Per Se (*, NYC)

*Note: pre-emptive apology if the picture quality isn't great. It's very, very dark in that room at 5 pm during in December.

I'm not sure how much else needs to be said about Per Se that hasn't already been said. Other than, I'll just say that I do not, in any way, agree with certain critical reviews by Melissa Clark. On a weekend when I went to four other Michelin-starred restaurants, Per Se is still, by far, the best of them all and it's really not even close. It's possibly the best meal of my life (though perhaps my perfect evening at Jean-Georges in August might be tied/slightly ahead). This is the three-Michelin starred meal that's worth a special journey, the kind I'd recommend people plan their vacations around.

Note, rumor has it that Per Se really pulls out all the stops for solo diners in case they're critics/Michelin judges. I was alone since I'm in town for a work thing, and I do think they put on an extra special show for me (complementary champaign, a tour of the kitchen, some extra cookies that I don't think the table next to me was offered). So, who knows if I just got a really, really perfect meal because of that?

Thoughts on the food:
*The signature Oysters and Pearls is every bit as good as I'd heard, and it doesn't actually taste like what I thought it would. I was expecting something more light and briney, perhaps but it was heavy and creamy, almost cheesy? But oh god. This is the kind of dish that you eat and all of sudden you realize the distinction between two and three star meals. I'd go back just to experience this again.

*The Maine Lobster was so perfectly cooked. It basically just tasted like pure butter and I was living for it. It was served with duxelles, which really ramped up the umami a ton. Couldn't get enough of this dish.

*When I was served the quail, my first thought was "dear god this looks and sounds boring," but it was actually pleasant. I felt a little bit like a medieval French aristocrat since the quail was served on a bed of oats and apples.

*The lamb! Dear god. Massive portion, and I don't think I've ever had a more pleasing plate of lamb. I don't know what they did to get it to taste like that but it was almost addicting.

*Desserts: so many! I was served 6 different plates of desserts at once. The standouts were the Forelle Pear and the Louix XV cake–one light and fruity, one heavy and rich.

The "worst" dishes of the night were the Black Bass, which even still was pretty freaking good, and the foie gras, which was a supplement. The foie gras was delightful and the dish is one of the most beautiful plates I've ever seen, but I realized after I ate half of it that maybe I don't really like foie gras enough to have that much of it. I've only ever had small portions of it before and that was not a small portion. So, in retrospect I probably should've just had the standard option (avocado, finger limes, etc).

No negative notes. Everything about the experience was incredible and I'll surely be back once my bank account has recovered from this week.

(Thanks to everyone who's read my posts this week! I'm on a train back home, where I have zero good restaurants nearby. I've enjoyed writing up my experiences though and will do so next time I'm out fine dining.)