I could not have spent my last dinner in New York City with anyone better than with my mother and sister. It was the perfect close to my 12-year chapter in NY.
MYSELF (LEFT), MY MOTHER (CENTER) & MY SISTER TIFFANY (RIGHT)
By now you may have read and/or have heard about me moving out of NYC and as of Friday, I finally arrived in Arizona! More details soon to come of my experience here on the Southwest but before I do, I want to share my last evening in the Big Apple.
First, I want to thank Fisher Nuts and Executive Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, for the wonderful invitation to Butter restaurant located in midtown Manhattan. Thank You!
WITH FOOD NETWORK’S IRON CHEF ALEX GUARNASCHELLI IN HER RESTAURANT, BUTTER
FRONT ENTRANCE OF BUTTER
I was able to invite a guest to dine with and being that it was my last night in the city, I couldn’t pass up inviting my beautiful mother who I knew would appreciate Alex’s exclusive tasting menu. The menu was comprised of seasonal recipes using Fisher walnuts, pecans and almonds in a variety of dishes. From starters to desserts, each dish had a creative twist highlighting one of the 3 preservative free nuts.
FISHER’S NUTS FLORAL ARRANGEMENT
From the moment I walked down the staircase into the foyer of the restaurant, I immediately sensed an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication which is everything I look for when celebrating a night to remember and I am very glad I was able to do so at Butter. With semi-glossed wooden tables, a variety of brown hues from the booth to the high ceilings, and low but warm lighting, the décor had the right amount of masculinity; what I like to call a “modern rustic-charm” design. A very inviting contemporary feel.
As for the food, I have to admit I can be one picky eater but because I’m a huge nut fan, I couldn’t wait to taste new recipe combinations such as: goat cheese pecan tartlets, grilled salmon with spiced almonds, and potato gratin with walnuts. Besides, how often can you say you’ve tasted a recipe created by the same chef you watch on national television?! I just couldn’t pass this up!
CLOCKWISE: CHICKEN BREAST WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CANDIED PECANS | POTATO GRATIN WITH WALNUTS | GRILLED SALMON WITH SPICED ALMONDS | WALNUT, BACON AND CHEDDAR POTATO “BITES”
And if there is one way to win me over, that is for me to have a change of opinion on a particular ingredient I was not originally fond of prior to tasting. I was quite skeptical going in on the goat cheese pecan tartlets. Much to my surprise from the first bite, my mind was blown away! I was amazed goat cheese could taste SO GOOD! The smooth creamy texture of the cheese paired with the cranberry topping’s tartness gave the subtle savory-sweet fusion a splash of freshness. Sprinkled chopped pecans was added which gave this tartlet great texture and heightened flavor with a nutty boldness. A wonderful crunchy contrast to its creamy interior. From that very moment, I was hooked! It was served as a starter but I can surely see it served as a dessert in which I plan to make to give my Thanksgiving a twist from the traditional cheesecake!
CLOCKWISE: CHOCOLATE WALNUT LAYER CAKE | GOAT CHEESE PECAN TARTLETS | PUMPKIN PECAN SWIRL CHEESECAKE | RASPBERRY WALNUT COBBLER
All-in-all, each of the 11-part menu was absolutely amazing!! So good, I cannot wait to settle in my Arizona kitchen and get cookin’! I highly recommend Butter as one of NYC’s top restaurants. It’s a MUST-TRY.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation about my experience dining at Butter and sampling the Fisher tasting menu written by me. The opinions and text are and will always be my own.