Tasting Collective Dinner at Split Rail

Just after Christmas, I bought a membership for a group called Tasting Collective.  It holds private 8-10 course meals at nicer restaurants around the city with pre-course introductions done by the chef, so they can explain their restaurant concept and cooking philosophies.  Members have to buy tickets for the dinners, but they are less than what a normal 8-10 course meal would cost.  The first restaurant that was offered was a restaurant with which I am very familiar with, having known the chef for several years, and having gone for both dinner and brunch, Split Rail with Chef Zoe Schor.  The dinner was going to be 9 courses, mostly served Family Style.  Having met the chef at her former restaurant, Ada Street, and having been to Split Rail a few times, I knew that I liked her food and thought I was fairly familiar with it, so it was an easy choice to make.  When I bought my ticket, I saw the time listed as 7:15 pm.  Generally, I have noticed that event start times can be kind of soft, but I do like to arrive close to the time listed.  What I didn't notice on a later email was that the doors would open at 6:45 pm and the 7:15 pm was a hard start.  In any case, I did arrive just before 7:15 pm, though seeing a full restaurant, I did feel late.  We paid for dinner beforehand, but drinks were extra, I ordered a drink that I had had before and had really liked.  Called Stay Out of the Forest, it was a very piney flavored cocktail featuring Vikre Spruce Gin, Zirbenz Alpine Liqueur, Grapefruit and Lime.  It's tart, herbal, a little bitter from the grapefruit and the spruce, and obviously very botanical.  While I was enjoying my cocktail, Chef Zoe came out and started talking about her history and her aim with the restaurant.  I knew that she had quite an impressive resume, having worked for Tom Colicchio and Thomas Keller in California, I was not aware that she was originally from the East Coast.  She also said while she was proud to have had the mentors that she had and was happy to have learned skills from them, she got a little tired of making what she called "Fancy Food" and with her restaurant was aiming for a place that did comfort food with a cheffy twist.  And with that, the meal started.

We started things with a twist on a dish that I have seen in many restaurants, Steak Tartare, but it was done as a Reuben and called a Reuben Tartare, which started with a Spiced Steak Tartare served with Thousand Island Dressing, Rye Toast, and a Gruyere Crisp.  I like both steak tartare and reubens and they went together very well.  It didn't have the salty flavor of the corned beef or sauerkraut, but all of the textures and flavors went together very well and it was a nice start.

Our second course were Beef Skewers served with Pine Nuts, Greek Dressing, and what they called "Spicy Green Sauce".  It was very good and seemed very Greek, though the Spicy Green Sauce tasted familiar.  When I talked to her after dinner, I had to laugh.  I asked Chef Zoe if the Spicy Green Sauce wasn't similar to Chimichurri Sauce and she said that it's totally Chimichurri Sauce, but selling to people that might not be familiar with it, it's "Spicy Green Sauce".  It was nutty, spicy, tart, and very good with the Greek Yogurt and "Spicy Green Sauce".

Our next course was a salad and while I am generally not a huge fan of salads, this one was pretty awesome.  It was a Leafy Green Salad with various Heirloom Lettuces, Crispy Ham, Point Reyes Bay Blue Cheese, and Garlic Breadcrumbs.  The lettuce was slightly wilted which actually was a good thing, because it provided a softer texture.  The ham added some salty sweetness, the bitterness of the blue cheese paired with the bitterness of the blue cheese, the green goddess dressing was used sparingly, and the breadcrumbs added some garlicky goodness.

Our next course was a toast, or if it was done in Italy, could have been considered a Bruschetta.  It wasn't typically Italian, but open faced toasts are very European.  This one was Duck Liver Mouse (Pate') and Pickled Apples on Publican Quality Bread.  The bread was nice and crusty, spread with the duck liver mousse, topped with sliced pickled apples, and finished with micro greens.  The  mousse was meaty and sweet with a slight iron flavor to it.  The apples were tart and sour and added a little crunch.  It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't exceptionally exciting.

After the toast, we went back to vegetables, roasted vegetables to be exact.  Included among the Medley of Roasted Vegetables was Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and Pepitas (not precisely vegetables, but they are from vegetables and they are fried) which were served with Hook's Two Year Cheddar Cheese Sauce.  The vegetables were tender and well cooked and the cheddar cheese sauce added a complementary flavor, but it was a little on the salty side.  I would order it again, but I would know to be prepared for the salt.

The next course on the menu I had had before and was a favorite.  I was excited to see it on our menu.  It was the Loaded Baked Potato Gnocchi which had all of the best things about a loaded baked potato served with gnocchi.  It had Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Crispy Potato Skins, Sour Cream, Chives, and was served with perfectly prepared gnocchi.  It was crunchy, tender, very flavorful, and continued throughout the course.

After the Gnocchi, we continued to the first of our meat courses, Braised Pot Roast with Red Wine Reduction, and Potato Puree.  On paper it sounded pretty mundane.  It was fairly simple and standard, but it is frequently the simple dishes that are the hardest to do because they are so familiar that they have to be nailed perfectly.  This was nailed perfectly.  The Pot Roast was fork tender, the Potatoes were perfectly smooth with a hint of butter, and the red wine reduction paired well with the jus from the roast and also made a good gravy for the potatoes.

For our final savory dish, we had was called Pork and Beans, which I can see, but I also see a similarity to a cassoulet, a French Hunter's Casserole using white beans and three meats, two of which are usually pork.  This only used Crispy Pulled Pork, Country Ham, and Stewed White Beans, but the similarity was there.  Also in the Pork and Beans was Crispy Kale, Pickled Turnips, and Shaved Radishes.  It was very tender, very good, and I would definitely have it again.

By the time we reached dessert, I was pretty full, so I was kind of happy that our desserts were fairly small.  We were served Olive Oil Cake with Malted Barley Ice Cream and Cinnamon.  While Olive Oil and Malted Barley are both used in a lot of savory dishes, the olive oil made the cake very smooth, and the malted barley, which is a key ingredient in beer, added a little bitterness and a little less sweetness than typical ice cream.

This was a great event.  I like Chef Zoe and Split Rail and will definitely return.  Many of the dishes that I had are now on the standard menu, so I could easily enjoy them again, and I am very willing and able to handle a small problem that I had that was due to a miscommunication.  Tasting Collective was a good host and I met some nice and interesting people and had some very good food.  I will definitely do many more of their events.