Thursday, March 14, 2013
A view from the Summit
Posted By Matthew Schniper on Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 12:11 PM
Consider this a Part 2 blog as a follow-up to my posting a couple days ago on the Broadmoor's Sommelier Boot Camp.
As a conclusion to the weekend, campers attended a spectacular Bersano Vini six-course dinner at the Summit. (Which, as we mentioned before, was $95 per person for those not attending the camp; I was comped as media.)
I'm not going to do a lengthy play-by-play, but would rather let the photos and menu descriptions do most of the talking.
But I will say that the meal was the most impressive I've yet had at the Summit, and that chef Mark Musial deserves a huge round of applause, with secondary credit going to chefs David Patterson and Bertrand Bouquin for their collaborative input.
On the way out the door at night's end, I briefly spoke with a woman who said the dinner was the best meal of her life. Period.
At our table of eight ten, we exchanged excited looks and superlative statements particularly throughout the first three courses, which landed like an implausible series of home runs in a playoff game. As impressive as one course would be, the next would either match or top it, leaving me wondering how any culinary team could be so on, so consistently, at that caliber.
It was almost a dangerous stage to set, because it left us wondering when the magic might dissipate, when the elaborate card tower might fall. The best anyone could come up with was how the wine pairing for Course 4 was the least strong of the batch — which isn't even to say it was entirely a dud.
All the wines were top-notch, and that particular Barbaresco Mantico (a Nebbiolo varietal aged in oak for at least two years, bearing high tannins and alcohol and cherry-currant notes) may have been just a bit too powerful for the swordfish pairing.
Seeing as this is how the Broadmoor culinary staff handle Italian wines, I'm even more excited to watch the Charles Court turn into a new Italian concept (designed by the same architect as Summit) in May 2014.
Now, into the action, first with this look at the menu for full descriptions:
Summit_Menu.pdf
Please click on the following photos to do the food shots, in particular, justice:
- Matthew Schniper
- Our favorite course of the evening, an Ahi Escabeche which paired impeccably with the Gavi del Comune del Gavi (a white, high-acid Cortese varietal not aged in any wood, ideal for sushi and fish pairings).
- Matthew Schniper
- An absolute powerhouse course: bison carpaccio highlighted with a clever anchovy aioli.
- Matthew Schniper
- The starring winery of the evening, from Piemonte, Italy.
- Matthew Schniper
- Spirited wine rep Erika Abate from Bersano Vini leads a brief Q&A session between courses.
- Matthew Schniper
- Wait, was this dish actually my favorite? So hard to decide ... sweet potato and chestnut ravioli under a sage brown butter.
- Matthew Schniper
- A gorgeous dining room in motion. Good wine, good food, good people.
- Matthew Schniper
- Swordfish, mushrooms, parsnip purée — done.
- Matthew Schniper
- Hulk potatoes (OK, parsley potatoes, really) and Tuscan kale make a bed for pieces of short rib and hanger steak.
- Matthew Schniper
- Chef Mark fielding questions at our table at meal's end.
- Matthew Schnipers
- Inside this round mound lurked quite a flavor explosion: big coffee notes mixed with whiskey chocolate ganache mousse.
Speaking of...
-
Broadmoor sued over swiping staff tips, labeled as 'service charges'
Feb 12, 2020 -
Jax Fish House and Drekar Meadery open; The Broadmoor offers January-only deals at Ristorante del Lago and Summit
Jan 8, 2020 -
Broadmoor guests' afternoon hike turns into all-nighter
Oct 16, 2019 -
Two parks ballot measures suddenly lose support
Aug 21, 2019 -
City Council denies appeal of Broadmoor expansion
May 15, 2019 -
Uproar over the Broadmoor
May 14, 2019 - More »
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