It was time to dine at the restaurant Butter owned by iron chef Alex Guarnaschelli in New York City. The atmosphere felt just like Alex Guarnaschelli, so humble yet also so dynamic.
My experience started with the restaurant's iconic Parkerhouse rolls with house made butter. Pesto was the flavor of the day, paired with their standard salted butter as well. The bread was garnished with the best flavor enhancer, beautiful salt crystals. When I cut open the warm cloud-like roll, I was transported into bread heaven.
The appetizer that stood out the most and may have been my favorite dish of the night, was the shaved truffle burrata. Burrata is typically served with grilled bread, and I was curious to test if this dish would feel as if it was missing something without it. But I was happily surprised about how complete and satisfying this plate was with mushrooms as the main base. They were cooked to be perfectly tender by having a solid melt-in-your-mouth feel while maintaining a nice bite. The flavor was bursting with a slightly earthy and nutty taste and a delectable rich and creamy aspect from the burrata itself.
The entree I ordered was the Pan-Seared Branzino with wilted rainbow chard and a lemon vinaigrette. If a fish entree does not come with a layer of crispy skin, I don't want it! The crisp texture was phenomenal, and the body of the fish stayed delicate and flaky. The added citrus of the sauce and garnishes made for a refreshing and crave worthy dish.
The best dessert of the night was hands down the Raspberry Beignets with a vanilla dipping sauce. There are not many things more delicious than a freshly made and served immediately to you pastry dessert. I don't know for sure if that was the case here, but it surely tasted like it was. The sweetness level was just right. I found the raspberry filling to be pretty tart but paired with the vanilla dipping sauce, you cannot go wrong. My favorite part of the night was seeing my parent's eyes light up with pure joy as we shared these together.
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