After the late Biggy Smalls, Jay-Z is undoubtedly the greatest rapper of all time. However, he clearly made a mistake with one of his catchphrases. Jay-Z popularized the saying, "All black everything," but he forgot to issue a disclaimer: that definitely should not apply to pancakes.
 |
| Black and white pancake |
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/david-burkes-pastrami-salmon-potato-pancakes-16295908 . What drew me to the social, however, was the black and white pancake. I have a long history with black and white cookies, from trips to the local Italian bake shop with my Mom when I was little to the giant ones served in my college dining hall that I had every Sunday for brunch. When I heard about the concept applied to a pancake, I knew I had to try it!
As I entered Kitchen, it seemed like I had just climbed into the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse at Disneyworld. The restaurant is located in SoHo, in the downstairs of the James Hotel. Wooden beams lend structure to the "loft-like space." Plaid linen tablecloths adorn the tables, reminiscent of an elegant picnic. A beautiful bar and central counters break up the space, making it feel even more intimate.
David Burke is the master of playful cuisine and whimsy took hold as soon as we sat down at the table. We received "everything popovers" that literally looked like trees, an appropriate choice given the ambiance. The waitress set down an adorable plate of condiments for us to use. There were two glass dishes of marmalades, butter over a block of Himalayan sea salt, and a tiny squeeze bottle of ketchup. We also got to try some other pastries baked fresh on premises for brunch, which include various croissants and muffins.
 |
| Everything popover |
 |
| Cute condiments! |
My friend and I toasted our first meet-up in over two years (our friendship dates back to college) with the delicious Burke cocktail known as the Habitual Happiness. I first tried it at Fishtail back in May and have dreamed of it since; you may remember an effusive rave about it in my blog post. It is an effervescent flute of St. Germain, Cointreau, and sparkling wine with an edible hibiscus flower. It is the perfect, light, cocktail to start off a brunch.
 |
| Habitual Happiness |
We then got to try two appetizers: Maple Bacon Dates and Pastrami Salmon lollipops. The maple bacon dates can be found on the regular brunch menu. The presentation alone makes them memorable. A grape with a thin breaded coating and a bacon wrapped date come on a small bamboo skewer, so that it resembles a cornhusk doll. They didn't just look pretty though- they tasted amazing! The bacon had a hint of maple syrup, and there was a touch of peanut butter between the bacon and date. In one bite, I experienced the ideal ratio of sweet and savory. The Pastrami Salmon lollipops, too, proved incredible. Pastrami Salmon is a Burke specialty and exists in several forms. It is a personal favorite, and I blogged about it in my past post as well. If you love it as much as me, you might be interested in trying it at home. The recipe appears on David Burke's website: http://www.davidburke.com/recipes.php?id=18
 |
| Maple bacon dates |
 |
| Pastrami salmon lollipops |
Finally the moment I had been waiting for... black and white pancake nirvana!! The delivery of our plates was a show in and of itself. The servers wheeled them out an a cart to our table, fitting in with the cozy barn-like atmosphere. I have an enormous sweet-tooth and am rarely daunted by a sweet, but my first thought was "this is big!" It was beautifully thick, standing about an inch off the plate. The world "pancake" hardly does it justice, as it is far from flat. Unlike a black and white cookie that derives its color from a top layer of icing, the black and white nature of the pancake goes the whole way through. It starts off as a chocolate batter on one half and moves into the regular batter on the other side. As a result, it is much like a marble cake on the inside along the line where there two halves meet. I loved it!! The chocolate could have been overwhelmingly rich, but it wasn't at all. The light texture kept it from feeling heavy and the semi-sweet taste of the chocolate kept it from getting too saccharine. I finished the entire thing... and enjoyed every last bite!
The only outstanding question I have is where exactly the vanilla fondant comes in. The menu says that the pancake includes it, but I didn't see it... or at least in the way I know fondant. My understanding of fondant is that that it a rolled layer often used as an alternative to frosting or icing. I know that it's also possible to have a "chocolate fondant cake," that is analogous to a lava cake. I wonder if the "vanilla fondant" was somehow baked in, as is did seem particularly flavorful at some points in the lighter half. Any fondant experts or pancake social attendees able to solve the query?
**Since posting, I have learned that those especially moist bites were vanilla fondant baked in, as one would find in the chocolate fondant cake! Exciting!!!**
**Since posting, I have learned that those especially moist bites were vanilla fondant baked in, as one would find in the chocolate fondant cake! Exciting!!!**
 |
| Teqila mockingbird |
My friend ordered the steak with egg scramble, another addition to the pancake social menu. Not only did she declare it delicious, but at $15 it was an amazing value. It even came with a side of homefries! While I'm on the topic of the homefries, I have to tell you that David Burke's homefries are not to be missed!!! Although the name sounds ordinary, they are far from typical. Burke makes his with actual small roasted potato wedges with the skin still on and multicolored bell peppers. They even came in a cute little skillet dish when I ordered them on the side. We ended our luscious meal with a final round of cocktails. Although I love the habitual happiness, I am also an adventurer who wants to sample as many items as possible. I switched it up and went for the cleverly named Tequlia Mockingbird. (I'm an English teacher, so I figure if my students ask I can say that I participated in literary activity over break. Actually, that's the book we're reading now!) It contains don julio blanco, st germain, grapefruit, and basil syrup. My friend ordered a "bloody mary," and the waitress and I laughed asking her, "Which one?" The menu offers three creative versions of the bloody mary. She chose the classic although all looked divine. (When I go back I want to try the apple bloody mary!)
 |
| Bloody Mary |
Before departing, we got to chat a personality that might be familiar: Zac Young from Top Chef Just Desserts! He has been working for David Burke since June, and is in the restaurant almost every day. As a Top Chef superfan and an ardent supporter of Team Go Diva, this was so much fun!! Zac is just as clever, fun, and personable as he appeared on the show :). He laughingly told us about his addiction to the monkey bread, which I will have to try when I go back! He also signed my coveted Top Chef jacket, and was the first signee to notice that my embroidered name reads Emmalicious. And for the record, he noticed instantaneously! If you're reading, you're awesome, Zac!
After months of dreaming about the black and white pancake, it finally became a delicious reality! But don't take my word for it; make it your new year's resolution to get more (pancake) social at David Burke's Kitchen on Saturday morning!
David Burke Kitchen at the James Hotel
23 Grand Street
Soho, NY 10013
 |
| Black and white pancake... all done! :) |
