My New York eating binge continues with Aureole, Charlie Palmer's fine dining establishment on Manhattan's Upper Eastside.. I went there with pretty high expectations, I'm a big fan of Charlie Palmer.. I respect his vision and I like his style. Being that this was during restaurant week, you can't still hold them to the same standards, can you? Yes you can, especially if 2 of the 3 people ordered off the regular menu! Let's see what happened...
Outside Aureole.
Heirloom Tomato Amuse
Lobster Tortellini
Chilled Sweet Pea Soup
East Coast Oyters on the Half Shell
The Amuse Bouche was a Consomme of Heirloom Tomatoes. It was nice, it wasn't spectacular but very decent. A true fan of tomatoes would have really enjoyed it. First Course I had the "Lobster Tortellini, infusion of fresh thyme and lemon grass", I'm sorry.. I did not pick up the "lobster" on this course and the infusion was so-so. It was beautifully presented, but it lacked a depth in flavor.
My partners in crime ordered the "Chilled Sweet Pea Soup, crab crisp, lemon & pepper cream, shaved radishes" and the "East Coast Oyters on the Half Shell, green apple and cucumber mignonette, wasabi tobikko". The pea soup.. as one of my favorite quotes from Iron Chef America goes, "There's much "Peaness" going on here.. which is nice" lol Joking aside, this soup's problem lied mainly in it's portion-size. There was too much of it and you get tired of it really quickly.
The East Coast Oyters on the Half Shell was good. The oysters were fresh tasting and the cucumber migonette left an interesting /refreshing finish. It's not how we usually do it down South but it's different and that's not always a bad thing, right? =)
Spiced Moulard Duck Breast
Roasted Amish Chicken
Seared Maine Sea Scallops
Main Courses... This was the "meat" of the Aureole experience! I had the "Spiced Moulard Duck Breast, confit and date "b'steeya", spicy honey, black cumin roasted carrots". The Duck, fruits and carrots were just perfect but the "egg roll" thing wasn't a big hit. I'm sure it was done to create contrast in texture.. it just didn't work for me.
The other 2 courses? "Roasted Amish Chicken, Scallion Risotto Sweet Garlic & Herb jus" and "Seared Maine Sea Scallops, crisp potato cake, Granny Smith apple brown butter". The chicken was tasty but it wasn't something I expected from Aureole, anywhere else it would have probably been gold! The Seared Scallops were deliciously juicy and very plump, it was practically bursting at the seams! One of the highlights of the meal..
Tasting of Chocolate Classics
Triple Chocolate Terrine
Creme Brulee Trio
The desserts were all very decadent and luscious! If you want variety, this is the way to go. A Tasting of Chocolate Classics, a Triple Chocolate Terrine, and a Creme Brulee Trio??? Whoa.. you think it's rude to ask for a cup of milk? lol The desserts more than made up for the lackluster first couse offerings. It was a bit much, but even after this late lunch followed with a cup of coffee... food coma still came out on top. We were unable to do anything else that afternoon.. lol
