Buxton Hall

Bon Appetit said to go and so we did

Background:
Buxton Hall BBQ was opened by Elliot Moss and Meherwan Irani in August of 2015 in a space that has been many things: it was once a paper company, a roller rink, and a boat show room (and no, not all three at the same time). Scallionpancake first heard about Buxton Hall in the 2016 Hot 10 edition of Bon Appetit. Charlotte’s Kindred made the cut in 2015, and now an Asheville restaurant? North Carolina’s culinary scene is on fire, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it. We headed to Buxton Hall on a whim on New Year’s Day this year, and it was more than worth the drive. And no--we didn't drive to visit Asheville for the day. We literally drove there just to eat at Buxton Hall and turn around to go back to Charlotte, and yep--still worth it.

Eat This:
Buxton Hall’s menu changes daily, and the day we went they were running a brunch menu with some New Year’s flair, such as the New Year’s Bowl with blue grits, fried egg, collards, black eyed peas, and bbq hash, or the Good Luck Hand Pie, with cornmeal pastry crust, black eyed peas, collards, and lots of luck. As tasty as those sounded, we were here to skate to one song, and one song only: pulled pork and lots of it. We both ordered the:

Whole Hog BBQ Plate
Eastern NC BBQ mop, slaw, pickles, hushpuppies, choice of two sides

Close up on the bog

For sides, we went with the chicken bog, which is a mix of rice, chicken, sausage, peas, and lots of spice, and the spicy collard greens--these are made by putting the collards underneath the whole hog that is roasting on a spit and letting them catch the drippings. The bog was just so-so, the spice was not as prominent as promised, and the flavors just didn’t wow us. The green beans, which we each ordered, were stand out. You could really taste the flavor from the drippings and they were just the right accompaniment to the pork so you could feel like you were doing something virtuous by eating a vegetable, but it, you know, tasted like pork. Win.

Dessert:
Brunch dessert! The cinnamon roll was by far and away our favorite part, and maybe that’s because we were silly and didn’t order the buttermilk fried chicken biscuit, but holy geez. We were emotional.

Buxton Hall employs full-time pastry chef Ashely Capps and she is whipping up straight goodness in that kitchen. Her goodies are seasonal, too--I took home a traditional fruit cake on this New Year’s visit. The cake was heavy on the brandy, and it was the most amazing ever. People don’t appreciate fruit cake due to its reputation of being dry and crumbly, and this iteration laughed in the face of that stereotype.

Warm Banana Brioche Cinnamon Roll
Pecans + walnuts, brown sugar, sticky schmear

Uh, yeah

Drink:
How about a cheerwine and bourbon slushie? This even intrigued Jason, and he rarely ever indulges in the devil’s brew. The “house slushie” switches up daily, and oh what fun! It’s better than 7-11, guys.

Emoji with heart eyes!

Atmosphere:
The open, loft-like space is sunny and bright. The kitchen and bar serve as focal points, and in the kitchen you can see the hog roasting on the spit. The hog on the day we went was named “Lucy,” and we were very grateful for her gift to us.

Other fun touches? A dessert case, where you could see all of the specialities of the day, and in the restroom? Original carvings on the mirror frame and such from the roller rink days. Rad!

Caught in the act!

Slow Roasted Hospitality:
We sat at the bar and received great service from the two bartenders on duty. The folks out front were awesome, too. We browsed for a while at the cool merchandise and food options. They had leaf lard which I didn’t splurge on this time, but it can be rather hard to find--it’s the good stuff!

Frankie’s Notes:
Driving two hours each way for a 45 minute lunch is just something Javon does, okay? And no, we didn’t even stay to walk around Asheville. There was a football game on, for god’s sake!; I have never eaten black-eyed peas and collards on New Year’s in my whole life...is this why everything is going to shambles?; We are going to put various items under pig drippings now: kale salads, avocado toast, pug biscuits; Adult slushies make up for taxes and mortgages; I am bringing fruitcake back, and fruitcake is bringing sexy back, and you’ll have to get your own because I’m not sharing with anyone.

Rating: 4 out of 5

 

In Situ

Chefs hard at work at In Situ

Background:
In May of 2016, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) reopened after a three-year renovation. As part of this renovation, the museum also unveiled a new high-class eatery, In Situ. In Situ’s concept is mind-blowing, and perfect for an art museum: they recreate the dishes of famous chefs and restaurants around the world. In Situ, in the art world, refers to an art piece that is made specifically for a certain location. At In Situ in the SFMoMa, dishes are taken out of their original context and recreated for an audience sometimes a half a world away (sometimes not--the menu bounces from Kyoto to right down the street at Mission Chinese). Not only is this such a great concept for the location, it is also a fantastic way to get a sampler of so many different famous dishes from world-renowned restaurants.

Eat This:
In Situ was our first fine dining experience in SF, so we were super excited to go all out.

