The Other Birthday

To gastric gurus such as Eric Ziebold, I am but a lemming, following what books and interwebs tells me to consume and enjoy. I do hope however, that someday I will be the one advising others on the delicacies of the world, and evolve from a lemming to a human being. A human being with the following motto:

"Eat, not to live. But live, to eat."

The following is a brief description of where, in my ever changing humble opinion, the single greatest meal is served in the world.

Cityzen, Washington DC. http://www.mandarinoriental.com/washington/dining/cityzen/

First Dish: This is a frigging tator tot sized something-a-rather that I probably should have taken a picture of with my flash in the ON position. My dinner party looked at the dish with cocked eyebrows, and I for one was praying under my breath. "This had better not be the first full course" I muttered. ::fork, knife, chew::

Lo and behold, it was the greatest Tator Tot I've ever tasted. A symphony of flavor (shitaki mushroom flavor with perfect texture) with a dash of smooth and creamy sauce cooked to perfection.

Sautéed Moulard Duck Foie Gras:
I'm no connoisseur of Foie Gras. Well, honestly, I'm not a connoisseur of anything cept in my own food critiquing fantasies, but I do know when my tastebuds are jumping for joy from what can only be described as a literal slice of heaven. Pefect amount of ba... oh forget it. If you want to have one of the most orgasmic dishes a 24 year old has ever had, then I suggest you try this.

Being the biggest fan of lamb meat since GhengisKhan conquered the world to find the best tasting lamb (he found them in Harbin, China), I have to say I'm relatively experienced and biased when it comes to lamb. The key to a lamb dish is how the sauce compliments the gamey lamb flavor, and the chefs at Cityzen nails it.

Cheese platter:
A decent selection and presented in a less interesting way than the cheese presentation at the Inn at Little Washington. And of course, "interesting" in a restaurant is not my style.

Wine: At the end of the meal, the gracious sommelier gave us a bottle of wine go to with the dessert. Simply put, if you like dessert wines that's sweet and soda tasting, the Moscato d'Asti is a must have/drink/drank/drunk. It's a great tasting wine that I now have cases of.

Thank you Cityzen for one of the greatest meal this man has ever had.