You are Blue we are Red (Rossi)
- Yue Gu
- Jun 9, 2018
- 2 min read
I first heard the name of Dan Barber not from Netflix’s Chef’s Table, not Michelin guide, not the list of 50 best restaurants in the world, (surprise surprise!); I saw two of his TED talks, ‘A foie gras parable’ and ‘How I fell in love with a fish’. He preaches sustainability in food. A formidable storyteller: funny, witty and inspiring; So and so he came across less than a chef but more as an academic.
Later I saw his episode in Netflix. He still talked passionately about his slow food philosophy, but there he smiled a little less, he confessed his hot temper in the kitchen, he came across… less endearing.
No matter…
We reserved our table in Blue Hill fore our departure with such anticipation perhaps to some extent even higher than Eleven Madison Park.
Dan Barber’s Blue Hill New York is located in a former speakeasy in artsy Greenwich Village next to Washington Square and only a stone’s throw away from many Jazz venues such as Terra Blues. Walking down a few steps pushing the door open, we were greeted by subdued light and muffled talk. The vibe is unmistakably New York, yet the relative smallness of the restaurant and high table intensity per square meter is quite un-New York. We are instantly warmed up towards the place, tiny and noisy just as our own Ristorante Rossi, if more upmarket.
Since we didn’t find the 6-course ‘Farmer’s feast’ menu feastive enough, we went with the ‘Extended Farmer’s Feast’ menu in order to fully indulge ourselves and maybe because of this we were invited to the kitchen to start our journey which is by no means novel but it was my first time feeling completely out of place not only because the kitchen was equally small but the atmosphere seemed to be so intense that I feared our presence was interrupting the kitchen’s natural flow. Chef Dan Barber was actually there, but no greetings were exchanged. Remembering his well-known bad temper in the kitchen, we chose to play it safe- no photo demand with chef!
No matter…
Our farmers’ feast consisted with the season’s favorite asparagus, grass-fed lamb neck & belly , broccoli potato dough pizza, Celtuce from Stone Barn and this morning’s egg.. Raw vegetables were ceremoniously brought to the table pre preparation together with detailed explanation of the origin, story etc. I will be exaggerating if I say this asparagus I tasted in Blue Hill is the most juicy, delicious asparagus I have ever tasted or how incredibly sweet the radishes are; however what I like about all this is how ingredients are now the true hero of the plate, not just some nameless stuff that’s accentuating the skill of chefs. No no no, it’s the other way round. It’s the right way around!
It was in Blue Hill I felt so optimistic about the way we pursued Rossi. If we are less articulate and I’m a far worse speaker, we are no less passionate about seasonality and ingredients.
Like my mama always said, good ingredients are half of the dish.
Like this aunt of Felice also said, good (ingredients) breed good (food).
Comments