Minibar
An unconventional bachelor party
When I asked Josh if he wanted a bachelor party he said the only thing he wanted was to go to Minibar. Minibar is a restaurant in DC that we've both wanted to go to for a really long time. Historically it was very difficult to get a booking, but recently this was made a bit easier and I was able to snag a reservation in early May.
Hors d'Oeuvres
Our first course arrived before we were seated. In the lobby, we were presented with these edible flowers embedded in a potato paper and pressed flat in a book. To drink, a glass of cava - Spanish sparking wine.
Once the other 4 in our seating arrived and finished their hors d'oeuvres, we were lead to the minibar. Minibar is arranged as two 6-person tables positioned right in front of the kitchen. Everything is prepared in this room.
The courses are all finished and plated at the table in front of you. For example, the first course involved mixing something in liquid nitrogen.
Course 1
"Hot and Cold Clover Club" - A gin cocktail with lemon and berries. The foam on top was freezing cold, but the drink itself at the bottom was hot.
Courses 2-4
From right to left:
"Parmesan Cupcake" - Tasty little cheese puffs.
"Pineapple Shortbread" - Simple shortbread biscuits infused with pineapple flavoring.
"Margarita Pizza" - Minibar's take on pizza with a thin, crispy wafer for a crust.
Course 5
"Rubber Ducky" - An apple meringue duck with foie gras inside.
Wine pairing: 2013 Dr. Herman Ürziger Würtzgarten Riesling, Kabinett Mosel, Germany
Course 6
Course 6 was elaborately prepared in front of us. We couldn't tell what was going on, but it involved dry ice or possibly liquid nitrogen.
And here it is: "Almond Tart with Blue Cheese". They told us to eat this one right away, since the almond tart itself is liquid at room temperature.
Course 7
Another drink course, the "Painkiller". Dark rum, roasted coconut milk, pineapple and orange juices.
Served in an elegant tiki figurine of course.
Course 8
"Vietnamese Pig Ear" - A kind of green curry served on a fried pigs ear. The little dropper that you see there contains chili oil, so you can make it as hot as you want.
Course 9
"Burger" - A burger made with wagyu beef tartare and sea urchin and seaweed on a yeast bun.
Wine pairing: Bodegas Hidalgo Manzanilla La Gitana "En Rama", Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain - A yeasty sherry to match the yeast bun of the "Burger"
Hand Towel
Up until now all our courses were eaten with our fingers. Before switching to silverware we were served a hot towel soaked in gin herbs.
Course 10
"Fusilli" - Our first course with a fork and knife. Pesto fusilli with a slow-poached duck egg. The fusilli is in fact not pasta at all. They showed us how they make it - they coat a corkscrew with a thin layer of gelatin, slowly twist it off, and then inject the gelatin shell with pesto using a syringe.
Wine pairing: 2013 Abbazia di Novacella Pinot Grigio, Valle Isarco, Alto Adige, Italy
Course 11
"Shaved Almonds" - A riff on a traditional Spanish almond soup. The almonds are green almonds. They have a very short season of only a few weeks when they have a soft, almost gelatinous texture. The pile of what looks like shredded potatoes is actually shaved ice, made from frozen almond soup. They brought out an old manual shaved ice machine to make this.
Course 12
"Fabes con Almejas" - A Spanish peasant dish: clam and white bean soup. The clams were gelatinized in their own juices and sea water.
Wine pairing: 2009 La Follette Chardonnay, Mendocino Ridge: Manchester Ridge Vineyard
Course 13
"Espardenyes with Bone Marrow" - Sea cucumber served over beef bone marrow. This may have been my favorite course of the night.
Wine pairing: 2012 Xavier Weisskopf Le Rocher Des Violettes, Cabrnet Franc, Touraine, France
Course 14
"Ibérico Tendon" - A pork tendon served in a rich broth.
Course 15
"Squab and Oysters" - Roast squab with flavors of the sea, oyster broth and seaweed.
Wine pairing: 2012 Arpepe Vendemmia, Rosso di Valtellina, Italy - A high elevation red that's meant to cut through salinity of seafood dishes.
Course 16
"Rabbit" - Confit leg of rabbit with beet, blackberry, and blood.
Wine pairing: 2012 J. L. Chave Offerus Syrah, Saint-Joseph, Rhône, France
Course 17
"Bonne Bouche Cheese Puff" - Melty-soft goat cheese with a sweet candy shell.
Wine pairing: 2011 Susana Balbo Late Harvest Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina
Course 18
"Perfume" - A rose-hip ice cream with bergamot and powdered vinegar.
Course 19
"Breakfast in Hokkaido" - Foamed, frozen milk and rice served over a caramel pecan base.
Wine pairing: NV Barbeito Rare Wine Co., Boston Bual Medeira, Portugal
Desserts, Part 1
Left to right: yuzu marshmallow, strawberry-wasabi bon bon, chocolate minibar, raspberry cream doughnuts, sesame pocky.
Desserts, Part 2
"Boozy Bear" with ouzo and mezcal.
"Piña Colada Tablet"
The Bill
Everyone's least favorite course. The bill was presented to us inside of a Matryoshka Lego man, softening the blow.
We both had a great time.
