Cyrus - tasting menu?

[dock]

Will be at Cyrus next week and was wondering if it is foolish to order the 3 or 4 course dinner as opposed to the tasting menu.

[superburns]

You can go either way there. The tasting menu is nice because it has more spontaneous dishes not found on the regular menu. However the regular menu is superb and a relative bargain for what you get.

Get the 35$ Kobe supplement. It melts in you're mouth, and the sides change seasonally for the dish. The foie gras preparation when i had it was mind blowing.

They're also very accommodating, so if you want to do the tasting but sub a few dishes, they have no problem with it.

[Claudette]

The tasting menu, especially if you live far away and aren't going there often. So many different tastes, techniques, stylings - a lot of fun for your money. Check earlier threads for descriptions and recs.

[Eat_Nopal]

So the deal with Cyrus is that they seem to have dishes in three styles:

> Asian
> New American
> French / Provencal

In my one trip it seemed pretty obvious that the Asian inspired dishes is what is most distinctive... their relative strength. The New American & French dishes tend to be boring in flavors... with a tendency to make them tooooo sweet (for example a Pork Belly, Bacon & Nutty Donut with overly sweet sauces and no counterpoint... no gamey cheese or surprising herb to round it out & give it an adult flavor)... it was exacerbated by their chosen pairings with Sauternes or other sweeter wines.

The tasting menu seems to offer a couple of dishes each of their 3 styles.... so my suggestion would be to go with 3 courses & stick with Asianesque dishes (like Hamashi in Cucumber "gazpacho" etc.,)

Also... the portion sizes of the 3 courses are large enough that you get almost the same amount of food.... sans the disneyish boxes of chocolates, personalized menus and other little things you get with the tasting menu.

[dock]

Thanks Nopal. Exactly what I needed to know. We will be eating at the French Laundry this week and I really don't want 2 overly extravagant meals. But I also don't want to deprive myself of the true Cyrus experience. Unless my dining companions insist on the tasting menu, we'll stick to 3 courses.

[Sam B]

Do consider ordering caviar at Cyrus - one of the best food experiences of the last year for me - great theater, delicious presentation, and Champagne's raison de etre!

[Eat_Nopal]

Talk about overly extravagant... Champagne & Cavier will easily set you back $300 to $400 at Cyrus... and what value does Cyrus add? The dining room is ugly, the mood is subdued & not festive.... why not just do Champagne & Caviar at home for a fraction of the price?

I don't think it is at all part of the true Cyrus experience... actually I am dumb for neglecting to mention... by all means show up early for cocktails at the bar prior to the dinner reservation... now THAT is part of the Cyrus experience for sure (and probably the best part).

[Sam B]

Isn’t extravagance what one goes to a restaurant like Cyrus to experience?

First of all, you're way out of whack on pricing, I liked the room just fine, and I can scarcely imagine a more festive approach to fine dining - no stuffiness here whatsoever.

We (2) started our meal with 1/2 oz of Black River Oscetra ($65), and a 1/2 bottle of Michel Turgy Blanc de Blancs ($60), that's a total of $125, not even close $300-$400, and this was more than enough for two of us.

The waiter rolled up the cart, and, when asked, gave us a mini-class in Caviar. We settled on 1/2 oz of the aforementioned caviar. The waiter proceeded to put a dish on each side of an antique balance scale, reached into his pocket and pulled out a 1/2 oz gold coin (I didn't catch the currency) which he added to one side of the scale. He then added caviar to the opposite side of the scale until it came into balance, and added a touch more just to be sure.

The very moment the caviar was placed on our table, another waiter showed up with a trio of condiments - creme fraiche, chives, and egg mimosa. Then, a third waiter arrived with an elegant presentation of caraway grit cakes, and what were basically flat "tater tots" both of which were piping hot, and crisp. The whole thing was choreographed like a little ballet. We then proceeded to make the most luxurious canapés imaginable, and they were flat out delicious. The ice cold BDB was the perfect match, and it went well beyond just flavors - hot with cold, salty with acidic, and the texture of the caviar popping in your mouth accompanied by the Champagne bubbles - best match in years for me. There were four of each of the grit cakes and potato cakes. When we were down to just one of each I recall a small sigh of disappointment - a nanosecond later the waiter appeared with another batch fresh from the kitchen and removed the two that had cooled to room temp. The timing was impeccable - it was though he had read my mind!

