Professor Gourmand — April 2024

I know, I skipped March. It was all about screwing up my unemployment insurance claim, which I won’t do in 2025 because my claim year now starts in February. There was a week of COVID involved as well. Paxlovid took care of that.

I started with Redbird this month on Friday, April 5. They — Tobin, Castro and Danny — were just as happy to see me as I was to see them, and they had a brand-new cocktail list keyed to the Academy Awards. I started with the Casablanca — Bombay premier cru gin, la Quintinye extra dry vermouth, Aalborg taffel, Apricot, House-made Falernum, Ras el Hanout, lemon soda. Excellent cocktail, pretty much a springtime “Woods”. I enjoyed it with the Maine Lobster Chawanmushi with corn, which wasn’t entirely set but delicious anyway. Chris came over to ask what my entrée was going to be and when I said the John Dory Meuniere, he brought over a 2022 Domaine Pinson Petit Chablis. This vineyard is apparently JUST outside the Chablis appellation controlee, and it went PERFECTLY with the fish which came on top of a parsnip puree with lemon, capers, brown butter and fines herbes. Nobody does fish as well as Redbird. I know I keep saying that, but it’s true; I guess I need to visit Providence some time soon. Castro topped me up with a half-pour, and I finished the sauce with pao de queso. Dessert? Danny said the Chocolate Panna Cotta with such enthusiasm that I ordered it; I’m not entirely sure I still prefer fruit desserts. To complete the evening, Castro arrived with two fingers of Amaro dell’Erborista, which at least one book on amaro calls the best that there is…