Tasting Tocqueville: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  March 19, 2012]

Still unpacking after the apartment move ten years ago,  I was mainly trying out my new home kitchen.  I did manage to get to dinner at Tocqueville, though.

Strange thing about looking at an old diary - I am imagining in my mind's eye dining at Tocqueville as we know it now; but in 2002 I must have been at the old location, the wedge shaped dining room which is now 15 East.

Anyway, although I have never celebrated St Patrick's Day, maybe that was the reason the week kicked off with an elaborate corned beef dinner.  I poached a ready-corned brisket and made all the trimmings.  Puréed carrots with ginger, boiled potatoes, fresh horseradish, a few cornichons.  I served it with a Médoc, Chateau Moulin du Bourg, 1996, and followed it with cheddar and pain du Louvain.

Not too Irish, I guess.

An icy wind was blowing from the east, and walking down cold East Houston I paid my first visit to Yonah Schimmel (established 1910).  The knish is not the greatest snack food ever invented, but if you're going to eat them, eat them here on a cold day.  I sampled a Cheddar and potato version, and according to my diary, a pepper and onion, which I can't really imagine.  Might have been a special.

A visit to the Union Square greenmarket brought a haul of bison meat.  Ground bison made burgers for dinner with home-cooked tostones.  An interesting cheese plate too (where from?): Estribeiro, the Portuguese soft sheep's milk cheese; Los Beyos, hard cow's milk from Asturia; and a block of Lingot de Quercy, pungent French goat cheese.

In keeping with the season, another dinner at home featured pan-fired shad fillets with Lyonnaise potatoes.  A bottle of Louis Latour Grand Ardèche chardonnay is a good fit for that fish.

And continuing the bison theme, testicles - yes, you can get them at greenmarket if you ask.  These are quite hard work to prep - I'll spare you the details - but I served slices sautéed in an onion and cream sauce.

After cocktails at one of our new locals, Lava Gina on Avenue C, to Tocqueville for a proper feed.

Smoked salmon tartar with a flute of champagne

Flash-fried baby abalone with garlic

Roast veal tendeloin, spinach, pommes purées, Corton Grand Cru "Les Renardes," 1996

Goat cheesecake

Petits fours, Tokay Aszu

A pleasant end to the week; and suddenly I was off to London again.