The Seaport Food Lab
^ Fried chicken has no bad angles
20 years ago, in my parents’ wallets were candid pictures of my brother and I missing half of our teeth and wearing over-sized youth soccer shirts; fast forward to the present, and I’m over here like, “Look at this heavily filtered piece of short rib I ate 18 months ago. Want more? Here are seven slightly different angled pictures that time-lapse yolk cascading over the edge of a piece of bread.” But some meals are just so deeply moving that during life’s dark moments, the only reprieve is to immerse yourself in the solace of the image of a past eaten Emmy Burger, smothered in Emmy Sauce, Caramelized Onions and Grafton Cheese. Just click the link.
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Hosted in a bright yet industrial two-level storefront along the historic cobblestones of Front Street, the Seaport Food Lab began in June as a culinary experiment where highly celebrated chefs serve two-week residencies and showcase an innovativecoursed menu inspired by some region or neighborhood. Each guest chef collaborates with liquor partners to craft complimentary pairings and round out this unique and unpredictable dining experience.
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For our dinner, we were served with an inventive Asian-American fusion menu by popular Top Chef and well-know restaurateur, Dale Talde, most famous for his Park Slope spot Talde, with the recent resume additions of Massoni and The Heights.
Chef Talde intentionally made the meal family style because there is an inexcusable connection in passing a plate around, both sharing and experiencing the dish as a group. We were blessed to have a pretty eclectic crew at our table, as everyone possessed some degree of passion for food; but our unanimously agreed upon ringleader was Top Chef and very notable restaurateur, Katsuji Tanabe,the owner and brains behind Chicago’s Barrio and LA and NYC’s Mexikosher. He was, hands down, one of the most amusing and captivating people I’ve had the pleasure of dining with, shedding light into the fraternal world of the upper echelon of the culinary world and also what completely unabashed affection for food looks like. The conversation ranged from the morbid “What would your last meal be?” (mine: short ribs, sun-chokes and brussels sprouts; Katsuji’s: his mother’s cheese verde enchiladas), to “What’s the weirdest cut of pork you’ve eaten?” (mine: Pig’s Face; Katsuji’s: he’s eaten the entire animal so he said Fried Fallopian Tubes), then things just unraveled into some delicious anarchy that’s staying off this record.
So for the meal:
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Clearly because I’ve already put away all of my summer clothing and have only plaids and ponchos to choose from, the cocktail I picked was the “Fall into” – Lemon Infused Hornitos Reposado, Sweet Potato Puree, Honey Cinnamon, and Lemon Juice. It was essentially a fall margarita…and they say dreams don’t come true.
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1. Crispy Papaya and Watermelon Salad
^ one of the best dishes of the night, the watermelon was finished with hidden chilies that left a smokey after-burn. Also, Crispy Papayas are a wonderful adult excuse for Potato Stix.
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2. Coconut Bread with Chicken Liver Mouse
^ the most trusted opinion at the table, this was Katsuji’s favorite dish. The consistency was somewhere between Bread Pudding and Flan, yet was quite light due to a rice flour base
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3. Corned Beef Tongue, Sorghum-Soy Tare, Adabo Onions
^ they didn’t even try to hide the fact that it’s a tongue
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4. Lacquered Quail, Pork and Wood Ear Mushroom Sausage with Black Walnuts
^ lacquered…#rich way of saying “covered in fat”
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****There have been choices in my past that I’ve regretted in the morning and beef tongue was definitely bound to be one of them. But jjjjjesus…the Quail was arguably my favorite piece of the night. While extremely rich, as I probably now should take Drano® straight to my arteries, the complexity of flavors and game-like gusto made Thanksgiving dark meat look like a joke.
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5. Thai Fried Chicken, Peaches, Fried Dirty Rice
^the fried chicken was insane. So much so that I took leftovers, which are in my fridge right now. Asking for boxed leftovers in front of influential strangers is such a bold and savage move – but this is how deserved it was.
Reputation save: others asked for chicken leftovers too.
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**Not photographed because the plating wasn’t worthy/I was becoming annoying**
6. Steamed Branzino, Green Olive-Ginger Relish, Marcona Olives
^a seafood snob, I found the Branzino to be fantastic but to the point of Katsuji, it is extremely hard to ruin a mild white fish
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7. Tandoori Beef Rib, Gem Lettuces
^short ribs should be treated as a religious experience; these were damn good but didn’t melt in my mouth like they do in my dreams
^short ribs should be treated as a religious experience; these were damn good but didn’t melt in my mouth like they do in my dreams
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8. Clams, Morcilla Toast
^ I have a mystery shellfish allergy so eating clams is like playing Russian Roulette
^ I have a mystery shellfish allergy so eating clams is like playing Russian Roulette
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9. Brooklyn Blackout Cake
^I don’t like cake but have the dietary tendencies of a 5 year so I scraped the cake clean of frosting. And that was delicious. Katsuji kept giving Talde hell about this being a “great Costco cake”, which made us realize…Costco in fact makes great cake.
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You still have time to hit Chef Talde’s residency and, following him, the last resident of the season – if you’re on the fence, consider this a firm push off said-fence.