by Andrew Chalk
Check out Sēr any Friday night and stand witness to execuchef Anthony Van Camp crafting himself a reputation as something of an enfant terrible. Having established Sēr as a serious contender among steakhouses in this carnivorous town, he has turned the six-course tasting menu ($90, or $135 with wine pairings) into a seafood lover’s dream. I was an invited guest at a recent media event. Check out the dishes we had in the pictures below.
Wellfleet Oysters, sour cream fluid gel, sturgeon caviar
Dayboat Scallop ‘Ceviche’, Greek yogurt, lime, cilantro
Grilled Chilean Turbot, rice noodles, scallions, pork bely, “pho” stock
Mero Sea Bass, passion fruit risotto & noodles, Meyer lemon
Seared Atlantic Calamari, local grits, Spanish chorizo vinaigrette
Valdespino, Pedro Ximénez, “El Candado”, Sherry, Spain, NV
Also, I recommend the wine pairing option. Wine Director Russell Burkett has assembled an engaging, diverse, and unorthodox list of wines that spans from Argentine Torrontes (with the scallop ceviche), Franciacorta, a sparkling wine from Italy that is probably the closest Italian cousin to Champagne – the grape blend is very similar and the method of production is the same (with the oysters).
A Cabernet Franc from the under recognized area of Chinon (with calamari and chorizo) and, as a kind of pièce de résistance, a Pedro Ximénez from Spain that is a ‘molassian monster’ to accompany salmon ice cream. I counted two Rodney Dangerfield grapes there (Torrontes and Pedro Ximénez) and they both made good wines. Burkett’s decision to put them on the list shows what sommeliers call ‘grapes’.
The Friday tasting menu at Sēr runs for an indefinite time so reserve soon to avoid missing it.
Reblogged this on Proper_Pour.