Dans Papers - May 11, 2007 - Restaurant Review: Almond

Last Thursday, my colleagues Victoria Cooper, Janine Cheviot and I had the pleasure of sitting down to a delicious meal at Almond in Bridgehampton. When we arrived, the sunlight was still streaming in through the country-chic curtains and the restaurant felt like a cozy little Hamptons retreat. The sleek bar and fabulous soundrack made us think that, had we stayed a bit longer, we would have gotten a glimpse of a much cooler, nighttime scene.

We were a little daunted by the number of choices on the menu and each of them sounded simply scrumptious. I finally decided on the Foie Gras Mousse with balsamic-glazed strawberries and the Whole Fish Plat Du Jour. Victoria selected the Steamed Black Mussels with shallots, white Wine and parsley and the Tiger Shrimp with curried cous cous, leeks and tarragon. We both begged Janine to order "Le Grand Macaroni & Cheese" with prociutto and chopped truffles and, thankfully, she acquiesced. Janine also ordered her favorite Almond treat, the Endive, Pear & Roquefort salad with candied walnuts.

The appetizers came out quickly and were soon being passed around the table in rotation so we could all enjoy each dish. The foie gras came packed solidly in a little, ceramic souffle dish, with another dish of tiny, wild strawberries swimming in sweet syrup on the side. The main plate was garnished with a lightly dressed frisee salad and three perfectly crisped slices of toast - one for each of us. The foie gras was impossibly creamy and rich, and as I bit into the tower of toast, strawberries, salad and foie gras that I had built, I thought that I could eat only this and be completely satisfied with my meal. Of course, I had to give my fellow reviewers a taste, so I busied myself with some mussels as I watched them delve into my delectable treat. The mussels were flavorful and plump, and we could have dipped bread into the broth and eaten it as a soup. Janine had been raving about the endive salad since we crossed the threshold into the restaurant, so Victoria and I were anxious to try it. I made sure to spear some of each ingredient, including a candied walnut, with my fork and the result was spectacular. The dressing was creamy and delicate, the endive fresh and crisp and the candied nuts were just that - as sweet as candy.

After our appetizers, we decided that we were full and contented and could always take our main courses home. But at that moment, Janine's sizzling pot of macaroni and cheese appeared, with it's bubbling golden-brown crust and pungent aroma. Next, Victoria's tiger shrimp arrived, prettily arranged atop a cous cous round sitting in a puddle of fragrant curry broth. My fish came soon after, beautifully arranged on a bed of vegetables, with a generous stuffing of herbs and lemon slices artfully placed in its center. I was amazed that the fish, which came with all its bones intact, was so easily separated from the skeleton, revealing two perfect, succulent fillets. The bed of vegetables could not be passed off as garnish, despite their beauty, simply because they tasted so divine. When the meal finished, all that was left on my plate was a bit of sauce - the true sign of a perfect dish. Janine's "Grand Macaroni & Cheese" was every bit as sinfully indulgent as its name suggests - the taste of firm penne and fresh French cheeses mingling with precious truffles and salty prociutto had us all wishing we had larger stomachs so we could finish it all. Our poor performance - we had to have one third of it wrapped to go - disappointed us, until we learned that no one had ever finished "Le Grand Macaroni" since its addition to the menu. Victoria's dish was the most reasonably sized of all, and we were sure to consume every last granule of cous cous from her plate. The tiger shrimp had perfectly charred outsides and the cous cous and curry sauce was the ideal pairing for them, as the creaminess balanced the crunch.

At this point, we were all clutching our middles for mercy and thought that we couldn't possibly fit dessert. However, Maggie insisted we at least try the Strawberry Rhubarb Tarte, so we ordered coffee and dug in. The tarte was piping hot, still in the crock in which it was baked and topped with a generous scoop of fresh vanilla bean ice cream. The berries were tart and fresh and the crumbles on top were crispy and not too sweet. As with every other dish we had sampled, that too disappeared, leaving only a white ceramic dish where a just-baked tarte had been only a few minutes before.