Steve
12-21-2005, 04:19 PM
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Picasso
Work of Art: The menu at Picasso is a winning balance of old and new.
By Heidi Knapp Rinella
There are many reasons why the restaurant business is a precarious proposition, and here's just one: The tightrope-level balancing act between continually presenting something new and novel and providing just enough signature dishes for those who crave the old favorites.
A top-notch chef once told me he's had customers who in 20 years have never eaten the same dish in his restaurant. That's truly laudable; there's nothing like making a repeat visit and feeling like, as Yogi Berra said, it's deja vu all over again. But what about those of us sufficiently impressed with something that we'd like to give it another go?
The challenge grows when a restaurant's menu is by definition somewhat limited, as is the case at Picasso. Picasso offers two basic options -- the four-course tasting menu ($90), which offers a number of choices for its various courses, and the more directed five-course degustation menu ($100).
Scanning the tasting menu, I saw a number of chef Julian Serrano's old favorites, and I was somewhat disappointed because I was in the mood for new and novel. No problem: The degustation menu delivered quite nicely. And since my husband was in an uncharacteristically old favorites mood, we both were satisfied -- quite, as it turned out.
First, there'd be a lagniappe -- little cups of white-asparagus vichyssoise accompanied by a crisply fried won ton topped with smoked salmon and a sprinkling of oscetra caviar. It was a nice combination of flavors (as well as a combination of old and new), and a good start. Then, on to the main act.
For me: a Jonah crab salad with apple champagne vinaigrette, the description of which omitted such astoundingly complementary details as the pink peppercorns and tiny balls of melon that accompanied it.
And almond-crusted sauteed foie gras with lemon pound cake and confit of cherries -- not a combination of textures and flavors I'd imagine, but then I'm not Julian Serrano. It was spectacular.
And a large sea scallop -- the simple searing of which belied the deft hand required to caramelize the surface so perfectly -- with green asparagus and oh-so-ethereal Hollandaise mousseline.
And a center-cut fillet of swordfish -- not a cut commonly seen -- with a light herbed court bouillon treatment that put the fish at center stage.
For him: Serrano's classic warm-quail salad, in which the little birds are quickly sauteed with artichokes and pine nuts.
And the chef's signature boudin, or sausage, of lobster, shrimp and scallops, moist and delicate and just right with the tomato coulis that accompanied it.
And a tenderloin of veal with curried Israeli couscous that was so delicious in its mellow complexity that I kept swiping forkfuls from his plate. ("Oh, look! There's the fountain show again!" "Look! There's another Picasso!")
We decided to split a dessert. I'll never understand why people complain about too-small course sizes; we were about to burst when the after-dinner lagniappe of perfect little confections arrived. Maybe it was all the bread we'd eaten -- crackly-crusted French, black olive, and raisin-walnut.
The wine list pleased, as well. I generally think that a list with only high-end bottles shows a lack of imagination on the part of the wine director, but that wasn't the case here. Yes, there were plenty of expense-account French and California offerings, but we paged back to the New World list and found a 2002 Cape Mentelle Shiraz ($52) from the Margaret River region of Australia and were quite impressed.
Quite impressed, as well, with Picasso, which I last reviewed in 2000. Serrano isn't relying on all the awards he's racked up, but continues to stretch. And more importantly, he strikes a winning balance of the old and the new.
reviewjournal.com -- Neon - RESTAURANT REVIEW: Picasso
Work of Art: The menu at Picasso is a winning balance of old and new.
By Heidi Knapp Rinella
There are many reasons why the restaurant business is a precarious proposition, and here's just one: The tightrope-level balancing act between continually presenting something new and novel and providing just enough signature dishes for those who crave the old favorites.
A top-notch chef once told me he's had customers who in 20 years have never eaten the same dish in his restaurant. That's truly laudable; there's nothing like making a repeat visit and feeling like, as Yogi Berra said, it's deja vu all over again. But what about those of us sufficiently impressed with something that we'd like to give it another go?
The challenge grows when a restaurant's menu is by definition somewhat limited, as is the case at Picasso. Picasso offers two basic options -- the four-course tasting menu ($90), which offers a number of choices for its various courses, and the more directed five-course degustation menu ($100).
Scanning the tasting menu, I saw a number of chef Julian Serrano's old favorites, and I was somewhat disappointed because I was in the mood for new and novel. No problem: The degustation menu delivered quite nicely. And since my husband was in an uncharacteristically old favorites mood, we both were satisfied -- quite, as it turned out.
First, there'd be a lagniappe -- little cups of white-asparagus vichyssoise accompanied by a crisply fried won ton topped with smoked salmon and a sprinkling of oscetra caviar. It was a nice combination of flavors (as well as a combination of old and new), and a good start. Then, on to the main act.
For me: a Jonah crab salad with apple champagne vinaigrette, the description of which omitted such astoundingly complementary details as the pink peppercorns and tiny balls of melon that accompanied it.
And almond-crusted sauteed foie gras with lemon pound cake and confit of cherries -- not a combination of textures and flavors I'd imagine, but then I'm not Julian Serrano. It was spectacular.
And a large sea scallop -- the simple searing of which belied the deft hand required to caramelize the surface so perfectly -- with green asparagus and oh-so-ethereal Hollandaise mousseline.
And a center-cut fillet of swordfish -- not a cut commonly seen -- with a light herbed court bouillon treatment that put the fish at center stage.
For him: Serrano's classic warm-quail salad, in which the little birds are quickly sauteed with artichokes and pine nuts.
And the chef's signature boudin, or sausage, of lobster, shrimp and scallops, moist and delicate and just right with the tomato coulis that accompanied it.
And a tenderloin of veal with curried Israeli couscous that was so delicious in its mellow complexity that I kept swiping forkfuls from his plate. ("Oh, look! There's the fountain show again!" "Look! There's another Picasso!")
We decided to split a dessert. I'll never understand why people complain about too-small course sizes; we were about to burst when the after-dinner lagniappe of perfect little confections arrived. Maybe it was all the bread we'd eaten -- crackly-crusted French, black olive, and raisin-walnut.
The wine list pleased, as well. I generally think that a list with only high-end bottles shows a lack of imagination on the part of the wine director, but that wasn't the case here. Yes, there were plenty of expense-account French and California offerings, but we paged back to the New World list and found a 2002 Cape Mentelle Shiraz ($52) from the Margaret River region of Australia and were quite impressed.
Quite impressed, as well, with Picasso, which I last reviewed in 2000. Serrano isn't relying on all the awards he's racked up, but continues to stretch. And more importantly, he strikes a winning balance of the old and the new.
reviewjournal.com -- Neon - RESTAURANT REVIEW: Picasso