Check out Hamiltoe's Lily Pulitzer in the background tho

Carrot, Sour Curd, Pickled Pine

Inspired by Matt Orlando from Amass in Copenhagen, Denmark

Of course we had to start with the Copenhagen dish! We had completely missed Amass during our visit, and this is the first time we had heard of it--which is clearly a huge overstep on our part! We were so consumed with Noma (which we couldn’t even get into), that Amass escaped our notice.

The carrot dish was perfectly executed, and it made my top five for 2016. There is nothing better than a well-done vegetable dish that stands alone so well you never once miss the meat. We can’t wait to try and get reservations at Amass the next time we visit Copenhagen.

Jason's obsession

Wasabi Lobster

Mango jelly, thai vinaigrette, wasabi marshmallow

Inspired by Tim Raue from Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin, Germany

The wasabi lobster made Jason’s top five for 2016, and it was certainly one of the finest preparations of lobster I’ve had. Lobster needs so little--just a little expertise to bring out the natural flavor and tenderness, and the slight spicy/sweet flavor of the wasabi marshmallows did that perfectly, and the texture of the tender lobster and fluffy marshmallow paralleled each other so well.

Maybe this picture is crooked, or maybe that's just your perception of life

Octopus and the Coral

Braised octopus and seaweed (spicy)

Inspired by Virgilio Martinez from Central in Lima, Peru

Whoa, was this dish awesome! Aesthetically the dish is supposed to resemble its title--an octopus hanging out in the coral. Rice crackers are dyed with squid ink which added an element of texture and color. The braised octopus was cooked perfectly and it was rich and heavy--such an unusual flavor profile for a seafood dish. A cup of broth was served on the side--I loved this touch! It was warming and flavorful.

Give me liberty, or just give me duck breast. Whichever

Liberty Duck Breast

French green lentils, apples, aged red wine vinegar sauce

Inspired by Thomas Keller from The French Laundry in Yountville, California

Oh dear, we had problems with this dish both in its real form and its copycat. We had to order The French Laundry staple, especially knowing we would be dining there ourselves in a few days and we would be able to properly compare the two versions. Each version, however, was rather overcooked. Read our full TFL review here.

Do you see the fairy in there?!?

The Forest

Quinoa risotto, mushrooms, parsley “moss”

Inspired by Mauro Colagreco from Mirazur in Menton, France

The Forest came highly recommended by our server, and we were so glad we ordered it. The presentation was so fun, and the aesthetic and taste made you feel like you were really foraging in the woods for mushrooms.The “moss” was a parsley flavored light sourdough, and the variety of mushrooms and flavors going on were just mind blowing. Eating this dish was akin to being a fairy trampling through the forest, and we dug that.

Dessert:

Gold up in my bubbles

Interpretation of Vanity

Moist chocolate cake, cold almond cream, bubbles, and cocoa

Inspired by Andoni Luis Aduriz from Mugaritz in Errenteria, Spain

I mean, bubbles? We had to see what this was all about. Unfortunately, this was a fairly basic chocolate cake, and the best part was the almond cream. You can’t deny the excellence of the presentation, however!

Noma facsimile

Wood Sorrel & Sheep’s Milk Yogurt

Inspired by Rene Redzepi from Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark

This dessert is the closest we have been to Noma (the number one restaurant in the world for several years), and that kind of sucks, but this version of their famous dessert didn’t disappoint. Wood sorrel is a weed with an acidic, slightly sour flavor. Here, the sorrel is turned into a sweet granita and served with a honeyed yogurt with a crisp shell of sugar served atop. Loved this one!

Drink:
When we went, which was right after they opened, they were serving beer and wine only, so Hamiltoe and I drank prosecco. Their menu now includes cocktails, which sound delicious. Jason had some tasty nonalcoholic infusions during our meal, like this hibiscus one:

Hibiscus infusion

Atmosphere:
The vibe in here was in keeping with a modern art museum--clean and minimalistic. The seating was a bit too minimal (read: uncomfortable), but the bar area had awesome seating made out of wood that looked cool, and also more comfy. Also, the silverware looked like paintbrushes!

Do you love it or do you love it?

Artistic Hospitality:
The service was professional and there were no missteps, but the waiters were a bit snooty/hoity-toity, which I never think is necessary just because the category is fine dining--lighten up, people! It’s just dinner.

Frankie’s Notes:
Three dishes from our 2016 top ten are from In Situ, so I guess you could say we enjoyed it; We Googled the silverware while we were at the table and put it on a wish list; Feeling like a fairy while eating is my current and 8th grade self’s goal always; Desserts made from weeds are healthy and delicious; Nonalcoholic infusions < prosecco < tequila.  

