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| St.
Petersburg - Russia |
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Society - World
Level Perfection
May - 2009 |
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6 Stars
& 7 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| The grandeur that was once prevalent in Czarist Russia
manifests itself in the decorative interior of the
L’Europe
Restaurant located in the
Grand
Hotel Europe. The restaurant is laid out as if one is dining in a
theatrical or operatic venue, with tables located in what would be the
‘audience’ section leading up to a ‘stage’ of sorts
sporting a classical ensemble offering a private concert while patrons dine.
Along the side of the restaurant, as one would expect in a theatre, are private
dining booths with curtains mimicking the ornate ‘viewing’ booths
omnipresent at the Bolshoi in Moscow or
Mariinsky
Theatre in St. Petersburg. To look up while dining at L’Europe, you
get the feeling of being enveloped by a huge colorful stained glass window
supported by elegant arches reaching up from floor to ceiling in graceful
fashion that only a Russian Czar could truly appreciate as home. Executive Chef
Alexey Kostichkin is new to L’Europe Restaurant but comes from a talented
background of both traditional Russian and French cuisine. He had made a name
for himself by winning the coveted Russian Bocuse, an award presented to the
best chefs of the country. It is apparent that he has assembled an innovative
and responsive team to work closely with him in pursuing his goals of guest
satisfaction through creative cuisine and seamless service. The service staff
in the restaurant quickly got to work under the pervasive presence of
Dmitry
Zakharchenko, the restaurant’s Sommelier and Manager. Wearing white
gloves, head server Vitaly Zakharov served us an incredible selection of bread
from an elaborate wagon. He then brought us our first course of King
Crab Mediterranean style with tomato and shallot comfit, basil leaves and
virgin olive oil. The crab was tender and fresh and topped with a moist morsel
of glimmering berry-sized balls of caviar. A bottle of Puligny Montrachet
1er Cru, Oliver Leflaive, 2004 was the natural choice to pair with the King
Crab. It offered spicy notes from white fruit and a hint of oak producing a
toasty finish. |
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| Duck Liver, richly
marbled with truffles, smoked salmon and apple in a layered Napoleon style with
Hazelnut jelly proved to be a little too much for the palate to appreciate. To
the rescue came a bottle of Cadillac A.O.C., Chateau Memoires, 2005, a
powerful reminder that this honeyed wine with tropical fruits could support and
highlight such a sumptuous appetizer. We approached the next course with a
familiar smile since we had tried it once before and recall the pleasurable
feeling on the palate. |
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| Duck
Liver |
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| Egg in Egg with Sevruga Caviar was presented
with its luscious and generous topping of the smooth, buttery flavor of
Sevruga, which has the strongest nature of all caviars. Naturally, the typical
Russian solution to a pairing for this course turned out to be Beluga
Vodka, produced from Siberian artesian water resulting in an elegantly
smooth excellent vodka. Asian Lobster Cappuccino was decidedly one of
the most intriguing selections on this tasting menu and Chef Alexey deftly
showed his talents in crafting it to pure perfection. It was harmoniously
paired with a fine Muscat Tradition Hugel, Alsace 2004, offering floral,
tropical fruits and citrus as a tapestry woven into a delicately sweet Muscat
juice. An entrée of Chilean Sea Bass poached in Swiss chard with
artichokes barigoule, braised with white wine and topped with bacon and
carrots. A smoky herbal Fume Blanc, Napa Valley, Beringer California
2004 presented itself as a fine wine partner for the Chilean sea
bass. Its toastiness being derived from seven months in French oak was
somewhat tempered by an overriding citrus quality. |
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| Black
Angus Beef |
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Next up, Chef Alexey
challenges himself with the preparation of an American icon, the Black Angus
Beef. His recipe placed the beef with Russian bear and duck ravioli and
wild mushrooms capped with a foamy espulat sauce thereby producing an earthy
wildness effect supported by cubes of grain-fed Angus. Château
Bouscasse A.O.C., Madiran 2004, an extravagantly structured wine suitable
for pairing with the bold Angus presented its concentrated fruit of dark plums
and black currants together with leather and spice for a perfect
match. |
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| For dessert, a modern look at an old favorite became
Crème Brûlée, this time with lime and pineapple
salsa and coconut sorbet. Taylor’s 10 year old Tawny Port, a
300-year family tradition displayed a pale golden brown color with overtones of
caramel and whole clove and exotic spice aromatics. After this delightful
tasting menu giving further evidence of Chef Alexey’s culinary prowess,
the usual thing is to have a double espresso along with an assortment of fine
cognacs and after-dinner drinks. Our server brought over an impressive cart
filled to the brim with the finest choices available. My selection was Remy
Martin XO, which was slowly poured into a magnificent crystal cordial glass
etched with the logo of the Grand Hotel Europe. Chocolate bon bons were placed
on the table stuffed into a realistic looking chocolate piano from which we
nibbled with our coffee. Quietly we moved towards the bar area where our server
Vitaly suggested his favorite cigar from an array of imported varieties,
including a Grand Hotel Europe branded cigar, stored in a climate controlled
humidor. A fitting end to an elaborate demonstration of culinary poetry without
ever picking up a pen. |
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| 2009
Award-Hand-Out: L'Europe Restaurant, St. Petersburg - Russia |
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by
Thorsten Buehrmann & Edmund Buehrmann
Editor: John
Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
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| © 2009 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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