A Beast in the Kitchen

You may remember that earlier this year I enjoyed dinner prepared by Art Smith, a chef famous for his classic Southern cooking.

This restaurant was part of the USA Pavilion's participation in the EXPO in Milan and was open for 6 months.

Before it closed, I was able to attend another dinner, this time prepared by West Coast chef Naomi Pomeroy.

Like Art Smith, I had previously watched her cook on Top Chef Masters. She came in 4th on Season 3.

Top Chef is one of my most favorite shows.

Right behind Dancing with the Stars.

And Project Runway.

But Tom and Padma. Totally my jam. Love them.

So, we made a reservation for Pomeroy's visit in October.

Peggy, Ann, Lisa and me

We loved Naomi's food.

Even though some of it pushed our (my) eating boundaries a bit. (cough, cough...see the first pic!)

Steak tartare, quail egg, brioche tart

Ummm...this was pure deliciousness:

Tomato and taleggio, creme fraiche tart

Crispy pork rillettes

celery and fennel veloute

The pork was soooooooo tender:

Brined pork, wild mushrooms

And this salad was the bomb:

Fall chicory salad, apples, toasted hazelnuts

I wanted to lick this plate:

Bete noir, salted caramel sauce

Pomeroy, post dinner, discussing the menu

It's such a shame that this dinner series is over, but it was awesome to get to experience such a thing- twice!

Dinner was delicious! If you are on the West Coast of the US, you should make a point to head to Pomeroy's restaurant, Beast, in Portland, Oregon.

I'd love to go...maybe it's time to put some more domestic trips on the agenda.