A Cinderella Story, Per Se

Going to Per Se http://perseny.com/ feels like being Cinderella at the ball.  For one night (or day if you happen to go for lunch) you get to put your cares on hold and be pampered, dress in your finest fairy inspired ball gown and slip into drink upon drink from beautiful glass vessels.  It’s a dream come true for anyone fortunate enough to experience Thomas Keller’s reinterpretation of a glamorous New York evening, and is made so much more fun by the company you keep.

Brian and I went with our friends Randy and Edgar to celebrate.  We were celebrating not only the recent success of Axis Theatre’s show, East 10^th Street, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but also the release of the new film Gentlemen Broncos, where Edgar plays an evil scientist. 


http://www.axiscompany.org/index2.php
http://content.foxsearchlight.com/videos/node/4035

If you happen to know Edgar, this role would seem a stretch from his gentle, sensitive nature, but there is a dark streak flowing through him…as in all of us.  Recently he has played roles such as an evil genius, an evil scientist and an evil Christmas elf for an upcoming Target commercial.  I’m not really sure if the elf is evil or not, but sometimes they can be a tad creepy.  I can’t wait to see that!  Edgar is an excellent storyteller and not malicious at all.  We heard tales ranging from a recent trip to Italy to see his sister, Helen, to Greek inspired myths of Poseidon, Athena and the creation of the olive tree, http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/athena.html 

Unfortunately, because of recent acting roles, he has to play the part of the dastardly stepmother in our Cinderella fable.

Randy, on the other hand, would be our Fairy Godmother.  She is always so generous and kind, arriving just when you need her most.  Having spent the day at the Yankees parade, she regaled us with slightly horrific stories of how the crowd behaved.  I was so happy the Yankees won the World Series, but when the fans start drinking at 10:00am and are unleashed on the streets of New York, all bets are off.  The Yankee win was another great reason to celebrate.

Brian and I were just happy to be along for the ride.  I suppose we are both Cinderella in this story, though sometimes I have the attitude of a wicked stepsister.  We were toasting nothing in particular, other than the success of the theatre and our friends.  Sometimes that’ s the best kind of celebration.  And, when you are asked to come to dinner at Per Se, that’s reason enough to cheer. 

We donned our suits, slicked back our hair and arrived at Columbus Circle promptly at 5:45pm.  It was a cool November evening, which beckoned for a warming meal around a lit candle in the presence of friends.  A modern take on the old Western campfire, the candle expects you to be forthcoming for a few hours, sharing food, laughter and friendship, which is exactly what we did.

I think for some, fine dining can be intimidating.  The classic adage about not knowing what fork to use really doesn’t apply in this instance.  They always bring you the right utensil with each course.  What I love about Per Se, and have loved the few times I’ve been, is the unpretentiousness of it all.  I’m sure some of that has to do with the attitude you bring to the table.  The wait-staff are formal, but more than happy to smile at a joke or give you a knowing glance about something or other, indicating they are “real” people too.  When we go out for an elaborate meal such as this, our hope is for a fun time with great food, and that is exactly what we got.

The meal lasted about 4 hours, featuring 9 courses plus a couple of extras thrown in here and there.  The portions are just perfect, spread out with casual precision and paired with wines or sparkling ciders as a suitable accompaniment.  I opted for the vegetarian offering this particular evening, though the non-vegetarian is also wonderful.  If you are going to eat meat, this is definitely a good place to do it.  The presentation is really what makes the meal.  Each dish is carefully composed, meticulously considered and distilled onto a plate that could be framed and hung in MOMA.  It seems criminal at times to eat the food, but that’s when the true magic happens.  The flavor combinations exploding on the tongue are unlike any other.  Thomas Keller is a genius and is deserved of his fame.  The concept behind each dish, the components chosen, shows a true artist’s thinking with an analytical mind to back it up.  I know I’m no restaurant critic, but this @#$@#$ is good!!!

I won’t take the time to go through the whole meal, but offer a selection of highlights I really enjoyed and manage to fall somewhat into the dessert pastry realm.  Capturing these images by the light of one candle was not easy, but certainly sets the mood.

Greenmarket Carrot "Pudding":  Sweet Carrot Salad, Young Onions, Candied Walnuts and Pea Tendrils with madras Curry Vinaigrette

Kabocha Squash Beignets:  Asian Pear, Watercress Leaves and Whipped Forest Honey with Cardamom-Scented Yogurt

Mascarpone-Enriched Garnet Yam "Agnolotti":  Chestnut Confit, Granny Smith Apples, Crispy Sage and Toasted Oats with Apple Cider-Brown Butter Emulsion  (amazing!)

"Stilton":  Compressed Belgian Endive, Northstar Sour Cherries, Pecans, "Balsamico al Ciliegio" and Field Mizuna with Tellicherry Pepper "Aigre-Doux" (yes, I know it's cheese, but sometimes cheese is the best dessert of all.)

Caramel Banana Sorbet:  Banana Bread, Plumped Raisins and Sweetened Salty Macadamia Nuts with Verjus "Sabayon"

Pineapple Quince Tart:  Cider Poached Quince, Almond "Frangipane", Quince Jam and Cider Jelly with Diane St. Clair's Buttermilk-Thyme Sherbet  (It's starting at me!!!)

"Mignardises" and Cappuccino 

In this fairy tale, the conclusion is one of great joy at being alive to experience such a feast.  Maybe I am Cinderella after all, we lose the wicked stepsisters all together, Brian gets to the be Prince Charming and Randy and Edgar hang onto their previously assigned roles (but maybe Edgar gets to be the nice Stepmother).  We walked away into the New York City night, invigorated, and happy to have had such a glorious evening together.  In the morning I wake.   Looking around, I’m not sure if it was all just a dream, but there, lying on the kitchen counter are the carefully wrapped take home pastries.  No, it wasn’t a dream.

I think I’m pretty lucky.  It’s just who I am.

Addendum:  I feel like I should contribute in some way to this posting.  I mean, Thomas Keller and his staff can’t do all the work, right?  Going through some of my previous pastry excursions I came upon this photo.  It is an image of petifores we made in pastry class.  The small bites represented here loosely fit in with the idea of the small bites presented at Per Se.  After last night, I realize I need to work on my plating skills a bit more.  There is always more to learn.