As the season turned to autumn we returned to one of our favorite venues, Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. It being one of the highest rated restaurants since opening several years ago, we were anticipating the chef to make magical creations from the summer’s harvest. Our reception started with Taittinger Rosé and a whirlwind of six different canapés. Highlights were duck wontons, sweetbread spring rolls, and fois gras on toast which all went nicely with the full bodied sparkler.
We sat down to a rich and delicate l’amuse bouche of salmon, caviar cream and quail egg before properly beginning our first course. We proceeded with a complex array of shrimp, langoustine, and bay scallop dressed with Serrano ham atop Kentucky grits and a chanterelle sauce. Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet was served that had a powerful thick body exuding an exquisite balance of lemony acid and oak in the finish. This was followed by seared halibut with delicately sliced long beans, little tree shaped mushrooms, and a rich truffle sauce. Flavors were more subtly combined yet came across bigger as this made another great match for the white Burgundy.
Our main course was classic beef tenderloin with a Bordelaise sauce and surrounded by a variety of dainty harvest vegetables. This was very substantial and luxuriously drew out the evening while we sipped some of the great 2003 vintage of second label Bordeaux from Château Latour. Milk chocolate, cedar, and smooth tannins with a hint of oak provided great satisfaction in impeccable balance from this remarkable wine.
A medley of dessert tastes finished our evening with bitefuls of hazelnut layer cake, candied ginger flan, dark chocolate cake, and quince tart. A white chocolate martini accompanied these magical nibbles. We offered grateful praise to the bounty of our harvest feast served by the renowned staff at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s.
J.T. Mayer, Vice Chargé de Presse