I'm embarrassed that this has taken SO long to post. Next has already moved onto its next menu and here I am, 2 months behind! Where does all the time go? But for those of you who are still interested in reliving the moment or seeing what you missed out on, I'll (try to) keep this short and sweet and let your mouth do the watering.
We did the chef's table for 6 on a Saturday evening at 6 PM. What a fantastic night! Did I think it was worth the hype? Absolutely! Did I think it was worth the money? No regrets! Overall, we could not have been pleased more as we enjoyed 6 1/2 hours of superb food and execution, non-stuffy service, and lots of laughter and camaraderie all around. I would recommend to anyone wanting to go to Next to experience the chef's table if you can get tickets. Unfortunately, we could not score them for Tour of Thailand but are still certainly looking forward to our "next" encounter on September 25th!
Hors d’Oeuvres
From top to bottom:
-Poached quail egg with anchovy
-Smoked salmon mousse
-Foie gras torchon
-Rabbit pate
-Pork rillette
-Mushroom and leek
Oeufs Bénédictine
-Cod and truffle custard (one of my favorites)
Caviare
- Uruguaya caviar with blinis, crème fraîche, lemon zest, and chives. AMAZING (and I’ve never been a huge caviar fan)!
Potage à la Tortue Claire (no picture)
-Turtle consommé
Puree Palentine
-Cream of hazelnut soup with Jerusalem artichokes
The weakest dish of the night; I did not care for this one. The flavors did not meld together well for me.
Fillet de Sole Daumont
-Sole and crawfish
Similar to a savory seafood crème brulee
Suprêmes de Poisson
-Chicken cutlets; with poached cucumber
Carre d’agneau
-Seared lamb loin, sweatbreads, and onion rings
Caneton Rouennais à la Presse
-The antique duck press! It squeezes the remnant duck bones, meat, and skin out which then gets simmered and made into a fantastic au jus for the duck meat. Performed tableside by executive chef Dave Beran.
Gratin de Pommes de Terre à la Dauphinoise
-Potato au gratin
Salade Irma
-Palette cleanser. Light and flavorful.
Sorbet Sauternes
Bombe Ceylan
-Chocolate Bomb
Souffle au Chocolat
-Translate to English. Served with rum soaked cherries.
Mignardises
-Beet gelée, salted caramal, nougat
The wine highlight for me was the 2003 Domaine de Montbourgeau Savagnin l’Etoile. This is not a wine for everyone. By far the most unique white I’ve ever tasted. Almost a cross between a chardonnay and sherry. I was absolutely stoked to recently find it again on a menu at Eleven Madison Park in New York City (the sommelier was quick to point out that they carry the 2002 however).
Overall rating: 4 stars / 4
Next Restaurant
West Loop
Cost: $$$$
http://www.nextrestaurant.com (will only operate using Safari, Google Chrome, or Firefox)
