470158 Mon Dec 17 04:43:11 -0800 2007 5 12 Boston Area 0 3214483 Anyone going to the Italian Christmas Eve dinner at Sage tomorrow night (Tuesday, December 18, 2007)? http://www.sageboston.com/upcoming_events.php#christmas_dinner My lovely wife and I are going with two close friends, we are psyched. Have never been to Sage. The ‘guest chefs’ concept is interesting; it would be fascinating to watch what goes on in the kitchen. I have picked ‘Poached Maine Lobster, Pierogi, Charred Fennel, Pickled Beet, Long Pepper Jus’ to most look forward to as Hugo’s is Portland is a favorite of ours. Will report back. Mon Dec 17 04:43:12 -0800 2007 34130 Carty 1 3221737 I was there, and it was amazing, with one glaring exception. Full review to come. Wed Dec 19 08:19:45 -0800 2007 3214483 19370 jajjguy 2 3232303 I went to this event simply as a fan of food and with no personal or professional connection to it. It was my second time at Sage. I am not a food critic, and I don't usually blog meals in detail, so please don't imagine that every detail presented here is correct, but I really felt the urge to sing the praises of this great event and its contributors. So many wonderful dishes, so well conceived around the theme. It began with cocktails (a prosecco and an unusual whiskey cocktail: dewars, ginger beer, and orange juice) and passed hors d'oeuvre. The hors d'oeuvre were not credited to any one chef, so I assume they were a Sage effort. Lobster arancini, eel on brioche, tuna tartare on lemon tempura, bacalao fishcake, razor clam in the shell with some gently acidic sauce. Very very nice. Dish 1, Dante Demagistris, dante: Escarole stuffed with breadcrumb, anchovy and spices, with pine nuts and raisins, very nice. Dish 2, Pino Maffeo, Boston Public: Octopus salad, with whitefish. Some of it was ceviche-style (raw, or rather cooked without heat, using the acid of lemon and perhaps vinegar) and some was cooked. A lovely minimal dressing of minced hot peppers and other stuff. This was a big winner, really set me ringing. At this point we were told that Marc Orfaly would be presenting 4th, rather than 3rd, and Gabriele would step up in his place. Dish 3, Gabriele Frasca, Straight Wharf, Nantucket: Quite nicely done bay scallops, each atop a bed of mandarin orange and some very nice dressing. The orange too easily overwhelmed the mild scallop flavor, but this was easily corrected with some fork-work. Dish 4, Marc Orfaly, Pigalle / Marco: Rather than the squid confit that had been advertised, Marc served a panko-crusted squid body stuffed with bacalao on braised romaine, with some sweet syrup garnish squirted around the plate. This was a very surprising disappointment: the flavors were quite pedestrian, and the different components of the dish didn't go well together. This seemed quite possibly like a last-minute thrown together whoops item. Perhaps the confit didn't come out right? Perhaps chef forgot about the whole thing? Whatever the case, he rode through it like a celeb, visiting various gushing friends and industry types after his dish was served. Did no one need his help back in the kitchen? Dish 5, Rick Gencarelli, Shelburne Farms, VT: Bacalao ravioli, with peppers and sea urchin on top. This was really very nice, and the surprising (to me) pairing of sea urchin with bacalao really worked. Dish 6, Robert Jean, Sorellina: Extraordinary branzino (aka mediterranean sea bass) presented in several rolled pieces. Can't remember much more except that I really enjoyed the rich flavor of this fish. Dish 7, Rob Evans, Hugo’s / Duckfat, Portland, ME: Gorgeous butter poached lobster with a wonderfully composed collection of accompaniments that included a pierogi. Everything was in harmony. Dish 8, Anthony Susi, Sage: Dessert, in 2 courses. First, a light crusty pastry cone with whipped mascarpone flavored with limoncello. Second, zeppole (italian doughnuts). Both were quite lovely, light and delicious, a perfect cap on this meal. Wine pairings (provided by Ruby Wines) were excellent throughout, with (at least) two standouts worth mentioning: With the scallops, ’05 “Coenobium”, Monastero Suore Cistercensi, Lazio. Dry, intensely savory, minerally. Picked up a few bottles for the house yesterday. With the Branzino, ’06 Pinot Nero, “Meczan” J. Hofstatter, Alto-Adige. Tasted like a red burgundy, with a very strong menthol-eucalyptus note that rang and rang. A fantastic performance by all (with the unfortunate exception of Mr. Orfaly, who I think it is safe to say simply didn't have his A-game with him that night). I can only imagine the difficulty of coordinating so many chefs, such a complex menu, impeccable simultaneous full-dining-room service. Well done. Sun Dec 23 07:48:39 -0800 2007 3221737 19370 jajjguy 3 3232361 Nice report! How much did it cost? Sun Dec 23 08:18:46 -0800 2007 3232303 10143 MC Slim JB 4 3232408 I remember looking into getting a group together to go with no luck and iirc, it was $120 pp. I would have loved to have gone. Sounds like a fun night! Thanks for the writeup. Sun Dec 23 08:43:15 -0800 2007 3232361 12702 lissy 5 3232650 Yes, $120 per person, including generous wine pairing. Not a small sum, but quite a deal all considered. Sun Dec 23 11:02:12 -0800 2007 3232408 19370 jajjguy