As a student at Marist College, one local and popular dining option off campus is the Culinary Institute of America located in Hyde Park, New York. To celebrate my 21st birthday, I visited and dined with the Bocuse Restaurant, where I experienced fine dining with sweet and savory options from appetizer to dessert.
Fresh Bread & Brut Rosé, "Pink"
Before getting my appetizer, I was offered a fresh selection of bread that included my choice of freshly baked white bread or sour dough hand made by the future chefs of America. Upon opening the roll, there was a perfect symphony of sound, that I would know to be a great piece of bread. To accompany my bread, I ordered a glass of Brut Rose Pink.
Appetizer- Black Truffle Soup
My meal began with the Black Truffle Soup, which is underneath this perfectly baked puff pastry shell. The Black Truffle soup was at a perfect temperature and very pleasing to my taste buds that included mushrooms, beef, and black truffles.
Entree- Lamb Loins
My second dish was a selection of Lamb Loin cooked medium well. Accompanied with my selection of lamb was curried couscous, Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce, Cumin Jus and a Pita crumble. My lamb was perfectly cooked, flavorful and juicy and was well seasoned and went well with the yogurt sauce and the Cumin juice.
Desert- Table Side Ice Cream & Treats with Sauternes, 2éme Grand Cru Classé
My desert drink consisted of a glass of the famous dessert wine of Sauternes. The wine, which had a sweet and fruity taste was a perfect addition to my dessert sampler.
My dessert sampler consisted of: a pear tart bordaloue,
churros, to be dipped in a salted butter-caramel sauce and a green tea and adzuki bean eclair. Alongside this sweet dessert plate was ice cream.
The Bocuse Restaurant's ice cream is no ordinary form of ice cream. The Bocuse Restaurant is well known for using liquid nitrogen to freshly prepare ice cream for you in front of your table. The ice cream that I tasted was mint chocolate chip ice cream, that was made with a herbal mint instead of the stronger mint extract, that was with freshly made sugar cones.
After a delicious brunch at the Bocuse Restaurant, I left with a happy stomach with both savory and sweet taste buds fulfilled. If you're looking for some fine dining off campus options, visit the Bocuse Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America.