I think I just need to not go to Sezmu again. I am so stuffed, it’s almost painful. But the food is so good! Tonight it was just the two of us. We got to sit next to the window, which was nice. I was sitting right on top of the heater, which was really nice considering how easily I get cold.
My first drink was the Harvestini. I’m not too big on the martini scene, but I’m a big sucker for “Fall” flavors. This drink consisted of pumpkin, apple and cinnamon flavors. Unfortunately the nightly drink specials aren’t on the web site (even though the menu changes very regularly, if not every day). Ralph had the Thai Chili-tini which is unusual but delicious. I couldn’t drink a full one on my own though. There are flavors you find in many Thai dishes, including lemon grass, I think, as well as a little chili that gives a decent bite to it. Ralph had two and really enjoyed them.
Warm bread was served, as well as a courtesy sample of a spring roll taste in lime-basil sauce. This tasted probably better than a full spring roll you’d get at a vietnamese restaurant. I was sad that it was just a bite.
Ralph ordered the Chef’s Choice 4-course meal. His first course was a pear and crab neapolitan with a vinaigrette-like sauce, served cold. This was refreshing and light. The second course was monkfish cheek (a.k.a. “poor man’s lobster” according to the server, Lissa. I’d choose this over lobster any day.) with a light sauce (I think it was a pink pepper jus) and truffles. Third and main course was bison short rib with Hawaiian blue prawns. He was looking forward to his dessert, the cheese plate that he had before; three types of cheese, honeycomb and lavosh. He also ordered the recommended madeira port to go with it.
I decided to pick my courses, starting with the wild mushroom soup with a “beggar’s purse” consisting of carmelized onions, spinach and mushrooms. The soup was creamy and earthy. I put the beggar’s purse into the soup and the combination of textures worked very well together (forgive me as I try not to sound like a judge from Iron Chef. A loamy forest did NOT frolic in my mouth when I tasted this).
Second course was fuyu persimmons salad, red oak leaf and lambchopper cheese with tangerine vinaigrette. While very delicious, I think the description makes it sound more decadent than it was. The lambchopper cheese was interesting though. Reminded me of a swiss-mozzarella. Not too pungent of a Swiss, but not nearly as mild as a mozzarella. Around this time, I finished my Harvestini, so I decided to try the Green Fairy Mojo which is an absinthe drink with a lot of lime. You get the whole shebang, burning sugar cube and all. However, I couldn’t stomach more than a few sips as the over-whelming black licorice taste threatened to make me queazy. Ralph tried a second sip and said, “Oooh, it smells like a Good & Plenty.” :(
So with my third course, I had the server’s favorite drink, the Shiso-tini. This was a citrus-y drink; tangerine and grapefruit flavors were most prominant. My main dish was Atkins Ranch lamb shank, saffron couscous pearls, eggplant and pomegranate. The lamb was unbelievably delicious and I didn’t really need the knife they gave me as the meat was so tender. The eggplant was interesting because the center was scooped out, puréed and then put back in. Almost like baba ganoush, but mild and delicate with seasoning. I’m convinced now that the only couscous I ever need to buy will be the pearls. It’s just a nicer texture.
My dessert was the chocolate brioche bread pudding, accompanied by bananas with Banana Foster’s caramel sauce on it, a wedge of chocolate-covered toffee and a scoop of creamy ice cream. Yes, this all came as just one dessert. The bread pudding was a perfect texture for me. There weren’t large chunks of soaked bread, it was a truly creamy texture with a deep cocoa flavor. More cocoa-y than sweet, which lets you eat more than just a few bites before it becomes too rich or sweet.
I really should have stopped eating sooner than I did, but the offerings are too tempting and the atmosphere is just so pleasant. If I could just control my gorging when I go there…