Carnival of Thoughts...

sunchoke "cappuccino", truffle foam, potato chip

albacore tuna pave, lobster fritter, fennel-radish salad, verjus
bacon mayo, chervil

seared foie gras "slider", perimmons, scallop, hazelnuts
pumpkin puree, saba

pan roasted diver scallop, lentils, pancetta, quince, honshimejii
braised shortrib & it's jus

steamed wild sea bass, truffle potato puree, truffles
oca, crosnes, micro greens, sherry jus

muscovy duck & organic chicken breast sous vide
hedgehog mushroom ragout, squash cake, thumbelina carrots
caramelized garlic, smoked pecan-bacon crackling "rappe"

a tasting of artisan and fermier cheeses..
tumalo farms "jewel", bloomy soft rind sheep/cows milk, oregon
jasper hill farms "moses sleeper", soft ripened cows milk, vermont
pave de l'averyon, double cream washed rind sheeps milk, france
queso de vare, dry, aged nutty goat's milk, spain
cashel bleu, buttery, sweet cows milk, ireland
various garnishes

pumpkin brulee, chocolate stix, pumpkin roulade, roasted grapes
chocolate pave, evoo gelato, frangipane cakepop,

NW berry cobbler, bacon ice cream

~~~

As this year quickly comes to an end, we tend to reflect back on all the good times and bad ones too and remember, cherish and forget about the times we have shared and enjoyed as well as those we did not before continuing headstrong into the new year! In the kitchen and as a chef, it is not any different. I think about all the great times we had as a team, the challenging times as an organization, the wonderful days and nights cooking truly wonderful awesome food, the dishes we created, the moments we shared with the guests who enjoyed them and the looks on their faces as they ate in bliss. Of course, we recall the emails to our GM stating that the meat was overcooked...the paraphrase from the server or dining room manager saying that somebody was not happy with the service time or the meetings that take place to discuss performance of various staff members which ultimately has a negative affect on us as leaders...or perhaps it is when we develop a dish, an idea, a concept, spend numerous hours refining it, creating the passion and then teaching that to others, only to have them not pay attention and f' it up because they are not serious about their cooking. What a disaster. All the emotions and stresses rolled into one...the tensions, the mood swings...the anxieties and preoccupied state of mind from everyone at times...creates for this carnival of collective experiences..some good, some not so much. All in all, in the end, we had a great time I believe this year. And although I had my own world of challenges, starting this year in a very bad place and now feeling much better about life...I think we conquered some real obstacles and created some real awesome food, experiences and memories for people and achieved some respectable goals while going amongst the waves of what was presumed to be very difficult. While you may see a new year's post, I will leave you with some parting shots of food that was the final days of life in the kitchen before coming to a close...wishing you all a great holiday season and new year!