by Steven Doyle
Recently I was an invited guest at a special dinner hosted by Knob Creek that was held at Boulevardier in Bishop Arts. Boulevardier is already one of my favorite Dallas restaurants, but this was a special menu that included two whole hogs, one which was actually broken down in front of the gathering by one chef Nathan Tate. Tate is a bounty of a man that easily and deftly handles the hog with precision accuracy. He used each part of the swine to create a splendid dinner that had diners chatting about it for days. Here is why.
The evening started with a flurry of passed appetizers and Knob Creek laced cocktails. Eddie Eakin had a full complement of bartenders staffed and ready to make the cocktails fly at a moments notice. Although we thoroughly enjoyed sipping the whiskey straight, it was particularly enjoyed in each of the four cocktails presented that evening. We started with a Brown Bomber which is made up of Cocchi Americano, Suze, and Five Spice Bitters. I am sure Eakin can recreate this cocktail for you should you ask. He is currently undertaking a 150 cocktail bible that will be enacted soon at the restaurant.
blood pudding croquette
The Brown Bomber was paired with a housemade head cheese made from smoked tenderloin, chicharron, tomatillo chow chow, and biter greens. I am told the head cheese included parts of the head, shank, trotter and tenderloin. So good.
The next cocktail was the Gold Rush made from Knob Creek Straight Bourbon, honey and Earl Grey. This was a stiff drink paired with the next course, a rotisserie porchetta served with a chestnut puree and Armagnac soaked prunes. This is what you should ask for when served your last meal.
head cheese
The next cocktail was called Sweater Weather. Isn’t Eakin cute with his names? He used Knob Creek’s Single Barrel Reserve along with cinnamon, clove and tobacco. This screamed holidays and matched well with the next course, Choucroute garnie kimchi. This was a delicious parsnip puree, toulouse garlic sausages, roasted loin, smoked ham, and crispy rillons. Truly a sexy plate.
porchetta
Choucroute garnie kimchi
The final course started with a Knob Creek Smoked Maple Whiskey flip. Slightly sweet, frothy and very seasonal that nipped the chill off our noses. More of the maple whiskey was used in the dessert which was a sticky toffee pudding accompanied by a pork crumble and topped with a bacon brittle, served with pecan ice cream. Pure decadence.
I might suggest that Nathan Tate add a few of these items to his regular Winter menu, especially that dessert. It is times such as these that I love my job. If you wish to attend dinners such as this in the future, you should definitely sign up to be a Brother of Bourbon.
Thank you Bev Garvin for the top photo of Nathan Tate breaking down the pig.
