Black Cat: Happy Fathers Day!!!

Happy fathers day!!!!

Greek yogurt pudding with levage gelee, pistachios and mint

House smoked salmon with farm greens, pistachios, and citron aioli

Foie gras torchon with black truffle, english peas, shaved daikon, and tat soi

Hazel Del mushroom dumpling with kombu broth and braised cabbage

Colorado striped bass with quinoa tabouleh, crispy lardo, and thyme beurre blanc

Colorado leg of lamb with gremolata, merguez, goat cheese polenta and sauteed fennel

Key lime panna cotta with rhubarb gelee, chocolate pudding, candied citrus peel and kiwi

Flourless chocolate cake with champagne poached apricots, vanilla chantilly, and apricot napoleon

Happy Fathers Day! It is fathers day and I decided to take my dad out to the Black Cat, his favorite restaurant in our town of Boulder. Black Cat is a farm to table restaurant, every thing comes from there farm. They change the menu every day based on the food they get from the farm. First we got an amuse bouch, Greek yogurt pudding with levage gelee, pistachios and mint. The pudding on the bottom was creamy and velvety. It had tints of sweetness but still maintained its tart yogurt flavor. The thin layer of gelee on top was flavored with an herb called levage. The herb gelee and the slivers of mint in the top made the dish very herbaceous and fresh. Over all it was one of the best amuse bouches I have ever had. Next we had House smoked salmon with farm greens, pistachios, and citron aioli. The greens on the plate were super fresh and they tasted fresh. The smoked salmon was... you know smoked salmon how can you go wrong with it. The aioli added a very nice burst of acidity which really rounded out the entire dish. Our next starter was Foie gras torchon with black truffle, english peas, shaved daikon, and tat soi. The foie gras had fresh black truffle grated over the top. The foie gras was creamy and very delectable. I could have eaten six of them. The vegetables were all great elements that cut through the richness of the foie. Our finale starter was a Hazel Del mushroom dumpling with kombu broth and braised cabbage. This dish was a very good choice. Sitting atop a mound of tender cabbage and flavorful kombu broth was a delecate Dumpling filled with earthy sauteed local mushrooms. When you broke the fragile dumpling skin the broth just engulfed everything creating harmony and an amazing dish. Now on to main dishes, the first offering was Colorado striped bass with quinoa tabouleh, crispy lardo, and thyme beurre blanc. This dish was very nice. The bass was cooked perfectly and the flesh was very tender but I wanted the skin to be crisper. The lardo was crispy on the outside and then melt in your mouth. The beurre blanc added nice fat but the real star was the quinoa. It was amazing. It was nutty and had herb flavors and a very nice touch of acidity. It reminded me of the wheat berries I had at The Pinyon only it was a bit better. Next we had Colorado leg of lamb with gremolata, merguez, goat cheese polenta and sauteed fennel. The lamb leg was super tender, perfectly cooked and the gremolata added a great amount of flavor. The merguez was very good. It had lots of great spice in it. The polenta was creamy, silky and just plane amazing. Both entrees were served with roasted farm vegetables. But enough about savory food, lets go to dessert. The first dessert was Key lime panna cotta with rhubarb gelee, chocolate pudding, candied citrus peel and kiwi. The panna cotta itself was very creamy. A good panna cotta is, when it is set, supposed to wobble like a woman's breast, this one was well made. The only thing is that I wish it had been more limey. All the elements around were great. Next was Flourless chocolate cake with champagne poached apricots, vanilla chantilly, and apricot napoleon. This dessert I could have eaten ten of. The cake was moist and very rich. The richness was cut the acidic apricots poached in champagne. The best part of the dish was an apricot napoleon with almonds. It was amazing. Over all this was a fantastic meal. Great Job Black Cat!!!