Best Dining Experiences of 2008
As challenging as “best of” lists can be, it’s actually easy to pick where to begin this one…with one of the most recent, and truly the best meal of 2008. Paley’s Place, last week. What a meal, what a memory! My top meals have in common perfectly-executed cuisine. Some were dishes that took me on a wild ride, and some were dishes that took me right home. And the meal at Paley’s was that and more because of the company and circumstances. We felt positively grateful to Kimberly and Vitaly Paley for battling the elements and staying open. A couple of days prior, we were enjoying our North(west) Pole experience – sledding, pouring kahlua and vodka over snow, watching movies, and even crossing the river to bowl at Grand Central when few cars were out. That was fun. (For the benefit of readers outside the region, the Portland Metro area received a fifty-year record-sized dumping of snow that literally froze and incapacitated the city).
But then our pipes froze. And even that was entertaining for 24-hours in a survivor-show sort of way. Boiling water to wash dishes. But with five people in close quarters, it was going to get gross. Then, the return flight for Scott’s older children was cancelled. They wanted and needed to get to Chicago to join their mother, aunts, cousins and grandparents. Our spirits were starting to fizzle and the meal at Paley’s Place (conveniently located right next door to the hotel) was a heaping helping of civility, comfort and excitement. Kimberly was running front of house with just one server, and her chef-husband, Vitaly, was running plates himself. They sent an exquisite smoked fish and fennel amouse-bouche to the table, as well as an extra two appetizers (crab melt with crab salad, and a rabbit salad), just in thanks for everyone’s patience. We were the ones to feel grateful…that they had braved the weather and stayed open on a Monday night (they too battled frozen pipes, and were staying at the hotel next door!).
My New York strip, pictured, was absolutely exquisite and I was forced to share more than half of it. The pork 3-ways, the roast chicken with root vegetables, the seafood stew…all wonderful. We drank a 2005 Huber-Vedereau Volnay which was lovely, and it was special to share a glass of wine with now-legal Allyson. Most rewarding were the smiles and accolades and empty plates from the two older children. They pronounced it one of the best meals they’d ever eaten. Their culinary horizons have expanded exponentially and it’s always a pleasure to dine with appreciative campers. Plus, Ally and I decided that pastry-chef Lauren Fortgang’s Très Leches Cake was the almond-flavored wedding cake of our dreams!
Happy New Year! Wishing you a year filled with culinary adventures, health, friends and good wine! More “best dining” coming soon.