The rest of the meal was great – but this was surely the highlight.

Great food, entertaining food theater, stupendous service, and the best wine list north of the GG bridge (check out the 1/2 bottles!) - That is what Cyrus is all about

[Eat_Nopal]

The OP mentioned not wanting two overly extravagant meals in the same week. I don't know when you were there last... but in September the average pricing would have put you in the $200 to $300 range for two people.

[Sam B]

Perhaps you were referring to the cost of an entire meal - My point was that for $125, you can add Champagne and Caviar, and that I believe it to be well worth the $$$

Any meal at Cyrus is extravagant, whether by measure of $$$, calories, or just generally exceeding reason. But if your making the trip at all, you might as well experience the best they have to offer, and in my opinion, the caviar service is without peer, and the best example of what sets Cyrus apart from other restaurants of it's caliber.

[Claudette]

I totally agree with Sam: Our dinner at Cyrus cost a lot less than our meal at French Laundry, and we had such a better time at Cyrus! Food, service, atmosphere - Cyrus was much superior in all respects, and my dining companions were all in agreement. There are several old threads on this, and might be worth your while to check out. Have fun, whatever you decide to do!

[Eat_Nopal]

No I was just referring to the Champagne & Caviar

[Sam B]

You could certainly spend that much if you opted for vintage Champagne, or perphaps Krug, but there are many, many excellent options that come in well below that. The fact is you can add this experience to you meal for as little as $42 for two people if you opt for 1/2 oz Amercian caviar, and two 1/2 glasses of Agarpart NV. Why mislead people?

[Robert Lauriston]

Their C&C menu is online. Listed prices for fish eggs range from $20 to $185, for sparking wine $7.50 to $66 a pour.

http://www.cyrusrestaurant.com/pdf/me...

[Eat_Nopal]

I saw that.... it seems to me they have added options on the low end... I will proceed to shut up now.

[dock]

I think Nopal understood the main point of my post. I will be going to TFL on friday with friends who are regulars and the last time we went to Per Se, we live in NY, we had a 17 course meal. I'm not looking to be blown away at Cyrus, but I do want a true representation of what it does, without being overindulgent or spending a(nother) fortune. If this was my only meal out there or if it was a special occasion, I might order the champagne and caviar. If you go to Daniel or Jean Georges in NY, the tasting menu is fabulous but if you order a la carte you can have an equally wonderful evening. At least we will be having fried chicken at Ad Hoc on Wednesday! Personally, I would prefer 2 tacos al pastor, you can't get that easily in NYC!

[Sam B]

You can have a great meal at Cyrus either way. And if you leave hungry there are several taquerias within walking distance!

[Eat_Nopal]

Eh... the Healdsburg taquerias... I wouldn't not put my name on that recommendation.

[Sam B]

Wasn't a recommendation - just an observation

[jrhsfcm]

So, you intend to be blown away at The French Laundry but not at Cyrus? I'm not sure if you're talking about financially or about the quality of the experience/food. If it's the latter, at least based on my experiences, you just might find that the reverse is true. My first outing to TFL was quite wonderful; the second, a severe disappointment. I've had multiple AMAZING trips to Cyrus.

If you just don't want to shell out the cash (and trust me, I can completely appreciate that), you can certainly have a wonderful time at Cyrus regardless if you go a la carte or you do the tasting menu. Caviar and champagne are fun, of course, but they certainly are not requirements in order to enjoy yourself.

Regardless of what you decide, I'm sure you'll be in for a wonderful meal.

[Eat_Nopal]

Now you are talking.... there are mixed reports on Ad Hoc & the fried chicken... the more recent seem to be less complimentary... in Napa there is a little joint called Antojitos La Mixteca which specializes on Oaxacan Mixtecan cooking (probably not that common in NYC either)... they have a Cucumber Agua Fresca & a Puerco en Chileajo (Pork Spareribs in Chile Costeno-Sesame Seed sauce) that are just stunning... oh yeah the Suadero tacos (Brisket & Beef Belly brined in a light pickle, braised for a long time then finished on the griddle) aren't bad either.

[Senor Popusa]

Agree with EN about getting a drink at the bar first. The bartender is first rate and mixes wonderful drinks. On par with places in the city like Bourbon and Branch.

Dinner is a good value, though not inexpensive, and worth it. Service was very good. I just wish there was more space between the tables....