Anniversary dinner at August

We went to Restaurant August the other night for our anniversary. We also went last year and did the tasting menu but I was pregnant and I was at that really full point in the pregnancy. Because of that I didn't enjoy it and had to sit there in envy while J got the wine pairing with his. I wanted to go back thinking that we would do the tasting menu again.

It really is such a beautiful restaurant. They had huge arrangements of yellow lilies everywhere! They smelled delicious but I could only think that a restaurant that is truly about fine dining shouldn't distract the nose and palate with such a strong flowery smell. similar to waiter's wearing perfume or cologne. But no matter. We were seated far away from the flowers (although I could still smell a hint of them) and near a window. The service was impeccable if a bit too fast. We wanted to enjoy a leisurely dinner and really we were out of there in less than an hour an a half. But who knows, if it were the other way around I may be bitching about that. We decided against the tasting menu. It didn't really jump out at me so we decided to get 2 apps and 1 entree each. This is what I ate:

Baby beet salad with bacon, quail eggs, fried black eyed peas and crabmeat ravigote
This was possibly the best, most well-balanced salad I have ever put in my mouth. I was worried about the lack of salt on the table for my quail eggs but I paired each half with a big honkin' chunk of bacon and a beet and that was the last time I thought about the salt

Besh's signature Black and blue gnocchi
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the portion because I am always wanting for more of this decadence. It was as always delicious although the gnocchi were not as light and melt in your mouth as they have been in the past.

Filet with porcini mushrooms and greens
By the time I got my steak I was stuffed. We were hoping for a reprieve between this course and the last. Time to digest our food and rev up our hunger once again. But here it came, fast and furious. The steak was cooked exactly as I asked. No surprises, a tender steak with mushrooms and greens. I could only eat half and the busboy came back to ask if everything was ok. This happened last year during the tasting. We didn't eat all of one course and the busboy said the kitchen was going to ask why. He seemed a scared to bring the plates back. A bit of arrogance in the kitchen, you think? I know, especially with no salt on the table but I guess they have reason to be.

Ok. But that was about the food. Now I have to talk about something else. If you're not bored, see the next post for my opinion on the state of fine dining today.