Libertine - October 8, 2015
Previously, I’d only eaten at Libertine for brunch and a couple guest chef dinners. My initial brunch experience with one item, expensive parking, and trying lots of other brunch and dinner spots meant I didn’t make it a priority to get back there. That may have been a mistake given I’ve eaten there 3 times in the past two and a half months.
The quality of my dining companions more than eclipsed any residual guilt I may have had about putting off my first authentic Libertine experience. Real life friends distilled from the ether of social media, some meeting up for the nth time, some for the first, six of us gathered to share a meal. Say what you will about the modern world and the various generations, I enjoy our digital serendipity.
Descriptions and impressions under each picture.
TOMATO with burrata roasted peppers, moroccan spices: a good grab at the last fading moment of summer. Good acid and spice tempered by the torn burrata.
CRISPY PIG’S EARS with fried egg, ancho pepper, lime: a novel take on one of my favorite “fifth quarter” cuts. Long braised, sliced, battered and fried in a manner that deftly evokes well prepared calamari. Probably second favorite preparation of ear, second only to a salad I had at Cleveland’s Greenhouse Tavern. I will definitely get this dish again and be very reticent to share.
(LAMB) MERGUEZ SAUSAGES with grilled peppers: tasty, initially I wasn’t a fan of the texture and spice combination of this style of sausage, desiring a heat comparable to similarly textured chorizo, but it’s quickly growing on me.
(PORK) SPARE RIBS spiced like Korean BBQ with black sesame: Maybe my favorite dish of the night. Heat, spice, texture. If these are on the menu next time, it will be hard to order a different entree.
SWEET CORN with miso, butter, chilis: served in small sections recalling my favorite low country boil, the flavors on this don’t try to imitate or reinvent the ever popular elote. If you enjoy sweet corn, and this is available, I recommend.
(BEEF) BONE MARROW TOAST with onion jam, parsley, crunchy salt, and a luge of Rebel Yell if you want: I love a good bone marrow, this is a great bone marrow. Don’t fear the meat butter, don’t over salt, and enjoy. One of my dining companions grabbed a picture of me doing the luge.
CARAMELIZED CAULIFLOWER with brown butter, capers, goat cheese fondant: cauliflower, to me, is a basic, bland canvas, it’s never the actual star of the dish. In this one it moves to center stage. The caramelization acts to enhance the really subtle milky sweetness and elevates the slight nutiness to appreciable levels. The accoutrements perfectly complement.
BROCCOLI, charred with chile pepper, soy: I like most charred vegetables that end up getting paired with soy, ginger, and some heat, this was no exception.
(BEEF) ONGLET with herb-marrow butter: super tender, a good amount of flavor, the marrow butter was really herbacious and delicious. Would order again.
(PORK) BACON CHOP with light smoke, minimally trimmed: Very tasty fat, given the nature, of the prep the meat isn’t as succulent as some pork chops I’ve had. Ensuring a bite has some of that great fat yields a great combination of textures, moisture, and flavors. I’m glad I experienced it, and I’d come back to it, but I’ll be tempted to try something else.
There weren’t any descriptions of the desserts on the menu so I’m going to wing it. If I get an update from Chef Hesse with their correct descriptions, I’ll edit and denote the corrections.
PAVLOVA with vanilla custard, strawberry sorbet, black berry syrup, berries, and mint: This is the first time I can recall having pavlova. The light and airy crispiness of the meringue coupled with the smooth density of the custard was an enjoyable experience, great flavors.
SMOKED CHOCOLATE TORTE with chocolate ganache, hazelnut ice cream, chocolate crisp crumble, chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce: This was great, the subtle smokiness conjured up thoughts of a campfire, mole, and respectable pipe smokers’ jackets. I think this was my favorite dessert.
CREME BRULEE with dark chocolate dipped pistachio biscotti, berries, and mint: Smooth and dense, great cracking surface. Solid.
PARFAIT with meringue kisses, vanilla ice cream, strawberry sorbet, and salty shortbread crumble: good, unfortunately I think we were all too full to enjoy this one the way it should have been. (I’m guessing it’s an homage to Strawberry Shortcake)
Ultimately after my first true dining experience at Libertine, I would give it a solid recommendation. I will definitely add it to the rotation so I can see what Chef Hesse does to the menu seasonally.