scallop crudo – with apple relish and dill and beet chips; this dish was perfectly balance for the delicateness of the scallop with the tang of the crispy apples and the crunchy earthiness of the beet chips; the beet chips surprised me the most, adding a subtle harmony to bring fruit and sea together. Even our resident non-sashimi eater enjoyed this dish and it was wonderfully executed.

charcuterie:
STEAK TARTARE – with the requisite quail egg, a nice bite, thoroughly enjoyed
CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE – on a lard crackers, that was a first, but think savory shortbread, creamy and full bodied
FOIE GRAS BON-BON with SAUTERNES GELÉE – a wine gelee with a bold fois gras is an interesting choice as the gelee is neither sweet or tangy, which is usually used to enhance the flavor of the fois – rather it was combined with peanut as the salt which brought out the liver flavor of the foie; I think that maybe less gelee was in order because the bitterness of the alcohol does not serve the foie well
VEAL LOIN CARPACCIO – nearly lost the flavor on this between all the other charcuterie, but delightful nonetheless
WEISSWURST SAUSAGE & SAUERKRAUT – strange to find a sausage at a fine dining establishment; it certainly stood out in flavor on the dish in its puff of mustard
LAN-ROC PORK SHOULDER RILLETTES – fried into a croquette, a steroided cousin to the sausage
Overall this dish had a couple of tasty morsels on it, but it lacked cohesion other than a plate of fanciful charcuterie; the flavors didn’t meld or contrast, but it was fun

persimmon clementine sorbet – I love palette cleansers, and I love persimmon; sadly, my fellow diner said it tasted like an orange Julius, which I kind of agree with, but minus the powdery flavor… The persimmon was utterly lost and it became creamsicle.

petit sale – a BBQed pork short rib with pork loin underneath; served with lentils and carrots, this traditional dish had the addition of sauce verde which was a tarragon pesto that gave it a fresh grass flavor that made it feel like the pork had just come from the farm

watercress salad – with radishes, grapefruit, pistachios, and formage blanc; a very loud symphony of flavors – the formage blanc was the loudest though; they served this salad toward the end as a teaser for the cheese plate

cheese plate: two semi-soft cheeses and a blue, served with a shortbread among other things? they like to mix things up!

speculoos tart – with cranberry sorbet; this is the holiday in a non-traditional tart; custard filling with something akin to gingerbread crust and topped with a tart cranberry sorbet; a nice change of pace after two cheese dishes