Day 125, 070709

This isn't really part of Task 15, but I'm going to add it as part of the preamble to that task. Partially because, well, it was an outstanding meal in lovely company, but also because this place really ought to have a Michelin star, and it's astounding that it doesn't.

Last Friday we went for dinner at Anthony's (arranged by our good friend Tom, and I can't thank him enough).

I'm still wondering how to write this up, though. The photos of the food are in a flickr set, but they don't do it justice.



Basically: the food was stunning. Delicious, beautifully presented, never quite what you were expecting... surprising food. I decided to forego my vege/pescetarianism and just take whatever food looked great, so I went for a soft-shelled crab starter (fascinating, very tasty, with a slightly coleslaw-based addition that was still tasty and microherbs), monkfish with tomato, chili and chorizo tapioca, and a banana cake with incredibly tasty chocolate ice cream and - this was odd - a mozarella veloute. There were amuse-geules (a duck confit with foam that tasted like Wotsits) and pre desserts (odd quince pear/pistacio/pea thing that was almost certainly supposed to be a pun) as well, and a cheeseboard containing many tasty fermented milk products. S had an onion risotto that was a work of beauty - it tasted like great french onion soup, only as a risotto.

Deconstructing everything would take quite some time, and as I wasn't taking notes during dinner - how rude would that have been? - I think I'll save it until the next time we go. Yes, it was good enough to warrant a return visit. This trip out has made me wonder precisely how nifty a Michelin restaurant needs to be (although, given most of the starred restaurants outside France are in capital cities, perhaps "proximity to an airport" is one of the criteria). Looking forwards to completing this task, just to find out.