Sunday, July 18, 2010

Graham Elliot's

Twas the night before detox and all through the land...I was stuffing myself with the magic of Graham!

Graham Elliot’s Restaurant, the Bistronomic one-of-a-kind wonder at 217 West Huron, was overflowing with foodie art. They say this place makes you see gray instead of black and white. Being a photographer, I had no problem seeing the shades of gray the minute they laid down our first plate. Company aside, I knew this was going to be a very unpredictable night.

The food was exquisite and with every subsequent bite, I became less interested in sharing with the girls. I WANTED TO DEVOUR IT ALL BY MYSELF…especially when it came to the perfect Dark Chocolate Torte. The cream cheese ice cream topped an almond financier with apricot jam and salted caramel. It was definitely a revered experience.

I also loved the Deconstructed Caesar Salad which was perfect with gem lettuce, a brioche twinkie, parmesan fluff and a white anchovy.

As a note, Gem is a petite lettuce described as a combination of Butter and Romaine. It is crispy like Romaine and sweet like Butter but has qualities all its own. Little Gem leans toward a nutty, walnut flavor and a sweetness that is totally reserved.

The Spring Pea Soup was stunning, especially the meticulously constructed pea tendril and the segment of mint marshmallow. I’ve never been much for Pea Soup but this cold creation made we want to give it another try.

This is not the place to go if you have to hurry through your meal to catch a theater performance because you will positively want to slowly savor each and every flavor.

Chef Elliot is planning to open a casual fare restaurant called Grahamwich at 615 North State Street in mid-August if city permits don’t delay it further. Look for truffle popcorn, soft serve, eight sandwich concepts and best of all – four homemade sodas. Look for my post.

 Bon Appetit!