Dining Out

DEGUSTATION

So, when traveling in London, my sister M and I fell in love with Tapas. I kept hearing about this quaint restaurant here in NYC that if you loved Tapas and fine dining, was apparently the place to go to experience the best of both worlds. So on Saturday, being that M is in town, she and I went to Degustation for a LATE dinner to see what all the hype was about. Well let me start by telling you that Degustation fully lived up to its hype; it was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!

Upon arriving, our seats were not available; however, the ever so charming Jack Lamb reassured us that it would be only a short wait. Upon being seated, Mr. Lamb personally brought us both complimentary glasses of Cava, assuring us that they were “for the two most beautiful flowers in the room” (….I Gush!!) I knew that it was going to be a great night!

The restaurant space itself was tiny; I believe 16 seats! The dining was sushi bar style seating and the kitchen is literally right in front of you! A staff of 6 ran the show; 1 head chef, 1 sous chef, 1 garde manger, 1 hostess, and 2 runners commanded the space seamlessly. As we ate the harmonious sounds of Buju Banton, Bob Marley and Damien Marley rang pleasantly throughout! I sat back in awe of the simplicity of the space, the casualness of the atmosphere and yet the sophistication that remained in the air!

Instead of opting for a tasting menu of 5 options- 4 savory and 1 sweet, (there was also one of 10, which included some off menu options; tempting, very tempting! But we had a very late reservations and weren’t that hungry!) We decided to order 9 different items and share them; though 1 item was so delicious we had it twice!! So let me start by listing the items that we ordered: Pork Croquetas in sweet red chili sauce (x2), Spanish tortilla w/ quail egg, Crudo of Black bass, Grilled Octopus w/ pork belly, citrus and basil, Carabinero, Chopitos in squid ink risotto w/ garlic aioli and fresh herbs, Wild boar w/ micro greens and citrus vinaigrette, Lamb tenderloin and Oxtail -potato cannelloni!

So while I‘ll say that everything was absolutely amazing, there were certain items that were above and beyond superbly fabulous! The stars of the show were easily the Pork Croquetas which were hot and oozing with sultry pork flavor! The deep fried (panko) encrusted balls of pork and creamy cheese melted in your mouth…literally! Dipped into the creamy sweet red pepper sauce each bite was sinfully phenomenal.

So often the pairing of seafood and meat is so overbearing that portion overrules flavor.The Grilled Octopus w/ pork belly brought a new take on ‘Surf and Turf’ with a light freshness that was much desired. The fine herb oil brought out the flavor of the octopus while the braised pork belly stood valiantly on its own; its succulence and mouth-melting texture was a brilliant contrast to the firm texture of the octopus.

The Chopitos (baby Cuttle fish) in squid ink risotto with garlic aioli and fresh herbs was mind numbing. I HATE to sound cliché but this dish was seriously the most delicious thing that I have ever tasted. It was like fried calamari in texture but had a much fresher bite. The risotto was creamy and perfectly aldente, (maybe even a little less bite) and perfectly flavored. Squid ink has been a long time favorite of mine and while for some the flavor is overbearing and strange, for me it is natures Alfredo!

Last is THE LAMB! I say it that way because of all the other things that it was plated with,the lamb stood out alone! It left me speechless. I’ve long been a lover of lamb, but the flavors that came through in this rear offering were sumptuous! I can’t even think of all the different ways I have had lamb: grilled, stewed, curried, braised, fried, baked, and never has it been this… exotic in nature. By exotic I mean unique! The texture was sublime- the way that my teeth made its way through each bite so effortlessly and fluidly was astonishing! Lamb on its best day can prove a little tough to chew, but these cuts seemed bred to please!

**On a side note I must give honorable mention to the Wild Boar! It too was fabulous and one of M's top picks, but due to time and space was not covered in depth!

All in all Degustation met my criteria almost perfectly:

Food: 40%

Service: 25% (they had beer and wine only)

Ambiance: 20%

Price: 10%

Total: 95%

As far as recommendations: I would do so without thought! From attentive owner to well-versed hostess to seasoned executive chef, Degustation was most certainly my moneys worth!!

When dining out.....

It always amazes me the way in which someone ‘rates’ a dining experience. For each person it’s unique. For some, the food itself is the sole star of the evening, and if she flops, then the entire experience was for naught! For others, the food could have been average, and the service was so good that it was almost as though they had in fact paid for tickets to the theater and not a meal! And yet there are others still, who if they get a good vibe from the place it doesn’t matter really how poor or stellar the meal/service was. I find it hard to rate a dining experience solely on any one aspect of the aforementioned characteristics. And in fact I feel as though each of these characteristics play equally relevant though not necessarily equally rated parts.

For me dining out should be an experience that in no way is completely dependent on the food! The experience for me generally breaks down as follows: food is 40%, service 30%, ambiance 20% and price is 10%. Undoubtedly, the food should be the star- let’s face it that’s what you came there for. Service however is a close second; incompetence/ ‘slackness’ in the area of service can seriously turn me off from a meal and greatly affect my ability to enjoy the experience. Next is ambiance, and that includes company, lighting, music, color scheme etc. Last is price- if all of the other things fall into place, I rarely care what I pay for a meal. I mean really, you know by the time you order what everything costs, but the other factors are what help determine if you got your money’s worth.

So next time you’re dining out, think about these things and how they add up, and what is important to you! Then when you receive your check at the end of the meal, ask yourself “Did I get my money’s worth?” You may be surprised to see how it all adds up!