their best customers a special meal they would not soon forget. I was only too lucky and ever so fortunate to be such a guest chef. Beside one other and Jason himself, I was the only one from "the hood". The chef's who were invited were a top and stellar line up to say the least and were quite the celebrities in their own right. This was going to be one of the most talked about dinners of the year for sure and a rare treat for the select foodies who were to attend. Jason had also invited a photographer, who will most surely laugh at my lame ass shots, but knows that this merely scratches the surface of what was presented. He also had a handful of top kitchen brigade and service staff on hand to assist and execute such a fine degustation. In brief, the all star line up consisted of Jerry Traunfeld; Chef/Owner of Poppy in Seattle. Prior, he had been the executive chef at the famous Herbfarm for many years before opening his own modern Indian inspired eatery. Next up was a fun and unique gentleman; Eric Ziebold, who is the Executive Chef at Cityzen, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington DC. Then we had Christophe Eme; the Chef/Owner of Ortolan in Los Angeles, a chic modern French cuisine hotspot inspired by his experience and life spent in France. Following was Doug Keane, the Chef/Owner at Cyrus, a very happening modern regional American restaurant in Healdsburg, California known for it's superb cooking and service. Crush also produced the tasty hors d'oeuvres for the evening as well as the dessert and little tasty treats at the end of the meal, called mignardise. Lastly, there was I, who was simply honored to be a part of something so awesome and passionate. That is what I am all about. The cooking was great and to work in the same kitchen as these five other gentlemen was what it was all about. To create a dish that represented each of us personally and Crush as a whole was phenomenal. The service staff was on the top of their game as well. From the "somms" to the servers to the wine team...all did a wonderful job. Below is the menu and a few shots to give you a glimpse of what the 4-hour soiree entailed. Drooling yet...you should be!Christophe, Doug, Jim(our executive sous chef extraordinaire!) and our leader of the night~ Jason.
My Trio of Amuse...
Frozen Foie Gras Lollipop, Compressed Asian Pear, Blis Sherry Redux, Foie Gras Powder and Chamomile
Chilled Lobster, Heart of Palm, Pumello, Paddlefish Caviar, Yuzu Sabayon, Vanilla
Hot Truffled Sunchoke "Cappuccino", House Cured Lonza, Cacao Nib Grissini
Frozen Foie Gras Lollipops with Chocolate Pop Rocks embedded inside, then topped with grated Smoked Pecans and Fleur de Sel...
Jerry's Lasagna of Dungeness Crab with Leeks, King Boletus and Sea Urchin
Eric's Warm Cured Blackmouth Salmon, Artichoke-Piquillo Pepper "Terrine"
Roasted Garlic Panade and Parsley "Vinaigrette"
Christophe's Squab "Pastilla" with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Pea Puree, Roasted Potatoes
Pea Shoots and Squab Jus
Doug's Japanese Wagyu Beef Loin with Oxtail-Umeshu Consomme(not pictured)
Early Spring Vegetables and Wasabi
Crush's "Breakfast & Pie"
Vanilla-Bourbon French Toast, Bacon Ice Cream, Lemon Curd, Gingerbread Crust, Lemon Gelee
~
M.I.A....
No picture to be had, but the taste will certainly be remembered
Produced by Crush's pastry team
Hazelnut Toffee, Coconut Macaroons, Walnut Bon Bons, White Chocolate Coconut-Rum Log
Marcona Almond Marzipan, Port Marshmallow with Feuillatine "Crunch", Peanut Butter Cup
and Hazelnut Gianduja
posted by cuisinier at 12:13 AM
4 Comments:
Having eaten at Crush, staged at Crush, and fantasied over your food(both eating it and making it[or trying to]) on your blog(s), I can only imagine that this was a sublime experience. You and Jason top my list for chef/heroes in this town.
Hi Sasha, it was a very fun and exciting experience. Cooking in the kitchen with the team conjures up more of a term of awesomeness...adrenaline-filled...inspired...stoked etc. I am sure sublime was in the moinds of the diners. :Lucky for them! Thanks for the post...
ps- if you read this again..are you the Sasha that used to work for me?
No, I never worked for you, but I do work here and would love to work in your kitchen if you ever need free hands. And I can imagine being in a kitchen full of peers whom you respect and trust to make the most of awesome product would bring things to mind like 'awesomeness' and 'inspiration'. As a young chef it makes me drool.
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