Dinner at Aureole NYC

One of the great benefits of working on the line as a cook is all the Chefs you befriend. Fortunately for us, my friend Steve is now a Sous at Aureole in Times Square. And, although trekking to 42nd and Broadway for dinner sounds like something only a tourist would do, we were all pleasantly surprised by Aureole's ambiance.

The restaurant design is modern and the front bar room is open and airy. It's the perfect juxtaposition after fighting the touristy crowds outside. Once you enter the restaurant, you can't help but exhale a sigh of relief.

Before we even glanced at the menu, our server presented glasses of bubbly for the entire table. (Complements of Chef Steve!) As I sipped from the crystal clear flute, I looked up at the wine vault. Perched overhead the bar room, it looked like a sci-fi tunnel – something you'd see on Battlestar Galactica or Star Trek. Each wine sat in its own nook – aging gracefully – as if it were displayed in a trophy case.

The vault set the tone for our evening, because the rest of the meal was a real winner!

Amuse bouche – tomato centers with marscapone ice cream and micro basil

Beef carpaccio served with wasabi powder, fried mushrooms, tortilla and lotus chips

Foie gras terrine with toasted baguette slices (not pictured)

 Chef Steve's creation: a delicious pork dish. 
This is the fall version of Steve's extremely popular pork sensation. The summer version was so beautiful that they featured it on Charlie Palmer's website! The concord grape puree and delicate pork is a winning combination... especially for Daniel – since it's his favorite fruit!

Cod served with a deconstructed paella featuring chorizo and squid bits

Beef with compound butter and fingerling potatoes

Poached pineapple slices with coconut panna cotta and pineapple granita 

Raspberry and basil dessert. Such an interesting – albeit beautiful – combination!