Vena V.
Yelp
Get a reservation and eat here before Pilgrim gets Michelin stars and is impossible to get into.
My favorite food is the fusion between French food and Japanese food. This is exactly what Pilgrim does perfectly. Reminds me of Benu, in San Francisco - top quality and inventive.
The amuse bouche was a pea puree with some whole peas, chorizo, fromage blanc and horseradish.
The crab appetizer was served with small chunks of Granny smith apples, fennel mousse and a sprinkling of piment d'espelette, a savory Basque pepper that is our secret ingredient in our home cooking.
The daurade (fish) appetizer was served with nasturtium flowers, yellow beets, saffron gnocchi (saffron mochi), and yuzu fish sauce - out of this world. The saffron mochi in the yuzu fish sauce was divine. They used flakes of dried black olives to salt this dish.
The veal dish and the lamb dish with artichokes were both wonderful.
The cheese plate was outstanding, including both the cow and goat versions of Saint Felicien, my latest favorite soft cheese.
As good as the desserts were, the little desserts after the desserts were perfection, including a warm mini madeleine, a mini matcha macaroon, and the most perfect chocolate dessert I've had in ages.
The wine pairing was inventive and perfect throughout the meal, including a sake pairing for the cheese course.