Rating:

5 out of 5 + One Michigan Pug

 

Saison

Interior of Saison (photo credit: Kenneth Tiong Eats)

Background:
Chef and owner of Saison, Joshua Skenes opened Saison in 2012, which was initially a pop-up only open a few nights a week. Now, Saison has three Michelin Stars, boasts the #27 spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and Skenes has a reputation for getting to the “heart” of his ingredients in a way that goes far beyond “eating locally” (read this article for more on his philosophy)

We went to Saison on our last trip to San Francisco, just two days after our wedding. We were so excited to have some time to ourselves after the whirlwind of the marital festivities and Jason’s work conference that he was attending during the day. We were greeted warmly and given an awesome cozy spot near the bar where we settled in for the tasting menu.

Eat This:

Infusion of herbs from our garden

Starting with an herbal infusion is a lovely and light way to begin; it forces you to breathe deeply and focus on the meal that’s about to come. The practice feels meditative and lovely, and more restaurants should adopt teas and nonalcoholic infusions as an accompaniment to food.

Succulents from the coast

Saison Reserve Caviar

I don't want to say that Saison peaked too soon (did I just say it?), but this course was perhaps the highlight of the entire experience. One pound of caviar is wrapped in seaweed and smoked over a fire, and the servers unwrap the seaweed table side and serve atop toothsome succulents. The caviar alone was worth the cost of admission (well, almost), and had us giddy about the rest of the meal.

Lobster marigold

The claws x.o. sauce, Farm flowers, Golden berries

Oh, man! Lobster?! Golden berries??!! These are a few of my favorite thingggsss. This course was the start of using a single ingredient for each course and presenting it in several different ways, using every portion of the animal or ingredient and mining it for all of its possibilities.

Lobster Tail

Here we had a lobster tail (one portion was from a male lobster, one from a female lobster), claws, served with a tangy accompaniment of golden berries (also known as dried gooseberries), and lightly fried farm flowers.

Sea urchin on grilled bread

A perfect piece of Tartine bread soaked in an elixir of soy, milk, and egg yolk topped with a piece of uni. Whoa, was this combination mind blowing--the soaked bread and the uni have similar textures and the soaked bread is tangy--we really loved this one.

Monterey Bay abalone

with its liver and preserved artichoke broth

A red abalone in a wakame, artichoke, and liver sauce with capers. This was not our favorite, but was delicious nonetheless.

The whole radish & our butter

This dish is a prime example of how Saison uses their farm plot and their dairy cows to create dishes that are simple and focus on freshly curated ingredients. Radish, prepared all different ways, and clarified butter poured over the entire dish upon serving.

Pumpkin hung above the fire for a few days

Whoa, was this take on pumpkin mind blowing! The pumpkin hung above the fire was lactofermented and tasted meaty--if you didn’t know it was pumpkin you wouldn’t have guessed! The torn pumpkin was much like pasta, and the cultured pumpkin with cold pressed seeds tasted rich and fatty.

Torn pumpkin barbecued octopus

Cultured pumpkin cold pressed seeds

Hairy pig

Sweet herbs, Buttermilk herbs, A bouillon made of the bones

The heaviest dish, and one of our favorites. You could make a little pork sandwich with the biscuits, which were the most delicious part! I loved the inclusion of bone broth, which was a warming and healthy way to end the savory courses.

Dessert:

Smoked Sundae

Caramel cooked in the fireplace, Fancy nuts

This dessert was Jason’s favorite dish of the night--the smoky vanilla ice cream elevated the flavors and kept everything from being too sweet. Adding the perfect amount of nuts and caramel to the sundae was a fun (and delicious) way to end the meal.

Fruit & Tea

Orange Sorbet

Just when we thought it was over, we ended the night just as we began, with a delicious herbal infusion and this super fun orange sorbet, served in an orange!

Gold-Leaf Dipped Chocolates

Gold-leaf dipped chocolates were also brought out with this course--talk about a grand finale!

Drink:

Dessert Cocktail

The cocktails were beyond impressive--our favorite was the bourbon concoction served in this tiny pipe, which the bartender told us is often used for absinthe as it helps diffuse the flavors.

Atmosphere:
Cozy and dimly lit, Saison had a romantic atmosphere. Our favorite part was the soundtrack--they played the best 80s beats all night. This kept the atmosphere fun and not overly stuffy as fine dining can often be.

C'est ne pas une pipe

Like the best Christmas present ever

Michelin Hospitality:
The service was impeccable, as you would expect. There was team service, and sometimes the chef brought out a course, which was awesome! We also had a great chat with the bartender--everyone was kind and helpful.

Frankie’s Notes:
Bojangle’s is going to start serving herbal infusions before and after chicken biscuits; Frankie wants more caviar in his life and less Ollie; Golden berries are the most underrated fruit; A grand finale of desserts doesn’t even need fireworks; Eating Michelin Star food and listening to “Jessie’s Girl” is an experience we should all have; Jason drinking out of a little pipe is the image I want to have of him in my head for always.

Rating: 5 out of 5 and two Michigan Pugs