ai fiori

It's another Fancy Supper Club post.  Our expectations were not as high as with Babbo which made the meal that much more enjoyable.  I had eaten at other Michael White restaurants - Marea and Osteria Morini - and they have all been delicious meals.  And Ai Fiori was the perfect combination between the two restaurants offering both pasta and fish perfectly executed.

When I first arrived, I was seated immediately and the staff was attentive.  The others arrived and we were given lots of time to chat and catch up.  When we wanted to order though, we couldn't find a server.  I finally caught the eye of someone who I thought was a server and he helped us throughout the meal.  We all enjoyed his expertise and he steered us well when ordering.  He was very nice and willingly answered all of our questions.  We found out at the end of the meal that he was the manager and he really didn't need to stay with us all night.  We were all happy he did as he made the evening that much more enjoyable.

Mer commented a few times throughout the meal that each dish was a melody that perfectly executed the individual components.  Each bite was a little different and it made the dining experience that much more enjoyable.

Trish recently celebrated a birthday and I brought back gifts for her from Belgium.

I wish the lighting was better as Mer looked lovely.

An amuse-bouche of (I believe) pea soup with these perfect lemon bursts through the soup.

We all ordered the Four Course Prix Fixe.  

Mer and Trish started with the Nova Scotia Lobster Salad, shaved celery, and apple.

I started with a dish of Soft Shell Crab, melon and prosciutto.  It's a new offering and not on the menu online but I highly recommend it.

Trish and I ordered the Trofie Nero which is ligurian crustacean ragu, seppia, scallops, and spiced mollica.  I loved this pasta and could probably eat it everyday.  It was my favorite thing I ate that night and will probably order sepia whenever it is on the menu.

Mer ordered the Tortelli which is ricotta & mascarpone ravioli, sottocenere cheese, and red wine glaze.  I tried a bit and it was rich and delicious but not pretty enough for it's own photo.

For our main course, Mer and I ordered the Atlantic Halibut with baby romaine, guanciale, white bean puree and preserved lemon jus.  I particularly liked the lemon jus as it added personality to the dish.

Trish ate the Bouillabaisse with saffron broth, langoustine, scallops, bouchot mussels and rouille.  She loved it,  specifically the scallops and it was a beautiful dish.

We were excited for the desserts as I've read a lot about them online and the pastry chef is a James Beard semi-finalist.

Mer ate the Torta di Cioccolato which is gianduja mousse, bosc pear, port, violet, and vanilla gelato.  It was the last dessert that our server commented on as it is a heavy chocolate dish.  Mer loved it though and I made jokes about her licking the plate.

Trish ordered the Torrone which is chocolate semifreddo, Sicilian pistachio, apricot and orange confit. 

I ordered Budino di Limone with hazelnut praline, toasted meringue, espresso gelee, and cinnamon gelato.  It was like a lemon panna cotta and it was lovely.  I didn't like the gelato though as the flavor wasn't very distinct and I moved it to the side of the plate.