After a few months, I thought it would be a good time for a second visit to Alo. This time, I made a reservation for the Chef’s Counter, so I would be assured of getting the tasting menu. Given the potential I saw on my first visit, I was very much looking forward to the pivotal second visit. The cocktail menu was the same.
I was given a nice seat at the corner closest to the main part of the dining room. From that perch, the dining room seemed much smaller than it did on my prior visit. I had a great view of the kitchen and could see a lot of the work going into preparing the dishes.
The photo on the right is of the chef, Patrick Kriss.
After looking at the wine list and talking with them a little about my likes and the upcoming meal, I decided on trying the Pinot Gris. It was a good choice for the dinner. While I was working on the wine, they brought the first snack, which was almost the same as before: Potato soufflé (puffs) with a black cherry aioli this time (it was black pepper aioli on the prior visit).
Next up was a pair of oyster presentations: buttermilk-battered fried beach angel oyster with fermented chili and cold New Brunswick Lamèque oyster with nasturtium. The fried oyster had a stronger oyster flavor, but it also had the slight pepper kick at the end.
The next course paired up beef tendon in the form of a chip topped with foie gras and beef tartare. This was a nice combination of saltiness and creaminess, as well as texture contrasts.
For the full write-up, click here.
Adventures in Molecular Cuisine 