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Aqueous Restaurant
at Falling Rock |
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| Farmington, PA - USA |
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Merit -
Extraordinary
June - 2008 |
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4 Stars
& 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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In a classic setting reflecting the organic
style of world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Aqueous Restaurant
presents itself as the quintessential all-American steak house. The beauty of
Wright's architectural style as it was interpreted by one of his former
students, is that it seems to move, to sway with the wind, to add to the
environment in which it stands, instead of detaching from it. In this case,
Aqueous Restaurant is cleverly situated, nestled in the Appalachian hills of
southwestern Pennsylvania, with expansive views of the golf course just a few
steps away. The ambiance is heavily influenced by the unique architectural
design, which is carried through the entire restaurant from the geometric
lighting fixtures to the changing proportionality of the linear carpets. On one
side of the room is an extensive wine collection creatively organized with
extraordinary art objects interspaced as if placed there for visual relief.
Our evening dining experience began with a warm greeting from Food &
Beverage Manager Kory Young, who led us to our table. I ventured a guess that
the sensation of walking on a well-manicured green was part of the overall aura
created by the designers of this restaurant. It was the feeling of casual
elegance wrapped in a unique design, where even the glassware and flower vases
conformed to this warm and relaxed atmosphere. We were fully prepared to be
captivated by the creative prowess of
Executive
Chef Jeremy Critchfield and his team of culinary experts. Chris Mikolowsky
the sommelier shared his vision of his favorite wine pairings to be served with
each course starting with a bottle of 1999 Krug Brut Grand Cuvee
Champagne, which was rated a 95 by The Wine Spectator. After a slight
mishap where the first bottle was found to be corked, it was quickly replaced
and we were soon on our way to discovering the wonderfully creamy bouquet and
very fine mousse. |
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| Breads were brought to the table and we relished the
assortment, which included potato rosemary loaf, walnut onion rolls and
Pennsylvania Blue Cheese stuffed corn muffins. After a muffin-shaped Amuse
Bouche of Tellagio Onion Popover with Cherry Apple Butter, a
brioche-like presentation using a mild flavored tangy cheese from Italy, we
relished the lingering aftertaste. Soon after, a second course of Oysters on
the Half Shell and Oysters Rockefeller appeared together with a bottle of
Perrier Jouët, Cuvee Belle Epoque, 1999. Our feeling was that this
was a superb reinterpretation of a bygone standard on menus of the 50's and
60's. Next up was a trio of appetizers for the third course consisting of
Tuna Tatare with Frozen Avocado, Pickled Cucumber and Radish as well as
Grilled Portabella Mushrooms with Pennsylvania Blue Cheese Gratin and
Asparagus Salad, and finally Prime Beef Capriccio with Potato
Horseradish Beignets. The group of three offered a wild combination of
flavors and textures to contemplate with the wine pairings for each that
complimented the tasty tidbits. |
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| Working our way through all
this creative display of culinary cleverness proved a lot easier than I thought
as we focused on the finesse of being able to perform well while using such
diverse ingredients. We moved on to the fourth course of Pan Roasted
Mountain Trout with Bacon, Spring Pea Risotto and Mint, which was brought
together with a bottle of Rex Hill Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Oregon,
2006. |
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| As before, this course was one of a trio of offerings
that also included Tuna “Au Poivre” with Edamame Salad and Soy
Basil Emulsion and Potato Wrapped Salmon with Heirloom Tomatoes with a
Golden Curry Sauce. We enjoyed the latter two dishes with Nobilo Icon,
Gewurztraminer Gisborne New Zealand 2006 and a Calera Pinot Noir,
Central Coast California 2005. After an intermezzo of Mandarin Orange
Sorbet, we were ready for the main course of Dry Aged Rib Eye with King
Crab, Dry Aged Porterhouse with Maine Lobster Tail and Potato Croquettes
and finally Pecan Crusted Double Lamb Chops with a Spicy Dirty Rice and
Sesame Glaze. The three meat entrées we found to be of the highest
quality offering a slight piquant flavor as a hint the controlled dry aging
process. There is nothing like getting your meat entrée at the spot-on
correct temperature while at the same time still sizzling from the broiler.
This trio was singularly paired with a bottle of Roadblock by Domaine
Serene, Syrah, “Del Rio Vineyard”, Oregon 2003, which presented a
perfect match for the meats, supporting each entrée with a specific
characteristic profile. |
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| Chef
Jeremy wasn't quite finished yet and soon after the entrées were
expertly cleared by servers Ben Jackson and Ian Sage, there appeared the sixth
course of desserts including Strawberry Soup with Quenelles of White
Chocolate Cheesecake, A Tasting of Chocolate and Caramel Chocolate Marquis,
Milk Chocolate and Caramel with Vanilla Sea Salt and Crème Brulee
with Homemade Blueberry Ice Cream with Almond Cookie. It became obvious
during the presentation and sampling of this delightful course that Chef Jeremy
continued to be inspired and resourceful with his ingredient alliances as they
presented well and interacted with the palate in a pleasant way. Sommelier
Chris suggested three dessert wines for this course although the Diszonoko
Tokaji Aszu, 5 Puttonyos, Hungary 1995 stood out as not overly sweet but
dominated the nose with aromas of peach and apricot. |
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| 2008 -
Award-Hand-Out: Aqueous Restaurant |
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Our cuisine experience today was an agreeable
event, which highlighted the creative expertise of a fine chef and his team in
the middle of the Pennsylvania foothills about two hours southeast of
Pittsburgh. It is truly worthy of a visit under any circumstances. |
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by
Edmund Buehrmann & Thorsten Buehrmann
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2008 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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