This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor.
Hidden Gems: Here we highlight some of the best under-the-radar restaurants we find often get missed by the press or restaurants with notable changes (like new chef, menu or concept) that warrant a revisit.
Since opening in 2009, RN74 has been a stellar wine destination with a pioneering Burgundy and French wine program, among other wine regions, thanks to founding sommelier and Mina Group wine director and sommelier Rajat Parr. But more than ever in 7 years, I find the kitchen keeping step with the wines.
The Change: RN74’s food has landed at varying levels through a number of chefs over the years, but executive chef Michael Lee Rafidi (formerly Noma in Copenhagen and Talula’s Garden in Philadelphia), who came on board in fall 2015, is breathing new life into the menu.
Dish Recommends: Exuberant decadence comes in the form Burgundy escargot croissants and caviar doughnuts with smoked fromage blanc and uni. The decadence continues with lobster thermidor (a pricey $52), arriving dramatically swimming in coral veloute and garlic streusel over Swiss chard. This is not a 1960’s American-style lobster thermidor but more in line with the original August Escoffier recipe from France in the 1880s, creamy with egg yolk and brandy-laced lobster sauce. You can almost feel the pounds adding on as you eat it… and it’s worth it.
Drink Recommends: Lead sommelier David Castleberry continues to carry the superb wines torch with four new weekly wine nights, like Magnum Mondays, featuring rare or special magnums available by the glass, or and Flying Blind, focused on guided blind tastings.