Funkenhausen - Tasting Collective Dinner

I had previously gone to Funkenhausen for brunch, so I was very excited when it was announced that Tasting Collective, the dining group to which I belong, was going to do a group dinner there.  I had previously experienced Chef Mark Steuer's cooking the first time I went to Mindy's Hot Chocolate, where he was the chef for the savory side.  He then went on to open The Bedford, a spin on supper clubs from the 40s that was located in a former bank basement and included a vault, and The Carriage House, a restaurant that more explicitly focused on Southern cuisine.  I really liked the food at each of these restaurants and tried these restaurants, because Chef Mark was the chef.  With the Tasting Collective, not only do we get a multi-course dinner, that in many cases is a menu sampler, we are also introduced to the chef, who explains what the restaurant is about and will answer questions at the end.  As I had enjoyed his food at the other places, and at Funkenhausen for brunch, I was excited to "meet" the chef.  Funkenhausen is an American restaurant that looks like a German Beer Hall that does a Southern Spin on German cuisine.  As is typical of Tasting Collective dinners, the first half an hour after the doors were opened was a drink service to allow people to get settled before dinner service starts where they offer a selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.  I ordered a cocktail called Less Is More, which came with Vodka, Strawberry, Lemon, and Bubbles.  It was sweet, fruity, and had a nice sparkling finish.  While it probably would not have been my first choice given a larger cocktail selection, it was good and very drinkable.

The first course of dinner started with something that is one of those dishes that you would expect at a German Beer Hall, Pretzels, served with something pretty Southern, Pimento Cheese.  The pretzels were large, hot, and soft, with a salty pretzel crust.  They were easy to tear apart, which made it easier to apply the cheese on them.  It was good and a nice start for the dinner.

The second course followed the standard multi-course progression and proceeded to the vegetable course.  We were served Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche, a Mayonnaise-style Cold Egg Sauce with Mustard, and topped with Crab, Fennel, and Radish.  I like asparagus and this was very fresh and crisp, but I had never had (that I know of), sauce gribiche.  It was thinner than mayonnaise, but it was it had a creamy texture, and an eggy mustard flavor.  It reminded me of a semi-liquid deviled egg.  I also don't think that I have ever had this much fennel at once.  I have had fennel many times and in many forms, though not featured so prominently.  It was both tender and crisp with a light licorice flavor.  With the variety of flavors and textures, it came together well and I really liked it.

The next course kind of fell into a pre-entree, it also featured more Fennel (I'm going to guess that Fennel was in Season) and Mustard, though was completely different from the previous course.  We were served Boudin Noir Balls (Blood Sausage meatballs) with Fennel, Fava Beans, Crawfish, and Creole Mustard.  It was meaty and spicy with the fennel which was both tender and crisp.  The fava beans added texture and body, and the crawfish added a southern flare.

Our first entree was very definitely a Southern thing, specifically an Alabama thing.  We were served a couple of Spare Ribs which were well smoked, tender and very flavorful.  They were topped with a White Barbecue Sauce that is specific to Alabama.  It is a Mayo-Based Sauce with Vinegar, Horseradish, Apple Juice, Black Pepper, and Cayenne.  It's like a spicy ranch sauce and goes well with anything (though is frequently used with chicken).  I don't know that I had ever tried it with ribs, used subtly though, it complemented the flavor of the pork, instead of potentially overwhelming it.

Our second entree was a Dry Aged Pork Chop with Ramp Salsa Verde and English Pea Succotash.  It had a nice fresh flavor from the ramps and the succotash and a little spice from the salsa verde that the ramps were a part of.  The dry aging of the pork concentrated the flavor and everything went together well.

To finish things off, we went with a German classic, Black Forest Cake.  The classic Black Forest Cake is Dark Chocolate Cake with Cherries.  This also included a White Chocolate Ganache and a Candy Topper and was served on a plate with an Old World Design.

 Generally, during dessert, the chef will come out to answer questions that diners have pre-written.  I didn't have a question to ask, but I did introduce myself at the end of dinner.  I really enjoyed dinner here, the food was good, as was the service, and it was very nice to meet the chef finally.  I will definitely return.