Our Dinner at Per Se

For my Christmas gift, Erin made reservations for two at Per Se, Thomas Keller’s four star restaurant at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan. We had an incredible evening.

Here is Erin’s detailed account of our experience:

As Brian wrote in the guest book at Per Se last night “In a word – Wow!”

So, as background (mostly for my mother who is reading this!), Per Se is one of only five 4-star restaurants in New York City. Chef Thomas Keller is the brain behind the restaurant, creating Per Se in 2004 as a take-off of his award-winning restaurant in Napa Valley, The French Laundry. Per Se is on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Building, which is on Columbus Circle overlooking the southwest corner of Central Park.

When we walked up to the restaurant, we saw these big beautiful blue doors (a trademark of The French Laundry, which was purposefully included in the design of Per Se). But when we got even closer to the doors, all of a sudden – Swoosh! – two clear sliding glass doors on either side of the blue doors slide open for our entry into this somewhat exclusive evening! Our coats were promptly removed and we were led through the bar area into the dining room. There are only 15 tables in the entire dining room, spaced very well so as to disallow eavesdropping on your neighbors for the three plus hours you are there! Our table directly next to the windows overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. But we didn’t have much time to look at the view when we were about to embark on an amazing culinary orgasmic experience (yes, my mom is still reading)!

Our meal started with a little amuse bouche, not technically included in the 9 courses touted by the chef’s tasting menu, but much appreciated! Brian received a little dollop of salmon tartare set above a cone, reminiscent of a little ice cream cone, filled with creme fraiche,! And I, as a result of telling the waiter about my aversion to raw seafood, received a tiny little curved chip with a baby spoonful of a green chick pea relish inside. Great first bites! I almost didn’t want to take a sip of our first wine, an Austrian Grüner Veltliner (similar in taste to a sauvignon blanc, but more complex in body), for fear the flavors would dissipate! But, alas, I did! And the wine was a perfect match in my mouth! So much so that Brian and I decided to add a similar Gruner Veltliner to our wine registry!

Soon thereafter, our first official course was served. Brian’s was Per Se’s specialty of “Oysters and Pearls”, an oyster sabayon made of tapioca-like beads and black cavier. And I can’t go on without mentioning the fact that Brian ate his Oysters and Pearls with a petite spoon made entirely of mother-of-pearl! For my first course, the chef prepared a dish not on the menu because of my previously-mentioned aversion… a unique and utterly delicious black truffle-infused “substance” (because I have no idea what it actually was!) served in an eggshell. So much fun!