Forage: A Surprising Fine Dining Gem in Salt Lake City (Utah)
I never knew Salt Lake City to be a fine dining destination, but my last visit to Forage was an eye opener. Chef Bowman Brown's tasting menu at Forage is worthy to be compared to the best tasting menus in New York or other major metropolitan cities, and at a fraction of the price! The food and presentation reminded me a bit of my experience at Willows Inn.
We got the wine pairing and started dinner with a glass of Gruet Brut, followed by the first course:
apple and evergreen
Bread with goat's milk butter, both really good (even if it doesn't compare to Willows Inn's chicken drippings to go with bread).
Potatoes cooked in oak leaves, garlic scapes
Kohlrabi and fresh trout roe, horseradish, chestnut shavings, dill
Paired with 2013 K Viognier
Warm sheep's milk curd and preserved tomato water, puffed rice
The dish doesn't look like much but it was one of my favorites, that silky curd in the wonderful broth of tomato water. The flavors are pure and simple, ones that warm your soul.
Caramelized sunchoke and fermented pear, pear puree
Paired with 2013 Zepaltas Sauvignon Blanc (CA)
Aged elk tartar (marinated in thyme oil), pickled shallots on pumpernickel crisp, sumac powder
Excellent bite - fragile pumpernickel crisp combined with the earthy and meaty elk.
Smoked trout with broccoli and puffed buckwheat, shaved broccoli, broccoli puree
Paired with 2013 Morgadio Albarino from Spain
Perfectly soft trout with a nice, light smokiness!
carrot and walnut (roasted and dehydrated carrot, roasted walnut crumble)
Cabbage and duck sausage, quail and duck broth, crispy prosciutto, crispy duck skin, pickled ground cherry
Pairing: 2011 Neil Ellis Pinotage (South Africa)
OK, so I'm partial to a good broth (but none of that "bone broth" nonsense). This was another great dish with strongly flavored sausage paired with a clean broth and the sourness from the cherries that cleanse your palate.
Crispy sturgeon with horseradish, Meyer lemon cream, leek
Like cracklings, with fish. The lemon cream is hidden underneath.
Roasted leeks and snake river sturgeon, buttermilk whey, leek oil
Duck egg pierogi, whipped cream with chive oil, smoked maple syrup
Paired with 2013 Tiefen Brunner Pinot Grigio
Yes, it's a pierogi filled with duck egg, you can see the yolk here which was almost runny. It's meant to be dipped in the whipped cream.
Grilled lamb rack with mushrooms and preserved beans, parsley puree, garlic brine foam
Pairing: 2012 Road 31 Pinot Noir
The local lamb was very lean, but flavorful and meaty.
Moving on to desserts, starting with the lighter one: Preserved berries with candied beet and lavender panna cotta, spruce shoots, black pear granita
Lightly sweet, a touch of lavender and spruce aromas, a great palate cleanser.
Steamed pumpkin custard and toasted elm seed, candied pumpkin, currants, milk with vanilla , elm seed
The desserts were paired with a 2009 Iron Gate late harvest Zinfandel from Cedar City, UT.
To finish: Chocolate stones with acorn coating
The whole tasting menu costs $89 which is a steal compared to other, more metropolitan cities for the quality and inventiveness of the food we got. The wine pairing is an additional $65. Forage is a must-dine in Salt Lake City! It was certainly the best meal we had while we were in town.
Forage
370 E 900 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 708-7834
http://www.foragerestaurant.com/
1 comments:
I was a chef at forage, just so you are aware the chicken drippings at willows inn was a dish inspired by forage. The sous chef at willows inn worked at forage. He I'm sure inspired them to do it. Why do I know this because I was there when bomen invented the chicken and brown butter emulsion for bread. You must have gone at a time when bomen didn't do it.
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