Executive Chef Thomas Dunklin was hired by B&O American Brasserie in December 2010 and I was invited to try his debut menu! I think you will love it. The dishes are fresh, inventive, seasonal and FABULOUSLY delicious. I can’t wait to show you!
Oh, and by the way, Dan took all these pictures, just in case you thought my photography skills suddenly blossomed :)
Bread & Butter Basket
First off, they now bake their own bread and serve it with whipped butter and sea salt. Lovely start to the anticipated meal :)
DRINKS
My Morning Dew drink, made with gin, St. Germaine and lime juice (and other stuff ahahahah) tasted exactly like a cucumber, a cold and incredibly fresh cucumber! I loved it and imagined myself sipping it while sitting on a porch in mid-summer.
Dan tried the Hobo’s Cola & Bourbon ($9) made with Bulleit bourbon and housemade cola. He loved it – and he’s a bourbon and coke guy, so this was a big stamp of approval :)
Dan tried the Hobo’s Cola & Bourbon ($9) made with Bulleit bourbon and housemade cola. He loved it – and he’s a bourbon and coke guy, so this was a big stamp of approval :)
RAW MENU ITEMS
Ahi Tuna Crudo
Ahi Tuna Crudo ($12) – Ahi Tuna with citrus sponge, puffed rice, cucumber and cilantro. This dish had a wonderful citrus flavor, and I loved the crunch (and idea) of the puffed rice with the soft fish. The texture of the dish was incredible.
Hamachi Tartare
CHARCUTERIE MENU ITEMS
Duck Breast Pastrami
Duck Breast Pastrami ($10) – Served with rye toast, candied turnip and fig puree. Absolutely incredible. Duck pastrami, you say? Yes!!! Try it! And with the fig puree, this was amazing!!!! I made little open faced sandwiches and was in heaven.
Besides, it had me at Fig Puree.
Trio of House Made Sausages (L-R: Chicken Kielbasa, Duck Chorizo, Lamb Andouille)
Trio of House Made Sausages ($11) – Duck chorizo, lamb andouille and chicken kielbasa. The chicken kielbasa was served with pickled cabbage on the bottom. Yum. The duck chorizo was served in this corn dog coating, which was delicious and spicy!!! The lamb was also spicy, but with a great flavor and I loved the addition of the cranberry (?) jam. Oh wow, order this if you LOVE sausage - you will love all the different flavors!!!!
SMALL PLATES MENU ITEMS
Roasted Beet Carpaccio
Roasted Beet Carpaccio ($8) – Goat cheese, avocado pistachio and meyer lemon oil. It was so delicate and light, especially with the flavors of the meyer lemon oil and soft goat cheese. The pistachios gave it a good crunch!
Slow Roasted Pork Belly
Slow Roasted Pork Belly ($10) – Served with saffron potato, pearl onion, chorizo, serrano chili glaze. WOW. The belly was crispy, meaty and salty. Dan said it tasted like a gigantic piece of bacon and he wanted a second plate!! I loved the potatoes and chorizo, and surprising bits of pineapple. LOVED this.
Butter Poached Oysters and Chickpea Spaghetti with Quail Egg
Butter Poached Oysters ($10) - Served on chickpea spaghetti with sea urchin and quail egg. This definitely wasn't a small plate by any means! Personally I am not a fan of oysters (yes, yes, I know, I am ridiculous), so this wasn't a favorite of mine, but I have to say that the chickpea spaghetti in the creamy sauce was great!!! It was light, yet filling. I couldn't believe it was made out of chickpeas - how adventurous!
Brick Oven Roasted Prawns with Chive Biscuits
Brick Oven Roasted Prawns ($11) - Ginger BBQ sauce, green onion sausage and chive biscuits on the side. Look at that gorgeous presentation!!! The roasted prawns were gingery and savory, and the sausage was a perfect complement. Excellent flavor all around! And sopping up the juices with the chive biscuits was yummmmm!!!! I loved this dish.
MAIN MENU ITEMS
Chickpea Fritters
Chickpea Fritters ($18) - Harissa yogurt, fava beans, pearl onions, greens. Mama, did you make this? The chickpea fritters are dense and chewy and have a lovely fennel spice to it. It's a great vegetarian option, though I do think it's a little too expensive for what it is and would be better as a Small Plate. 
Diver Sea Scallops
Diver Sea Scallops ($26) - Crab "fried" rice, radish, caramelized onion oil, crispy ginger and squid ink. There was some SERIOUS crab meat in that fried rice. At some points I couldn't even tell if there was any rice! Wow. The scallops were perfectly seared - soft in the middle and crispy on top. The squid ink.....well...it scared me. But once again, cool presentation!
Veal Short Rib with Grits
Veal Short Rib ($26) - Grits, asparagus, olives, veal tomato sauce. This was a hearty entree, perfect for those cool spring nights. The short ribs themselves had a much different flavor than regular short ribs I've had before. I loved the crunchy asparagus mixed with the creamy grits and salty olives.
DESSERT MENU ITEMS
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake ($8) - Toasted meringue, graham cracker and raspberry caramel. This dense, rich chocolate cake was so moist!!! The toasted meringue tasted like marshmallows! Served with the graham cracker, I felt like I was eating SMORES!!!!! LOOOOOOVEDDDD this!!!!!! So satisfying, even after eating a million bajillion things before it!
Lemon Thyme Creme Brulee
Lemon Thyme Creme Brulee ($7) - Dehydrated blueberries and molasses shortbread. I loved this citrus take on creme brulee! Though the dehydrated blueberries or the shortbread didn't do much for me, I loved the creamy lightness of this dish. What a lovely ending to an incredible meal.
So there you have it. I can't even begin to tell you how impressed Dan and I were with our meal at B&O American Brasserie. Chef Dunklin is clearly a perfect match for this restaurant, and I think we are going to see so many amazing things from him as he continues his career here!!!!!
So there you have it. I can't even begin to tell you how impressed Dan and I were with our meal at B&O American Brasserie. Chef Dunklin is clearly a perfect match for this restaurant, and I think we are going to see so many amazing things from him as he continues his career here!!!!!
DISCLAIMER: Though this was a free tasting, I was not asked to write a positive review and felt no inclination to write anything which did not reflect my true opinion of B&O American Brasserie.
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1 comment:
After two bites, we doggie-bagged the entrees and enjoyed them the next night! So much food, but so good!
Dan takes great photos. I think you need to hire him. :)
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