Meet 48 Nights, the guerilla brainchild of restaurateurs Chris Jeffers, Chris Zielke, and Tim Byres. Sure, there have been plenty of one-night stand restaurants in London and New York, but never has there been an opportunity to establish a make-shift restaurant for six months. The recipe is simple: take a fully-equipped, vacant restaurant space set for demolition, recruit some of Dallas's top chefs, and voila, a pop-up cafe is served.
I was lucky enough to enjoy this week's event featuring Wolfgang Puck's 560 Chef Sara Johannes. {This is the point in the article where I offer mad props to Internet Cooking Boyfriend for treating me to this nouveau experience.} The menu was certainly promising: Korean Beef Shortribs with Soy-Tamarind Glaze and Kimchi, King Crab Avocado "Ravioli", Peking Style Lacquered Quail with Black Cherry Compote and Dumplings, and a Chocolate Souffle Tart with Tangerine Gelato.
However, there were two concerns about this gastronomic adventure that had me nervously twisting my napkin. First, the table arrangements are family style. Awesome for a group of friends. Awkward for a couple like me and ICB. Luckily, I ran into an old co-worker of mine who was nice enough to let us dine with her and her delightful dining companions. My second, and more serious, concern was the timed seating. Rarely does anything served at a banquet or seated wedding ever live up to its full potential. Regardless of the venue or the chef, serving a large crowd at the same time proposes a timing and preparation challenge. I wondered how Sara and her team would fare under the circumstances, with a foreign and outdated kitchen adding two more variables to the mix.
The amuse-bouche, the Korean shortribs, were a bit tough, which is more than likely a result of an unfamiliar oven or warming tray. However, the soy-tamarind glaze was perfectly balanced between savory and sweet. Soy and tamarind can be quite strong in their own right, and the slightest imbalance could result in a sauce that is either too salty or too strong. {I find that too much tamarind is the equivalent of a punch to the sinuses.} The kimchi that accompanied the ribs were very delicately pickled, further complimenting the sweetness of the glaze.
For the starter, we were served a ravioli in quotations. In other words, thinly sliced ravioli were draped over some King Crab to act as the pasta. The sweetness of the crab and the avocado were simple and certainly pleasing, however, the flavor that came from the accompanying red curry vinaigrette was like a wet towel snapping the palette - in a voluntary and naughty sort of way.
The quail - oh the quail. As soon as I saw that crispy, crackly skin, I wanted to dive face forward into my plate and sink my teeth in. Out of courtesy for my dining companions, I restrained myself. However, we all agreed that the sweet, tender meat would be much better enjoyed by using our hands. This was particularly advantageous for taking my drumsticks and dredging them through the tart black cherry compote, which had a slightly dark profile. {I suspect Sara may have used soy or hoisin sauce to cut some of the sweetness.} What I was most enamored of were the dumplings. In fact, I was so distracted by the thick and spongy texture that I fail to recall what was stuffed inside them. {This may be revisionist history, but I'm going to say it was minced pork.}
Unfortunately, I think the dessert may have fallen victim to the curse of timed seating. My guess is these were either in the oven or warming drawer too long as the Chocolate Souffle Tarts were dry. Not even the delicious tangerine gelato could compensate for the missing moisture, and all I could think of was how badly I wanted to hose my dessert in creme Anglaise.
What I have failed to mention, which is perhaps the sweetest item on 48 Nights' menu, is its purpose is purely philanthropic. To date, the trio have achieved their goal of raising $1,000 each night for local charities. That's not just bon appetite, that's bon karma.
Tickets are still available for late seatings in May. For tickets or more information, just visit http://www.48nights.com/. Just tell them the Internet Cooking Princess sent ya.
I was lucky enough to enjoy this week's event featuring Wolfgang Puck's 560 Chef Sara Johannes. {This is the point in the article where I offer mad props to Internet Cooking Boyfriend for treating me to this nouveau experience.} The menu was certainly promising: Korean Beef Shortribs with Soy-Tamarind Glaze and Kimchi, King Crab Avocado "Ravioli", Peking Style Lacquered Quail with Black Cherry Compote and Dumplings, and a Chocolate Souffle Tart with Tangerine Gelato.
However, there were two concerns about this gastronomic adventure that had me nervously twisting my napkin. First, the table arrangements are family style. Awesome for a group of friends. Awkward for a couple like me and ICB. Luckily, I ran into an old co-worker of mine who was nice enough to let us dine with her and her delightful dining companions. My second, and more serious, concern was the timed seating. Rarely does anything served at a banquet or seated wedding ever live up to its full potential. Regardless of the venue or the chef, serving a large crowd at the same time proposes a timing and preparation challenge. I wondered how Sara and her team would fare under the circumstances, with a foreign and outdated kitchen adding two more variables to the mix.
The amuse-bouche, the Korean shortribs, were a bit tough, which is more than likely a result of an unfamiliar oven or warming tray. However, the soy-tamarind glaze was perfectly balanced between savory and sweet. Soy and tamarind can be quite strong in their own right, and the slightest imbalance could result in a sauce that is either too salty or too strong. {I find that too much tamarind is the equivalent of a punch to the sinuses.} The kimchi that accompanied the ribs were very delicately pickled, further complimenting the sweetness of the glaze.
For the starter, we were served a ravioli in quotations. In other words, thinly sliced ravioli were draped over some King Crab to act as the pasta. The sweetness of the crab and the avocado were simple and certainly pleasing, however, the flavor that came from the accompanying red curry vinaigrette was like a wet towel snapping the palette - in a voluntary and naughty sort of way.
The quail - oh the quail. As soon as I saw that crispy, crackly skin, I wanted to dive face forward into my plate and sink my teeth in. Out of courtesy for my dining companions, I restrained myself. However, we all agreed that the sweet, tender meat would be much better enjoyed by using our hands. This was particularly advantageous for taking my drumsticks and dredging them through the tart black cherry compote, which had a slightly dark profile. {I suspect Sara may have used soy or hoisin sauce to cut some of the sweetness.} What I was most enamored of were the dumplings. In fact, I was so distracted by the thick and spongy texture that I fail to recall what was stuffed inside them. {This may be revisionist history, but I'm going to say it was minced pork.}
Unfortunately, I think the dessert may have fallen victim to the curse of timed seating. My guess is these were either in the oven or warming drawer too long as the Chocolate Souffle Tarts were dry. Not even the delicious tangerine gelato could compensate for the missing moisture, and all I could think of was how badly I wanted to hose my dessert in creme Anglaise.
What I have failed to mention, which is perhaps the sweetest item on 48 Nights' menu, is its purpose is purely philanthropic. To date, the trio have achieved their goal of raising $1,000 each night for local charities. That's not just bon appetite, that's bon karma.
Tickets are still available for late seatings in May. For tickets or more information, just visit http://www.48nights.com/. Just tell them the Internet Cooking Princess sent ya.
(c). 48 Nights
3 comments: