Birthday dinner at the hot, new restaurant in town. I found out about
The Catbird Seat in a monthly newsletter I get via email,
Nashville Bearings. Yea, it says it's for "guys." What can I say? I find a lot of goodies in there--Catbird Seat being one of them. I made reservations for my birthday dinner as soon as I read about it and another one for when my brother Jim comes down for Thanksgiving. Oy. After last night, I think I may just be ready to eat again by then, but not much sooner! Oooof.
The hub and I love to go to The Patterson House for delicious libations. The bartenders are absolutely amazing and know their stuff. Below is the story on how the name came about and why it feels more like a speakeasy than a bar. Love it!
How delightful that the two-brother owners expanded to the upstairs of the old house and developed the Catbird Seat restaurant. One brother Ben, greeted us when we arrived. I was sooooo excited to finally be here!
We were first brought small "Oreos." But were they Oreos? Of course not, sillies. They were porcini mushrooms with parmesan cheese/cream. Wow. Just sit back and enjoy the show!
Jane, the "beverage extraordinaire" as they call her, paired this lovely aperitif of sherry and chartreuse (carbonated) and served it in this little vintage-looking glass with the "snacks." Absolutely lovely. And, YUM. I've never had chartreuse before, but it has always been one of my favorite colors. (grin)
A delightful little radish with seaweed butter.
Chef Josh pouring our chestnut soup over a mix of goodies--chantrelle mushrooms, carrots, granola, hibiscus leaves . . . need I say more?
Jane serving a wonderful champagne, Marc Hebrart MV Brut. Yummy.
A poached egg yolk, caviar (my first ever) with white onion/bacon emulsion, fried chicken shaving, chervil and shallot gels. Mix it all together and wow, you have an explosion of texture and taste.
A scallop on a schmear of avocado puree, with coconut powder, kiwi, and melon for me. (I can't eat fish, only shellfish--go figure.)
And the same only made with cod for the others.
Double-sided-skin duck with an autumn roll consisting of brussel sprouts and spaghetti squash with a dollop of butternut puree. Soooooo good!
Wagu beef from Montana with a sweet potato fingerling, farmers cheese, black truffle, nasturtium leaf and forest mushroom conserva. You can poke me with a fork, I'm done.
Oh dear, Delice de Bourgogne cheese with parsley gel, apricot puree droplets and shitake mushrooms, maybe fried. I could only get a bite in, I was, by then, over riched. Ouchy.
Desert? Oh deary me. But how could I not? Good thing I didn't finish the cheese dish above, although it was oh-so-good.
Your beverage pairing is lifted to find the chocolately desert. (Sorry, I don't remember what the dark beverage was. I don't drink enough beer or wine to know what I'm looking for on the menu!)
Mmmm, all I know is dark chocolate with pistachio crisp. Flavolicious! I had already od'd by now.
The sweets' chef brought out more! My head was spinning by then, and all I can say is burnt oak ice cream? Cherry crisp? Bourbon gel "dots?" Wowie zowie. Oh so good.
More???? Now these were soft, home-made Oreos.
And then to end it all, some peanut butter nougat. Shoot me now.
Brother Ben soon woke us from our food coma to present menus of the evening's gastric orgy. I count 12 dishes above. Gawd.
I can't even begin to tell you how utterly amazing the evening was. Good friends, good drink, good food? Doesn't get any better. Hats off to the new Catbird Seat! Bravo.
