Different Shades of Grey...

port cured foie gras (version 2)...

red wine gelee, micro arugula, apricot conserve, cacao nibs, apple-cicely salad

As we venture into the dreary days of late autumn, with snow on the ground and occasional dark clouds in the sky, it abruptly reminds me that we are in the thralls of the coldest part of the year...winter. It is a time that we need to dig deeper and deeper for something to cook, and yet at the same time, it is right at our fingertips...or so it would seem. To dig deeper, really only implies to a chef that we need to search for a more deeper and meaningful dish, one full of flavor and soul...full of sensuous body and personality and one that says to that special someone who the dish is placed before..."I am giving of myself to you". A little corny perhaps, but in all honestly, that is what we do as chefs...give of ourselves so that someone else can enjoy something up close and personal. What a noble concept. I have always tried to be humble and noble. I let my food speak for me in what ever language one will care to receive it, so long as it is good...otherwise if it is not, the only digging I do will be my own grave! So it is herewithin that I speak, during these dark and solemn days, that the grey we see, whether on one side of the fence or the other, is not necessarily better or worse...just a different shade. Hope you enjoy this spectrum of what I am seeing currently...

seared hawaiian yellowfin tuna

leek pancake, crispy sweetbreads, black trumpet mushrooms, carrot angel hair

garlic-pedro ximenez jus

georgia sweet shrimp salad

truffles, fingerlings, arugula, house prosciutto, beet-walnut composure

squash brown butter dressing

squash brown butter poached georgian sweet shrimp (version 2)

warm fingerling potatoes, truffles, guanciale, sweet cicely, maple-bourbon dressing