Vanbrosia: Bishop's

April 4, 2014

Carpaccio of BC Octopus w potato, sprout salad, lemon & chive dressing - 2+

J's comment > octopus not tough in the least and see-through thin; paper thin crisps done perfectly; flavor of octopus slightly lost though under the dressing

Duck pate w marmalade puree - 2+

J's comment > really smooth pate; puree just the right amt to counter balance of richness

Assiette of Pitt Meados beef w pomme puree, carrots, red wine sauce (half portion) - 2

J's comment > not bad; very well cooked, but nothing that stood out particularly, this was actually a trio of beef: the beef tenderloin was cooked as requested; technique for the beef cheek wrapped in the collard green was flawless; fried sweetbread had a cartilage-y texture to it and wasn't as gross as I thought it'd be; FYI I don't think the kitchen will actually do a half portion, but as we were sharing between two people, the staff was nice to do this for us

Foraged Nettle Veloute w brioche croutons, pickled shallots, smoked salmon (half portion) - 2

J's comment > not bad; full-bodied without relying on cream; smoked salmon really strong though, and totally overpowers the nettle which is quite subtle; you can taste just the slightest bit of numbness from the nettle; croutons stayed firm for quite a while (another feat); FYI I don't think the kitchen will actually do a half portion, but as we were sharing between two people, the staff was nice to do this for us

Squash & pecan poppers - 2

J's comment > not bad; wrapper batter crisp but not crispy; deep fried really well; pecan really faint under the squash though

Little wing oyster - 2

J's comment > not bad; fresh, but no Summer Breeze

Complimentary bread & butter

Dill cornbread - 2+

Spelt - 2

J's comment > not quite the Irish soda bread from my last visit that I expected but I was informed that Bishop's changes its bread offering quite often

Coffee panna cotta - 2

J's comment > not bad; coffee flavor really prominent in the panna cotta; rosemary crisp an excellent balance to the creamy panna cotta, but texture of panna cotta itself a tad on the stiff side

Apple Maple Mille Feuille w hazelnut crumb, apple butter, red wind apple sorbet - 2

J's comment > really strong apple flavors; mille feuille pastry sheets kinda like pie crust texture, which while I do like, wasn't quite what I expected from a mille feuille (this BTW means 'thousand leaves', so I was expecting something a lot more flaky)

Thyme Orange Negroski: Thyme & blood orange peel infused vodka sweet vermouth, campari, soda & citrus - 2+

J's comment > blood orange chip was completely crisp, even the pulpy part, very well done; drink itself was also very well blended - tasty despite its bitters