I had no intention of writing a review of Char when I woke up this morning. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even planning on eating there today. Last night, I spent a few hours catching up with my friend Russell Bennett over a few glasses of delicious 21 year-old Scotch, carefully crafted by the mad geniuses at Balvenie. We talked about politics, food kids and more politics and agreed that we needed to have lunch today to carry the fun over by a day. We agreed that he would pick me up and we would try the new lunch menu at Parlor Market.
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| Char's New Chef, Brian Catenuto |
When we arrived at our chosen eatery downtown, we discovered that the doors were hopelessly shut (curses to you Monday!). Russell suggested the Elite and I threw a little fit. I suggested checking out the new menu at Char and we hopped on the interstate, headed north to see what the new Chef (Brian Cartenuto) had going on.
The parking lot was full, as was the waiting area so we grabbed a seat at the bar. Our bartender told us about the specials (Beef Brisket or Red Beans & Rice). As a rule, I never get the same dish as my dining companion, but rules are meant to be broken. Since I wasn’t planning on writing a review, we both ordered the brisket with fries, the only difference being my side of greens and his side house salad. I asked the bartender if Brian was in the kitchen and he said he would check.
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| Pork Belly with Apples and Arugula |
About a week or so prior, Brian had been a guest on my show At the Cook’s Table and had prepared two signature dishes for us: Figgy Piggy (a roasted pork tenderloin with a fig and port wine reduction) and Slow Roasted Pork Belly (served with an apple cider reduction, and an arugula, apple salad). Both of which were devoured in record time. I love figs with pork and this dish lived up to my expectations. The port wine reduction added depth to sweet fruit without being cloying. The pork belly dish however, was my favorite of the two. The succulent fattiness of the pork was balanced against the acidity of the cider vinegar and the apple salad added a tart touch to cut some of the richness. Although the meat was fatty and melted in your mouth, it didn’t come off as overly rich, mainly because of the sauce and the fresh apples. To avoid a disaster at home, I took the last bit of this dish home to Kitty and she agreed that it was one of the finest pork dishes either of us had had.
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| BBQ Shrimp with Fried Dressing |
Our lunch arrived and was served backwards (Russell got the greens and I got the salad), but this often happens when you eat at the bar and your server comes from the dining room instead of from behind the bar. Most good servers make some note as to a diners position at the table to avoid “auctioning” the food, but right and left get mixed up easily when you transition from behind the bar to across the bar. No big deal. No great offense taken. Almost no time wasted swapping the plates. At first glance the brisket looked like it needed a bit of jus or some type of sauce, but once we tasted it, we agreed with the presentation. The band of fat across the top of the cut provided more than enough moisture to make the dish enjoyable. A sauce would have just masked the flavor of the meat and the spice rub. The French fries were perfectly crisp and golden brown and the greens were flavorful on their own accord, without the necessity of boiled bacon you so often find loitering on your plate. Neither Russell nor I found it necessary to reach for the salt or the pepper. About a third of the way through the lunch special, Brian emerged from the kitchen with bowl of Tagliatelle and placed it between Russell and me. It had a delightful aroma of lemon and scallions and the warm egg yolk atop the fresh-made pasta tempted me to poke it with a fork. Brian encouraged us to stir up the egg and dig in. Not wanting to disappoint, we acquiesced. The bright sharpness of the lemon was blanced by the egg yolk perfectly. One more squeeze of lemon or one more shave of zest would have made it sour but Brian knew when to stop and when to use a measured hand. The fresh egg yolk married beautifully with the firm pasta and the scallions added a savory top note and served as a foil to the crème fraiche. These type dishes that have so few ingredients can be either brilliant or disastrous. There just isn’t any margin for error. You either get it right or you fail. Brian got this one right. Unfortunately, we had torn through the whole bowl before I had the thought to break out the Blackberry and snap some photos. You’ll have to see this one for yourself.
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| Beef Brisket |
As we returned to our brisket and talk of the looming 2011 statewide elections, Russell inquired as to how often it happened that chefs just sent food out to the table. I explained that it was a hazard of the occupation and that I have to be careful not to overindulge, lest I plump up like a Christmas goose. No sooner had these words come out of my mouth, our waitress appeared with yet another plate. This time, Brian sent out a flash fried cube of cornbread tasso dressing topped with jumbo shrimp and a black pepper Worcestershire buerre blanc. As we dug in, Brian came out to explain the dish. It turns out that they make the Worcestershire in-house in a vegetarian style, without any fish heads or fish paste. The dish was beautifully conceived and executed, but the notion of referring to a nearly black sauce as beurre “blanc” escapes me. Perhaps that is something they teach you in culinary school, but I would have called it “beurre noir.” Regardless of what it is called, the flavors were spot-on. The Shrimp were wonderfully briny and not overcooked. The sauce (though not “blanc”) was rich and tangy and the little cube of flash fried cornbread dressing was an unexpected and greatly appreciated touch. The outside of the dressing was inky dark and caramelized while the inside was light and almost fluffy.
We managed to finish most everything and held off on the temptation to accept the offer of donuts. I have to save at least one surprise for when I return for dinner with Kitty.
My final verdict will have to come when I can plan for a full tasting complete with wine and cocktails, but for now...I give Brian and his new menu high marks (albeit temporary ones).
«««« (four out of five possible stars)
