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I suppose that like Fight Club, the first rule of the Secret Sauce Society is that you do not talk about Secret Sauce Society. But the meal was so good that I have to share the experience.
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Before dinner started, we were each handed a glass of Wycliff champagne, a menu, and an envelope with Creative Colloquy items and poetry and prose from Creative Colloquy alumni. There were also bags of roasted seeds, "Caesar salad" seasoned popcorn, and bourbon soaked and sugared blackberries (for the champagne, although they were also great on their own).
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The first course was Celery Root Agnoloti with pickled cranberry, rye crumbs, and chévre. This was The Wife's favorite course of the evening. It was excellent pasta.
The first two courses were paired with a Whiskey Marmalade—Heritage Distilling Company Elk Rider Bourbon, orange juice, cinnamon simple, and sparkling wine. The cinnamon at the forefront of the flavors played well with both the pasta and the soup that followed.
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The second course was Roasted Carrot Bisque with celery pesto and an onion biscuit. This soup was divine. The Wife doesn't usually like carrots, but she loved the bisque, as did I. The biscuit paired well with the bisque. The addition of the flavors from the whiskey marmalade took the whole to another level of enjoyment.
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Onion biscuit, roasted carrot bisque with celery pesto, and whiskey marmalade.
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The third course was a Grapefruit Kale Salad with honey mint dressing, walnut, and feta. This salad was refreshing. I thought of it as a palate cleanser. It was interesting to have the salad served in the middle of the meal and helped to better define the first two dishes that preceded it as well as the meat courses that followed it.
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The fourth course was Seared Duck Breast with parsnip, pomegranate, and candied yam vinaigrette. This was my favorite course of the evening. The duck was perfectly prepared and root vegetables (both in pureed and chip forms) were a great complement. I could have easily just eaten this plate all night for each course. It was heavenly.
The third and fourth courses were paired with The Sugar Plum Fairy—Heritage Distilling Company Elk Rider Vodka, orange, spiced plum syrup, allspice dram, and sparkling wine. The Sugar Plum Fairy echoed a few of the flavors in the Whiskey Marmalade, but was a bit sweeter. This was The Wife's favorite drink of the three cocktails. As with the prior drink and its courses, The Sugar Plum Fairy accentuated the flavors of the salad, the duck, and the root vegetables.
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The fifth and sixth courses were paired with a Harvest Old Fashioned—Heritage Distilling Company Elk Rider Rye, chamomile brown sugar, cardamom bitters, and orange. This was my favorite drink of the evening. The rye whiskey, brown sugar, and orange blended well, and the cardamom was just right. For me, it was the best pairing of food and drink, which is saying something, because all of the food and drink worked well together.
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The fifth course was Pork Belly and Scallop with Chinese five spice and kimchi. While I could appreciate the scallop, I'm not fond of most seafood, especially shellfish, so I took an obligatory bite and let The Wife have the rest of it. The pork belly was scrumptious, with a crust of cooked Chinese five spice. Pairing it with the heat of the kimchi brought out the best flavors of both the cabbage and the meat. It was a really great dish.
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The sixth and final course of the evening was a Chocolate Custard with a ginger cream, berries, and nuts. It was a nice and simple dessert to end a spectacular meal that will not soon be forgotten.
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Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and nuts adorn the cream and chocolate custard.
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At the end of the meal, chef Hudson Slater came out to thank us for coming to the dinner. He also answered a few questions from the diners.
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In addition to a wonderful meal and drinks, our table of six was engaged in lively conversation throughout the evening. We spoke about art and life, family and literature, trips and joys.
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As the evening drew to a close, The Wife and I were able to talk with the chef for a few minutes. He was charming and humble and obviously very passionate about food and cooking and bringing pleasure to others through his gifts in the kitchen.
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The course after dinner ended was the reading course in the comfort of home. But that is another post for another time.
