HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEEE!!! ?????
I began my birthday festivities on Friday evening, with a surprise visit to Restaurant Eighteen in the Byward Market.
Sitting by a roaring fireplace, I had the chance to try Chef Dave Godsoe’s 5-course tasting menu, complete with wine pairings.
I really wanted oysters and bubbly on my birthday, so I was over the moon when our amuse bouche included PEI oysters with caviar and sparkling rosé. I also enjoyed the fresh baguette and chive whipped butter.
The first course featured scallops with crispy chicken skin on ragu and the creamiest corn ever. This was one of my favourite plates – a great combination of flavours and textures. Out of all the wines I tried throughout the meal, the pairing for this stood out to me the most – Cucú Verdejo by Barco del Corneta.
The second course was mushrooms done 3 ways (smoky flavours of king oyster, black oyster, and an incredible broth/sauce), with poached egg. The sauce was poured at the table and was so good that we threw away etiquette and asked for bread so we could mop it up. It was not a particularly photogenic dish, but it was delicious.
Third course was maple foie gras with oranges, brioche, and meringue. There was a fennel foam on top that really tied the dish together and lightened the heaviness of the foie. I liked the textures in this dish – crispiness of meringue, chewiness of brioche, creaminess of foie, and “bursting” sensationfrom the orange slices.
Fourth course was my favourite: duck with apple, red cabbage, celeriac, and grainy mustard. Duck is one of my favourite meats and this dish was perfect for an autumn evening like the one we had on Friday night. It reminded me of my first visit to Eastern Europe and this one meal we had in an old castle.
The fifth course was dessert! Carrot cake with FOIE GRAS ICE CREAM. Carrot cake is one of my favourite kinds of cake, and the Chef definitely did it justice. I want to bring home pints of the ice cream… Imagine the charcouterie you could have with that!
Finally, I received a lovely extra dish just for my birthday! Chocolatey goodness with nuts and berries ?
Overall, the atmosphere was lovely, the food delicious, and the wine pairings perfect. Thank you, Eighteen, for a great evening!
Also, it was funny when I was asked if I am old enough to drink – I think my wine consumption is preserving me well hahaha