Dining Out

I spend most of my time creating—and tasting—dishes for my restaurants, but I love dining out and seeing what other chefs are doing. For the past two weekends, I’ve had the opportunity to dine in our nation’s capitol. Last weekend, I attended my daughter Louise’s college graduation and I returned this weekend for the commencement ceremony of my wife Marja’s sister. The highlight of both weekends was celebrating these milestones with family, both at the universities and at great Washington, D.C. restaurants. The chef at at Komi, Johnny Monis, is amazing and dinner there was fantastic. For brunch, we sat in the Tabard Inn’s garden and enjoyed a fabulous meal. We also had a wonderful experience at CityZen in the Mandarin Oriental.

Just a few weeks earlier, I dined all over Paris. I spent nearly a week there teaching our chefs at Market our new spring dishes. With the first of the harvest, we worked on seasonal items like our asparagus salad and our prawns with sugar snap peas.

When I wasn’t in the kitchen, I was sampling other restaurants. La Maree Passy proved to be an excellent choice. Because chef Gregory Coutanceau gets his fish from his father, a fishmonger who sources his catch from small boats along the coast from Brittany to Belgium, he treats his impeccably fresh ingredients simply and beautifully. Gillardeau oysters, easily an ounce each, are as shiny as pearls and so delicious they need only a squeeze of lemon juice. These oysters reappeared in what I would consider on of the best appetizers I’ve eaten all year. They’re chopped and layered with a tartare of the belly of white salmon, caught in the Loire River, and their liquor is used to season the dish. A bit of horseradish adds a bright note, and toast and lemon wedges are served alongside. Delicious.

Another appetizer featured langoustines, which retained a firm texture while achieving a sea urchin-like richness. The main courses that followed highlighted the freshness of the ingredients: grilled whole fish (John Dory, turbot, Belgian sole) with citrus butter and a side of mashed potatoes. My favorite dessert looked deceptively simple—a thin waffle topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries—but was deeply satisfying. Can you believe the size of those berries?

I returned to L’Ami Louis, an old favorite, for their roasted chicken. Nobody in the world does it better.

When I dine out, I’m reminded of what a pleasure it is to be a customer. I hope all of my restaurant guests feel the same way.