I was looking for a book and found a cookbook by Daniel Boulud.  We bought a copy of this book and another one as a Christmas present for the couple we went with on a holiday in Manhattan.  Going to Manhattan on business, while glamorous is still a business trip, while going there for a holiday is magical.  We packed so many memories in this trip it would tire me out today (I think, but I would still be game for it).

One day we went to Rockefeller Center and then on to the Waldorf Astoria for a drink and a to look around this grand institution that I have gone to when they used to have clothing shows held there.  Then we crossed the street and went to Central Park and walked over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for an afternoon.  We also had to pay our respects to the statues of George M. Cohan and another one for the most famous bus driver of New York.

That evening we went to a famed restaurant called Daniel, the flagship of Daniel Boulud.  When I walked into this restaurant I had a sense of deja-vu.  To this day I am not sure if I had been to the restaurant when it was under a different name or if I remember it from a movie set.  To this day, I have to say it was the second finest meal that I ever had, that is not to say that I could find any fault with it, but after having my first “chef’s tasting” meal at The French Laundry in Napa, my second “chef’s tasting” had already made me a maven on fine dining.   Needless to say the dinner was awesome and it was the first time that we tried the selected pairing of wines with the dinner.  This was a six course meal summer meal and there were two different choices for each course, so naturally my Bride and I each ordered one of the choices and shared our “oohs.”  Please bear with me, as I relate the courses and the wine pairing:

Chilled Sweet Corn Soup, American Spoonbill Caviar and a Chive Coulis

Or

Chilled Cavaillo Melon Veloute, Key West Shrimp, Lemongrass and Purple Basil

Riesling Grand Cru “Schlosberg,” Paul Blanck 1996

Raw Bluefin Tuna with an Anchovy-Caper Dressing, Crisp Summer Crudités and a Vidalia Onion Pissaladiere

Or

Red Mullet Fillets en Escabeche Provencal Vegetable Compote and Piquillo Peppers

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 1999

Cumin-Glazed Striped Bass with Verjus, Broccoli Rabe, Toasted Pine Nuts and Honeyed Grapes

Or

Lightly Spiced Swordfish Basquaise with Peppers Chorizo, Sweet Onions and a Persillade Broth

Meursault Domaine Pierre Matrot 1997

Stuffed Quail with Foie Gras, Prosciutto and a Mission Fig, Spinach with Glazed Baby Turnips and Radishes

Or

Roasted Loin of Lamb with a Lemon-Indian Coriander Crust Braised Shoulder, Squash and Dried Apricot

Ostatu, Rioja Alavesa 1996

Refreshing Summer Fruit Soup and Sorbet

Or

An Assortment of Three Cheeses

Milk Chocolate Champagne Truffle Cake, Crispy Feuillantine and Orange Miroir

Or

Hot Chocolate Upside-Down Soufflé, Pistachio Ice Cream

Maury, Domaine de la Coume du Roy 1979

I feel sated, just listing all the dishes and the wines, and I am sorry that I do not have each label as a remembrance.  I have the cookbook with a dedication and autograph from the evening, of course matches and a few other curios arrayed for keepsakes.