Tasting Menu
Scallop (jalapeño and yuzu), Morel Mushroom (ricotta and leek), Serrano Ham (jasper hill blue cheese and quince): these were small bites served together at the bar. I’m still developing my taste for raw seafood, but the scallop was good (I also ate another serving of scallop since my companion was uninterested). The other two were phenomenal and set the stage with high expectations for the rest of the meal. The ham on a bread stick was especially impressive considering I had essentially the same thing as an appetizer at a one-star restaurant a week ago. While the other version was tasty, Oriole elevated this small course far far beyond its quaint, cheap Italian-American appetizer origins.
Foie Gras (fraises des bois and anise hyssop): served at a standing table, looking into the kitchen. This is the favorite course of many, and I understand why. The best foie gras course I’ve had? Maybe. The tiny wild strawberries are a genius topping, and, although I couldn’t really taste them against the intense flavor of the rest of the dish, the Dippin’ Dots were a whimsical inclusion.
Golden Kaluga Caviar (snap pea and pistachio): not mentioned on the menu was a side of Japanese-milk-bread-inspired bread with a cute dollop of butter. This was my second least favorite course of the night (the peas and pistachios didn’t do much for me), but the presentation was beautiful, and it was one of their more untraditional dishes. Included pistachio-flavored foam.
Blue Prawn (virginia ham and Thai herbs): I did not detect the ham at all. But this was a great shrimp dish, maybe just slightly too fishy for my taste. Probably the least visually interesting dish of the night.
Beet (sake lees and sea buckthorn): this was an uphill battle for both my companion and me. We both greatly dislike beets. Ultimately my least favorite course, but I was impressed that I was able to even eat 75% of it. They really transformed the taste of the beet. But not quite far enough for us. I picked out the sea buckthorn though, and enjoyed that. Like uncooked rice. You start to chew it and it initially tastes like you’re chewing bark, but the middle and after taste is quite good.
Sea Urchin (furikake and egg): super heavy, the only course that I really liked that I would have been fine having a bit less of. The highlight was the stuff underneath the urchin. Reminded me of grits.
Fjord Trout (smoked roe and cabbage): absolutely incredible. Everything working in harmony. This is some of the highest quality fish I’ve ever had. Favorite course along with the foie gras.
Capellini (truffle and yeast): incredibly rich. The pasta itself isn’t anything new, but the sauce is fantastic, and the presentation was mind boggling. They somehow had the pasta all wrapped up in this tight diamond-shaped cocoon. You stick your fork in, and it just comes apart immediately. So delicate.
Squab (asparagus and ramp): this was the best course that I felt was like things I’ve had before. Very similar to how most restaurants prepare duck or steak. It was like very fatty duck. Obviously immaculate preparation.
Rosemary (lemon and olive oil): I’d heard that the desserts at Oriole didn’t live up to the rest of the tasting menu, but I didn’t really find that to be the case. The desserts didn’t have any extremely strong standouts like the sea urchin or foie gras, but they were all very solid. This icy treat was a good way to wind down the night.
Chocolate (lapsang souchong and black currant): pretty plating, but it sort of led me to not get a proper bite at first. I stuck my spoon in and got a mouthful of chocolate. Certainly not a bad time, but at first, I wondered why this course tasted so plain. Then I went in for another spoonful and managed to get all the other ingredients on the spoon. The rest of the course was delicious. This course might have leaned more toward form over function, or maybe I’m just incompetent with a spoon (very likely the latter).
Mignardises (canelé and tartelette): the last two bites, presented together after they moved us to a place near the exit (one of the comfiest chairs I’ve ever sat in). The tartelette was topped with the same wild strawberries as the foie gras, creating a subtle full-circle experience for the tasting menu. And then the canelé, the least attractive but tastiest dessert of the night, topped things off.
Spirit-free Pairing
Ochre (saffron, wild osmanthus petals, lemon)
Rosé (berry-fennel verjus, spiced chamomile)
Effervescent (Japanese sakura blossom, lemon zest)
Woodsy (coriander seed, black lime, indian tonic)
Violet (seedlip spice, crystallized violet, ice wine vinegar)
Tangy (carrot, orange, sumac): my second favorite.
Whisked (schizuoka matcha, calamansi, black mustard seed)
Malty (nutmeg, chrysanthemum, banana)
Mistral (tart cherry, green peppercorn, violet sugar)
Inky (cassis, chicory fooibos chai, yuzu olive oil): my favorite.
FOH service was incredible. I think they’re really trying for that third star. I get up to go to the bathroom, come back, and my napkin is delicately folded on the table with a server appearing behind my chair ready to pull it out for me. They knew an answer to every question asked (except for the artist of a painting that had just been installed in the dinning room; of course he knew the name of the artist of all the other paintings). They were obviously watching us like hawks, but you never felt it, and they kept things moving along, but we never felt hurried. The pacing of courses was perfect. Felt like an hour had gone by, but by the end, we left three hours after we had arrived. Also, and this might seem silly but it isn’t to me, they had the best music curation of any restaurant I’ve ever been to. Playlist was basically snatched off of my Qobuz account. Disintegration played when we sat waiting for our table (we arrived early) and more from The Cure later. Then they played a ton of The Smiths. And then Cocteau Twins. And then ended the night with Dance Yrself Clean. The sound level was perfect—I could lightly groove to the music but also easily hold a conversation with my companion.