5-Day Birthday Dining Extravaganza! (Part 2): betony (Closed)

When we were putting together my birthday dining itinerary, we were shocked to realize that we hadn’t been to betony since last Thanksgiving! How could that be?! Well, there were mitigating circumstances which I won’t go into here. In any case, it was imperative to rectify that state of affairs ASAP! Ergo, we went to betony on Friday evening for the first of our celebratory dinners.

Upon our arrival, we were immediately shown to “our” table, and G.M. Eamon Rockey quickly came by to welcome us back. After we chatted with him for a while, he asked what kind of beverages we’d like to start with. I requested lemonade (it was house made, of course!) while Michael asked him for a cocktail suggestion. In reply to Eamon’s question about liquor preference, Michael said rye and was very pleased with this cocktail dubbed Flannel Tea.

We’d looked at the menu on betony’s website, decided to do the four-course prix-fixe, and knew which dishes appealed to us. Checking the printed menu, we noted it accurately comported with the one on-line. I did inquire about the differences between the hot and cold foie gras since there are never any hints on the menu.

We missed seeing Executive Chef Bryce Shuman who was off that evening having some well-deserved time with his family; however, Chef de Cuisine Jack Logue took extraordinarily good care of us! After coming out to greet us, he came out not once but twice during the meal to personally serve us two complimentary courses! Plus, at the end of the meal, there was an extra dessert! Can you come up with a better definition for “extraordinarily good care”? I didn’t think so.

This nosh is the first thing that always arrives.

Crisps

There is always an amuse, followed by a parade of hors d’oeuvres and bread service.

Amuse: Tea

Scallion, Roe

Beets, Nuts

Spicy Carrot Roll

Black Trumpet Mushroom Chip

Matcha Marshmallow

House Made Roll

For the main meal, Michael decided to have just one glass of wine.

My First Course:

Heirloom Radishes, Buttermilk, Caraway

Michael’s First Course:

‘Nduja, Celery, Ciabatta

Complimentary Course No. 1:

Millet

My Second Course:

Foie Gras Marinated in Calvados, Apples

Michael’s Second Course:

Squid Noodles, Fluke, Seaweed

Complimentary Course No. 2:

White Truffles, Miatake Mushrooms, Mushroom Broth

We both had the same main course:

Poached Sea Bass, Onion, Watercress

Pre-Dessert:

Pomegranate and Coconut

My Dessert:

Celery, Figs, Burrata

Michael’s Dessert:

Vanilla, Coconut, Burrata

Complimentary Dessert:

Grapes, Cinnamon, Buckwheat

To describe every dish as perfectly prepared and delicious is to state the obvious. I do have to be honest and admit that because I don’t like tea, I didn’t care for the amuse. But a minor detail to be sure. I must mention that during our absence, Mina Pizarro was hired to fill the position of Executive Pastry Chef which became vacant when Rebecca Isbell left. However, Mina was hardly new to us as we’d enjoyed her desserts at Veritas, SHO Shaun Hergatt, and Juni (all of them now closed).

This experience is indicative of why we always love dining at betony. It truly deserves its reputation as one of the city’s best restaurants.

To view the entire photo set of this dinner on my Flickr, click here.

Tags: betony, Birthday, Dining Out