Our first introduction to anything from the Make It Nice group, which has since completely blown up, this special dinner at the NoMad Hotel Restaurant was a gift from my parents. Overall, this was a great meal, but the service suffered. Early on they forgot one of our orders, and at the end they gave us another table's check (twice!). Not a huge deal, and the food was still very good.
Hotel entrance, Atrium, Atrium ceiling, and Elephant Bar.
The Parlor, where we sat and enjoyed the incredibly warm and romantic decor.
Fruits de Mer
Center: Oyster, Frozen Mignonette
9 o'clock to 6 o'clock: Hamachi, Olive Oil, Bonito Shavings
Lobster Salad, Chili Powder
King Crab Mousse
Raw Scallop, Yuzu, Pistachios
Uni Custard, Apple, Caviar
Spectacular tower of six different seafood preparations. I appreciated that this was a fully composed dish, not just a raw bar tower (though I certainly enjoy that style as well).
Flatbread
Baked w/ Rosemary, Cheese, & Grapes
Basically "wine and cheese" in bread form. We thought this was a really creative item, though the dull knife made things a mess to cut.
Not pictured were a couple items I neglected to photograph: first, a Sweetbreads "Croustillant" (basically spring rolls), which the server forgot to bring; second, a delicious plate of risotto topped with "a reasonable amount" (4g) of shaved white truffle being sold at-cost. We could have also requested "a ridiculous amount" (8g) for twice the price.
Mini growler of beer from Brooklyn Brewery, specially created for the NoMad's famous chicken.
Roasted Chicken
White Meat: Brioche & Black Truffle Stuffing, Foie Gras, Roasted Parsnips, Mashed Potatoes, Jus
Dark Meat: Roasted Morels, Vinegar, Poached Egg, Crispy Skin
What can I say? This hearty, satisfying dish still lives up to the hype. Many restaurants have bravely (?) put chicken on their menu, and when treated with the same dignity as any other high-end protein, the results, as here, are often fabulous.
"Apple"
Puffed Rice, Poached Apple, Nuts, Apple Strips, Candied Apple, Sage Ice Cream
If my notes I referred to the "balls of sort of sticky, cake-y apple substance rolled in puffed rice" as being especially great.
"Milk & Honey"
Shortbread, Dehydrated Milk Cake, Milk Ice Cream, Honey Sauce
An exercise in restraint, this simple but highly refined dessert has become one of the NoMad's icons.
Petit Fours
Bottom Row, 8 o'clock to 5 o'clock:
Buttered Popcorn Macaron
S'More
Apple Pate de Fruit
Chocolate-Covered Frozen Banana Ice Cream
Bitter Chocolate Log
I have no notes on these, but I remember them being hit or miss. I think we liked the macaron best, but a couple of the others were not as exciting as expected.
