Sweet, Sweet 16...

Every now and again, I am blessed with the amazing opportunity to cook for a very serious foodie, passionate cook and friend. Enter Hodge. I am truly inspired and driven to cook new things for him and his guests every time he dines with us. It is where I dig deep to find my heart and soul as a chef and to bring forth thoughts and ideas on foods and flavors that move me. What is so amazing is that he digs it. I am sure there have been dishes that didn't do it for him, but that is truly part of the process. In fact, truth be told, it is he that was instrumental in birth of the chefs table...he was the first to dine with us there. The menus have went to one side of the universe to the other with him and everything in between. It is diners such as him that makes a chef rekindle and relive his or her passions about food and cooking. We need these types of diners. Here is the latest 16 course menu we cooked for him...

spicy sriracha popcorn

house culatello, mostarda, brioche, 30 year balsamic

lobster salad, avocado, pomelo, sturgeon caviar, spicy yogurt lozenge
micro greens, yuzu gel

sweetbread-rabbit confit terrine en gelee, celery, walnuts, compressed
hidden rose apples, crispy shallots, veal emulsion, banyuls dressing

seared foie gras, beet paint, satsumas, gingerbread, coconut gel, coconut rappe,
macadamia nuts, pineapple, saba, ras el hanout, pennyroyal

demi turnips, guanciale, truffles, truffle nage, oca, crispy potato

Buddha's hand, fennel, black sesame, citrus gel, finger limes, orange tea ice

rabbit loin salad, maple gel, figs, pumpkin seed granola, arugula
maple-bourbon vinaigrette

seared scallop, matsutake, Brussels, almonds, celery root puree, smoked char roe
brown butter powder, nasturtium sauce

house bresaola wrapped monkfish, lentils, black trumpet mushrooms
truffles, baby rutabaga, pedro ximenez-foie gras sauce

green grapes, champagne-tarragon sorbet, verjus soda

wild grouse sous vide, cauliflower mushrooms, cauliflower, vadouvan,
pomegranate-smoked pecan salad, golden raisin sauce

American bison loin, chanterelles, onion sponge, crosnes, chocolate soil
blackberry-valrhona sauce

pave cardinal chevre, apricot conserve, red wine-fig pates de fruits, chestnut croustillant
hazelnuts, fig coulis

tasting of chocolate
dark chocolate-banana pave, persimmons, cinnamon ice cream
chocolate-peanut butter bar, bananas, dulce de leche ice cream, cocoa crumble
milk chocolate-foie gras bon bon, quince, quince sorbet

spice macaron, pumpkin jellies, jasmine chocolates, dove stix, caramels