Texture

This is one of the crispest, cleanest tuna preparations we've ever developed. The base is a crisp-spicy cucumber &Thai green curry gelee.

Hawaiian Tuna Crudo
Cucumber-Thai green curry gelee, serrano chiles, candied kumquats, cilantro, sea salt and crystallized ginger.

Simple Elegance

In our family if you would have ever exhibited any small indications or early signs that you weren't a passionate food lover we would have shipped you off to be raised by wolves.

My wife Sheila, who of course is an extraordinarily passionate cook based on the criteria above, made these amongst other small bites a couple of nights ago.

The Japanese fig compote was, and will be in future preparations, the perfect accompaniment to serve with cheese. It's made by rough chopping dried figs and slow cooking them in a covered pan with orange juice, segmented and chopped oranges, orange zest, fresh rosemary and cracked black pepper.

Canapes with ichijiku compote, goat cheese and toasted walnuts.

db Bistro Moderne

The db Bistro is Daniel Boulud's version of casual dining. After eating at Daniel the previous night it was interesting to see how he successfully attracts customers at both ends of the dining spectrum. The three things that both restaurants have in common are the use of superb ingredients, the use of superb ingredients, and the use of superb ingredients.

There's a lot more that goes into being a great restaurant than just using high quality ingredients, such as cooking skill, imagination, service, ambiance, etc.... But if all these factors are equal the one separating point between good and great is the ingredients you use. This applies to all restaurants from fast food to white table cloth.

The most written about burger in the US is the $32.00 db Burger. There's actually a $75.00 version called the db Burger Royale that comes with 10 grams of shaved black truffles.

Entrance


THE ORIGINAL db BURGER
Sirloin Burger Filled with Braised Short Ribs & Foie Gras, Served on a Parmesan Bun, Pommes Frites—or—Pommes Soufflées




db Burger condiments - I can't imagine adding anything else to this burger.


ORGANIC CHICKEN BREAST "GRAND-MERE"
Pomme Cocotte, Bacon, Button Mushrooms, Spinach


BACON VEILED SALMON
Baby Carrots, Turnips, Fingerling Potatoes, Riesling Veloute


BANANA CHOCOLATE BEIGNET
Slow Roasted Banana, Peanut Ice Cream


CHOCOLATE COFFEE MILLE FEUILLE
Mocha Mousse, Armagnac Ice Cream


MEYER LEMON TART
Poppyseed Crust, Pomegranate Sorbet

Shortrib Tasting

Sometimes less is more, especially if less opens the door to more variety.

Crispy Beef Shortrib 'Confit'
Butter poached Alaskan crab leg, bearnaise sauce.

Shatto Farms

We're busy exploring several new ideas such as; sourcing local products, heirloom vegetables and organics to name a few. These are not simple objectives even for an independent restaurateur, but getting your head wrapped around doing these things on a nation wide basis isn't easy.....but we're no stranger to taking the road less travel, it's what we do and it's always been pretty damn exciting. With those thoughts on our minds, we arranged to tour the Shatto Milk Company today, our guide was Leroy Shatto. Leroy is a "Milk Artisan", the milkmeister is an unwavering fanatic about quality and his passion shows through in every bottle of milk, pound of butter and gallon of ice cream.

Shatto Milk Company is a small, family owned and operated, dairy farm located just north of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The family has been farming there for more than 100 years and began a dairy farm more than 60 years ago. In June 2003 the family began processing their own milk on the farm. They decided to bottle their own milk for the purpose of providing their customers with the freshest and best tasting dairy products possible.


Shatto Milk Company products can be described by one simple statement that they have adopted as their motto, MILK AT ITS FINEST. They go to great lengths to insure that the products they sell are truly the freshest and best tasting.

• The milk sold by Shatto Milk Company comes from cows not treated with rbST (recombinant bovine somatotropin) or recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH).**
  
• Shatto Milk comes only from the cows located on the family farm.
  
• Shatto Milk can be from the cow to the store in as little as 12 hours.

Leroy Shatto



The bottling line


Milking stalls






Myself feeding the calves


Twins that were born yesterday


Jen getting the milking tutorial


Natalie too


Love this sign over the calves pens

OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria

Otto is one of fourteen different restaurants Mario Batali owns. Although the word 'Pizzeria' is part of the name it's so much more than that. As a matter-a-fact I didn't even have pizza. I opted for a different experience, which the menu is crafted to deliver. I wanted great salumi, cheeses and pasta. This is not some over-the-top restaurant, it's very casual, catering to your 'eating mood', no real hard & fast rules. The focus in the kitchen is all about using the best ingredients and not standing in the way of those ingredients; straight forward, unadulterated beauty.

Entrance


Salumi Plate


Cheese Plate
Coach Triple Cream, Goat, NY
Gorgonzola Dolce, Cow, LOM
Taleggio, Cow, LOM


Condiments For Cheese
Preserved Apricot, Truffle Honey and Marinated Cherries


RIGATONI CON SAUSAGE & ESCAROLE
Garlic, Escarole, Sweet Italian Sausage


SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
Pancetta, Scallions, Black Pepper, Egg


PENNE PUTTANESCA
Anchovies, Capers, Olives, Chiles, Roasted Tomato


BLACK & WHITE
Milk Chocolate Chip Gelato, Hazelnut Brittle, Creme Fraiche Gelato, Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Crema


OTTO TIRAMISU
Zabaglione Crema

Tuna Crudo

After eating and cooking much tuna you get tired of every dish following the same familiar path...soy, ginger, wasabi, etc. So, with that thought in mind we began some work to part ways with tradition. The road less travel provides new scenery and fresh perspectives.

TUNA CRUDO
Fennel pollen, Hiwa Kai Hawaiian black lava salt, fennel salad, artichoke chips, preserved lemon oil.