So I arrived a bit late (my car had issues with the snow... this is when i realize why being from Texas actually does suck....) and I'm confused at first. There's a little cafe in the CAM and the lady at the desk points me there nicely. I get permission to takes pictures of the food, because I feel bad hauling my camera there. The people were actually really nice and I ended up talking to someone about my camera and how much I love it.
Anyway, there were three things on the "menu". They were set out on a table and you could just grab one of each as you walked in. They were all nice and artsy -- the way you expect food inspired by art to be. I was very intrigued.
The menu was inspired by random words in a poem consisting of random words. While the idea was cool, I was disappointed because I wanted more thematic coherency. I guess I like art for thematic and conceptual reasons. This is why I need to see the point of a piece. I want to have some insight into how an artist thinks. I need my abstract artwork to at least have some title to give me context for deeper understanding. I hate most things that say Untitled #___ unless the artist's intention is clear.
The first thing I tried was the beet and carrot creme brulee. I really liked the colors. Before reading the description, I had expected the pink to be raspberry. I was a bit disappointed because I assume I don't like beets (they're mostly flavorless and smell funny when overcooked... which I guess is why I never cared for them). I love the way the sauce was splattered on the plate. The creme brulee was lightly sweet but not overly so and the carrot flavor was there but also not overpowering. I didn't expect to like this and I did.
The next thing I tried was the grass fed beef philly cheesesteak. I didn't realize it was a cheesesteak until I saw the description. It was bite size and tasty, but not as flavorful as I hoped it to be. The roll was soft and the meat and sauce were tasty. I just wanted something more inspiring or inspired. I'm not sure which:
The last thing I tried was the seared duck breast with missouri pecans and fig reduction. I love duck. I also love savory and sweet things together. This piece was really great. It had good texture, good flavor, and great balance. I think mine could've been cooked a bit better. It wasn't tough, but didn't have the nice tenderness I'm used to associating with duck. Actually, the flesh was a bit pink, which was weird. I think what I liked the most was how the fat looked. There was a clear layer of seared crispiness with the rest of the fat underneath. In it's own way, it was very pretty. I thought it was worth taking pictures from two angles because it was such a strange construction.
Anyway, that was my adventure for the day. The food was good and I will be going again. I hope they have more coherency in ideas next time.
<3
Hao
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