Last week my chef friend Jeong and I were sitting around at the CIA talking about how we wanted to go eat somewhere in NYC where we could broaden our culinary horizons and see what some current restaurants were up to. We went over the usual laundry list of "hot spots" that we wanted to potentially eat at; Nobu, Kraft, The Modern, Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, WD-50...and we just couldn't decide on a restaurant. The next day, through a recommendation of Chef David Kamen, I decided to make a reservation at Chef Waldy Malouf's restaurant, Beacon
Beacon is the sort of place I would love to run and own. It seats about 225 guests and has a classy elegant decor that isn't stuffy or pretentious, but instead is sophisticated and sleek.
Once we arrived we were greeted by a two lovely hostesses who treated us like we were two VIP chefs from the Culinary. We were seated at a very good table, which overlooked the semi-open kitchen and wood burning oven. Our server was very energetic, and did a good job overseeing our whole meal.
The kitchen sent us out our first course compliments of the chef, 6 wood-fired oysters on a bed of rock salt. Now I believe as a chef that every successful restaurant has a few dishes that are unique or almost "perfect", and these were the best oysters I have ever had! They had the perfect balance of shallots, butter, lemon, herbs, acidity and fresh oyster flavor. I think Jeong and I had an epiphany over the oysters cause we are still talking about them a week later.
Our second course consisted of some Roasted Bone Marrow for Jeong and Smoked Pork Belly with Shiseido Peppers for myself. The marrow was very good, and I think it was Jeong favorite dish (if not the oysters), but I while I didn't dislike the Pork Belly (how can bacon be bad??) it just seemed like it needed another component to the dish. It would have benefited from something fresh or with a little acid.
In the middle of our courses we ordered two cocktails to see how good they were. I ordered a cucumber vodka caipiroska, which was fabulous. Jeong ordered the house pineapple margarita, which he said was quite good as well.
Our third course consisted of sweetbreads and their take on shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail was very good, with lots of bright lemon and dill flavors.
For our main course I chose a bottle of Chateau Magnol Cru Bordeaux in Haute-Medoc. It was a fantastic bottle, with lots of black cherry and oak. It was a great pairing for our main courses, a Guiness Braised Short Ribs, and Lamb from Nose to Tail.
The lamb dish was very complex. It had a bacon wrapped lamb kidney, a ground lamb meatball with lots of cumin spice, a grilled lamb chop, and a piece of braised lamb with some creamy polenta. It was a rich dish, but very well thought out and was probably my second favorite dish there. The kitchen sent us out a side of their creamed spinach, which was simple and delicious.
After our main courses and a little breather, our server told us that he would send us out an extra dessert as long as it wasn't a souffle. Of course being chefs, Jeong and I had to have two souffles made to order for us. He decided on the mixed berry souffle, and I ordered the chocolate chip. 15 minutes later our server came out with two towering souffles and cut them open and drizzled them with their accompanying sauces. The souffle was like a slice of heaven, there was so much air incorporated into it that the second it hit your tongue it melted away.
The cheesecake was super rich and had a great mango pineapple salsa that came with it. The best part of the cheesecake was that the usual cookie crumb crust was mostly shredded coconut, which was a nice contrast.
After the meal, the Exec Sous Chef, Sergio Lopez came over to our table and gave us a kitchen tour. I was surprised to see one of my previous residents, Richard, doing his externship there.
We took a picture with the staff and thanked them for all their hard work, and for treating us like kings.
It was an amazing meal, and one that I will remember for a long time. And if you are looking for a great place to eat at a good price and excellent service, then look to Beacon Restaurant to keep shining as one of NYC's best restaurants.
