Pierre--on a roll

Last night I had the pleasure of eating my way through Pierre's Showcase Chef dinner menu. It was an experience worth writing about:

First my fork foraged into the sweet potato hash (I naturally gravitate towards color). Warm, starchy orange-goodness filled my being. Dispersed throughout the mush were peices of red pepper. This added more color and texture (though no spice, as I was expecting).

Next my fork visited the neighboring pork tenderloin. I am not a huge meat eater and if I was ordering off a menu, my choice would not be pork. But I took a bite and everything changed. The meat was tender and aromatic, making me think of smokey bacon, fragrant honey and citus. The meat was graciously tender,wrapped in a magical cream sauce--also a bit smokey, also sweet and unmistakably buttery. The pork and its sauce were hands-down the best part of the meal.

Next I dove into a piece of white fish (Corvina) accompanied by grapefruit salsa. The fish was meaty, flakey, not overly fishy. The salsa added just enough zing and juice to each bite. While delicious, the fish had a hard act to follow. Beside the fish was a steamy mound of risotto which instantly read 'fennel' to me. It was a creamy, open, quiet-feeling risotto--not overwhelming heavy or seasoned with pungent garlic and strong cheeses (as so many risottos are).

I then plunged into the dark leafy greens-turned out to be kale cooked southern style (w/ vinegar making them so tangy and sweet!---yummy). And I popped a few deep fried breaded okra bits into my mouth (which instantly transported me to a country fair).

Lastly, to crown the cake, I nibbled (because by now I was quite full) a bit of chocolate-dipped shortbread served with poached pears, a distinct familiar but unidentifiable syrup and bleu cheese custard--an adventurous desert, for sure. In the end, I am very impressed with Pierre (nothing new). I find his food creative, diverse, fresh and fun. And I'm not the only one. Just as I was leaving, I heard a student approach Chef Pierre to say "This meal was incredible! Thank you!".