cuisine

follow us on facebook
   
Add Us To Your
Favorites!
   
|
|
|
|
|
|

 
 
 
Follow Me on Pinterest
Aqueous Restaurant
Aqueous Logo
Aqueous Restaurant
at Falling Rock
Farmington, PA - USA
4 Stars & 5 Stripes
Merit - Extraordinary
June - 2008
4 Stars & 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service'
The Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes®
In a classic setting reflecting the organic style of world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Aqueous Restaurant presents itself as the quintessential all-American steak house. The beauty of Wright's architectural style as it was interpreted by one of his former students, is that it seems to move, to sway with the wind, to add to the environment in which it stands, instead of detaching from it. In this case, Aqueous Restaurant is cleverly situated, nestled in the Appalachian hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with expansive views of the golf course just a few steps away. The ambiance is heavily influenced by the unique architectural design, which is carried through the entire restaurant from the geometric lighting fixtures to the changing proportionality of the linear carpets. On one side of the room is an extensive wine collection creatively organized with extraordinary art objects interspaced as if placed there for visual relief.
Our evening dining experience began with a warm greeting from Food & Beverage Manager Kory Young, who led us to our table. I ventured a guess that the sensation of walking on a well-manicured green was part of the overall aura created by the designers of this restaurant. It was the feeling of casual elegance wrapped in a unique design, where even the glassware and flower vases conformed to this warm and relaxed atmosphere. We were fully prepared to be captivated by the creative prowess of Executive Chef Jeremy Critchfield and his team of culinary experts. Chris Mikolowsky the sommelier shared his vision of his favorite wine pairings to be served with each course starting with a bottle of 1999 Krug Brut Grand Cuvee Champagne, which was rated a 95 by The Wine Spectator. After a slight mishap where the first bottle was found to be corked, it was quickly replaced and we were soon on our way to discovering the wonderfully creamy bouquet and very fine mousse.
Aqueous Cuisine
Breads were brought to the table and we relished the assortment, which included potato rosemary loaf, walnut onion rolls and Pennsylvania Blue Cheese stuffed corn muffins. After a muffin-shaped Amuse Bouche of Tellagio Onion Popover with Cherry Apple Butter, a brioche-like presentation using a mild flavored tangy cheese from Italy, we relished the lingering aftertaste. Soon after, a second course of Oysters on the Half Shell and Oysters Rockefeller appeared together with a bottle of Perrier Jouët, Cuvee Belle Epoque, 1999. Our feeling was that this was a superb reinterpretation of a bygone standard on menus of the 50's and 60's. Next up was a trio of appetizers for the third course consisting of Tuna Tatare with Frozen Avocado, Pickled Cucumber and Radish as well as Grilled Portabella Mushrooms with Pennsylvania Blue Cheese Gratin and Asparagus Salad, and finally Prime Beef Capriccio with Potato Horseradish Beignets. The group of three offered a wild combination of flavors and textures to contemplate with the wine pairings for each that complimented the tasty tidbits.
Working our way through all this creative display of culinary cleverness proved a lot easier than I thought as we focused on the finesse of being able to perform well while using such diverse ingredients. We moved on to the fourth course of Pan Roasted Mountain Trout with Bacon, Spring Pea Risotto and Mint, which was brought together with a bottle of Rex Hill Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Oregon, 2006. Aqueous Cuisine
As before, this course was one of a trio of offerings that also included Tuna “Au Poivre” with Edamame Salad and Soy Basil Emulsion and Potato Wrapped Salmon with Heirloom Tomatoes with a Golden Curry Sauce. We enjoyed the latter two dishes with Nobilo Icon, Gewurztraminer Gisborne New Zealand 2006 and a Calera Pinot Noir, Central Coast California 2005. After an intermezzo of Mandarin Orange Sorbet, we were ready for the main course of Dry Aged Rib Eye with King Crab, Dry Aged Porterhouse with Maine Lobster Tail and Potato Croquettes and finally Pecan Crusted Double Lamb Chops with a Spicy Dirty Rice and Sesame Glaze. The three meat entrées we found to be of the highest quality offering a slight piquant flavor as a hint the controlled dry aging process. There is nothing like getting your meat entrée at the spot-on correct temperature while at the same time still sizzling from the broiler. This trio was singularly paired with a bottle of Roadblock by Domaine Serene, Syrah, “Del Rio Vineyard”, Oregon 2003, which presented a perfect match for the meats, supporting each entrée with a specific characteristic profile.
Aqueous Cuisine
Chef Jeremy wasn't quite finished yet and soon after the entrées were expertly cleared by servers Ben Jackson and Ian Sage, there appeared the sixth course of desserts including Strawberry Soup with Quenelles of White Chocolate Cheesecake, A Tasting of Chocolate and Caramel Chocolate Marquis, Milk Chocolate and Caramel with Vanilla Sea Salt and Crème Brulee with Homemade Blueberry Ice Cream with Almond Cookie. It became obvious during the presentation and sampling of this delightful course that Chef Jeremy continued to be inspired and resourceful with his ingredient alliances as they presented well and interacted with the palate in a pleasant way. Sommelier Chris suggested three dessert wines for this course although the Diszonoko Tokaji Aszu, 5 Puttonyos, Hungary 1995 stood out as not overly sweet but dominated the nose with aromas of peach and apricot.
2008 - Award-Hand-Out - Aqueous - Restaurant
2008 - Award-Hand-Out: Aqueous Restaurant
Our cuisine experience today was an agreeable event, which highlighted the creative expertise of a fine chef and his team in the middle of the Pennsylvania foothills about two hours southeast of Pittsburgh. It is truly worthy of a visit under any circumstances.
by Edmund Buehrmann & Thorsten Buehrmann

Editor: Ingrid Lemme

Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola
© 2008 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc.


 
 
 
Follow Me on Pinterest
Disclaimer:

Although the above information was accurate at the time of publication, it can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all pertinent information with the companies in question before planning your trip.


Back to Top

|
|
|
|
|
|


 
Newsletter
Join our
mailing list!
Email:
 
 
 

New Restaurant Awards
 
Dragon Palace
The concept was simple; we were to weave our way through the taste sensations which have influenced Chef Goh throughout his career, combining the local sensuous flavors of Beijing together with the culinary influences of...
 
Via Roma
We couldn’t help but wonder how all the creative energy flowed from the source and transformed itself into picture perfect menu items with dynamic and complex taste profiles. As a result, he has won several awards for the restaurant including, Best Italian Restaurant...
 
Venetian Restaurant
In our opinion, one of the outstanding selections from Mr. Winkler’s tasting menu, was the Grassfed Beef Tartare with Beet gelee and Wasabi. This outstanding appetizer outperformed all our expectations with excellent...
 

Web Development by Juan Ignacio Torrent & Design by Spinko   
|   Copyright 2004 by Seven Stars & Stripes®   |   Address Book   |   Seven Stars and Stripes on Facebook