The Pass

     Last night I had the pleasure of attending the anniversary dinner of acclaimed The Pass & Provisions, run by chefs, Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan.  The menu: a delightful mix of popular dishes from top restaurants in New York, London, and Houston that the chefs previously worked at.  I was surprised to see most of the dishes were entree-sized which made me thankful we were warned to pace ourselves and not to devour everything that came our way.   

     Here's a clip from Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants in America feature to give you an idea of the experience.  Yes, entering The Pass is like being led into a secret elite club via a hidden side door. 


     My friend and I were greeted upon arrival with a starter of small bites, which included The Bistro Bethem (roasted garlic/cambazola/pickled onion), Trumbull Kitchen (rock shrimp fritters), and C-House (mini fish tacos with sashimi inside).

     

     After all the guests arrived, Seth and Terrence proceeded with an introduction of each of the courses and the restaurant that it came from.  The chefs then went to work carefully preparing each guest's plate with a delicate hand. 

AQUAVIT: foie gras ganache/duck sausage/apple

     My favorite dish of the night. It felt like I was starting my meal off with dessert.  The foi gras ganache tasted like a vanilla molten lava cake which oozed heaven once you broke into it, complemented by a juicy piece of sausage.  Now that's my kind of comfort food.

AUREOLE: scallop sandwich/citrus buerre blanc

     My friend's favorite dish. Jumbo scallops covered with what I can best describe as shoestring hash browns. ALTO: wild mushroom polenta/truffle/parmesan
     I love truffles, and I love wild mushroom.  I really thought I would like this dish off the bat, but the parmesan made it a bit too rich and salty for my blood. THE MODERN: chorizo crusted cod/white beans/sherry vinegar jus
     I was really glad this came after the overpowering polenta.  The mild fish and creamy white beans made flavorful by the crusty chorizo were quite delicious.  Yes, I also ate the flowers and stems which gave the dish a "fresh from the garden" feel.
GORDON RAMSEY THE LONDON HOTEL: lobster ravioli
     This was our least favorite dish.  It tasted exactly like what you would expect from a lobster ravioli except it was rubbery.  VIAJANTE: celery root/cheese from Spain/hazelnut
      A nice breather from all the heavy food.  A unique taste explosion in a small package.
FIAMMA: a variation of beef carpachio with mushrooms/parmesan/tofu/quail egg
     The raw beef was tough and the mushrooms were a bit salty.  I did, however, enjoy my tasty morsel of a quail egg. AUGUST: lamb belly/tzasiki/black sesame
     The main meal ended with a rustic fall-off-the-bone lamb with the smokey flavoring of sesame seeds.  This dish felt somewhat out of place, but I can't say no to lamb. JUST AUGUST PROJECT: corn chiffon/sour cream ice cream/berries/brown butter
     I really wish I had eaten at the Just August Project, a one-month pop-up eatery at  Just Dinner.  The creative creations looked fabulous and right up my "open to anything" alley.  Thankfully, Seth and Terrence brought back one of the desserts for this dinner.  With just the right amount of sweetness and a unique blend of ingredients, this was my second favorite dish of the night.  Now where can I find dehydrated corn to sprinkle on all my dishes?

    Although I suppose I didn't get to try what The Pass & Provisions was all about food-wise, I did feel like I was able to partake in 9 different restaurant experiences, all of which probably shaped/influenced who the chefs are today.  For sure, I can say last night's dinner has been one my of most unique experiences besides eating in the kitchen of Audubon's Insectarium.  With this teaser out of the way, I can now look forward to seeing what each restaurant concept has to offer.