Dining by Design: Fishtail by David Burke, Part II

Chef David Burke and me

The Bible says that "God made man in his image."  Although I'm not a religious person, I couldn't help but think of this during a recent dinner at David Burke's Fishtail in New York City.  I have blogged about Burke's food before; it embodies whimsy, fancy, and creativity.  It's a little bit crazy.  And it turns out, exactly like the chef himself!

On Tuesday August 7, I had the pleasure of meeting Chef David Burke at the end of an amazing dinner.  He proved jovial, humorous, engaging, and genuine.  In the few minutes he stopped at my table, we managed to swap battle stories from cooking in small, apartment-sized kitchens.  His tip?  If you run out of oven space and need to keep food warm, just heat up the dishwasher and shove the food inside.  He graciously answered my questions about the single most influential dish I've ever experienced, a dessert that actually made me laugh out loud, called "Coffee on the Park Bench."  It literally took the form of a park scene complete with a detailed chocolate brownie bench, a white chocolate truffle lampost, and a gravel path of cocoa nibs.  "How did you get the wood grain on the bench?  The end of a toothpick?" I marvelled.  "No, a pastry comb," he chuckled.  "We actually swept it over the chocolate and let it dry.  You have a good eye though!"  While some chef's mantain a highly professional, collected exterior, Chef David Burke was fun and personal... just like the food he crafts!

Dinner itself was exceptional.  Fishtail has been participating in New York City's restaurant week, a biannual event in which upscale restaurants offer three course prix fixe menus for reduced rates.  Diners can order inclusive lunches and dinners for $24.07 or $35, respectively.  When I went, the promotion was underway, and my family and I revelled in the opportunity to taste many wonderful dishes without the high price tag.

Baked oyster amuse bouche

As we sat down, the servers presented us with an amuse bouche: a baked oyster.  It looked deceptively like a traditional baked oyster with breadcrumbs and cheese on top, but it was merely an illusion.  The richness and texture came from spinach.  The salt in the oyster provided a natural condiment for the greens, weaving a perfectly balanced morsel.

For my first course, I selected the calamari salad.  I made my choice once I learned that the calamari was subtley marinated and simply cooked- not fried to oblivion and disguised as it is in many establishments.  There were generous amounts of small calamari ringlets along with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, grapefruit, and delicate slivers of almond.  A yuzu vinaigrette provided a slightly sweet, citrusy finish.  The whole thing came chilled, incredibly refreshing on such a humid summer night. 

Cracker crusted crabcake

My mother also struck the culinary jackpot with her appetizer: the cracker crusted crabcake.  It is a restaurant week rift on the "pretzel-crusted crabcake," which appears on the regular menu and that I blogged about previously.  While the menu staple incorporates pretzel rods assembled over lump crab meat, this appetizer had actual Ritz crackers sandwiching the seafood... so clever!  The salt already present in the cracker seasoned the crab nicely.  My mom found it slightly difficult to eat (should she cut into the cracker?  Knock the little sandwich over?  Pick it up?) but the inventive presentation was worth the momentary confusion, and perhaps even part of its charm.  (She ultimately cut into the cracker and went from there).

There were six entrees to choose from on the restaurant week menu, a wide range compared to most other participants in the promotion.  Most restaurants average around 3 options.  Although everything looked delectable, the salmon called out to me.  The dish was a generous portion of perfectly cooked salmon seared with spices, which I guessed to be a combination of cumin, salt, pepper, and perhaps brown sugar.  The fish sat atop bright green peas with small chunks of cantelope and a few crisp crumbs of smoked ham hock.  Classic combinations- peas and ham, melon and pork- united with salmon and brought together to form one complete, hollistic plate.

Salmon with sweet peas, melon, and ham hock

I firmly believe in dessert, and one thing I love about restaurant week is that it is included.  I enjoyed David Burke's interpretation of a "strawberry shortcake."  Admittedly it was small, the biscuit was slightly larger than a quarter, and my sweet tooth would have preferred something slightly larger.  However, it proved to be delicious.  Small shreds of phyllo gave it a slight crunch and a few dabs of chantilly cream on the plate provided richness.  Although the dessert usually comed with strawberry ice cream, I had a peach sorbet that enhanced the sweet fruity notes of the strawberries.

For those of you who think you missed the August 10 restaurant week deadline at Fishtail... fear not!  David Burke restaurants have extended the offer from Sunday-Friday for both lunch and dinner until Friday September 3!  It's definitely worth it... the food is exceptional and the witty plates will bring a smile to your face!

Fishtail
135 East 62nd Street
(Park & Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10065
Phone: 212-754-1300
http://www.fishtaildb.com/