For Wade's birthday, we went back to Trust DTSA to try one of their caviar-based dinners. Each of the courses,
even the desserts, used caviar in some way. In general, it was the best dinner we have had with the new
chef Kyle, but as a general rule, only a few of the dishes really had a big benefit from the caviar. Others were
so intensely flavored without the caviar that the caviar wasn't really needed.
Here's chef Kyle giving us the rundown on what we are going to be eating tonight.
the lovely couple. This is just the wall behind us, but it looks like we're in a studio.
The traditional fresh-from-the-over brioche bun, this time with a spoon of caluga caviar. The bread
is so buttery and salty, adding the caviar on the bread was lost. If you had a nibble of the caviar
followed by the bread, it was fantastic.
A salad of field butter lettuce and grilled asparagus, with a buttermilk dressing with caluga caviar.
A burrata course with heirloom tomatoes.
Kyle and his assistant assembling the next course.
A dry-aged hamachi crudo course. They dry-age their own fish in-house. One highlight is the tomato
water that it came in; it was better than tomato water has any right to be.
Assembling the next course, which includes soft-boiled quail eggs in the center.
After they add a delicious Parmiggiano Reggiano foam, you wouldn't be able to see the quail eggs.
This was one course where the caviar really added an extra layer to the other flavors.
Assembling a foam over the next course, a delicious poached Alaskan king crab.
This course was Wade's favorite: the sweetness of the crab with the caviar was amazing.
Assembling the next course. A small swoosh of corn puree to hold a cornbread Madeleine...
...then on top, lobster, and a small shot of creme fraiche with the caviar.
We both loved this one: a four-cheese "mustache" pasta with alfredo sauce and caviar.
They make great use of an oak-burning shichirin. To the left are the branzino that are resting,
and on top are the baby squash for the next course.
The branzino are stuffed with sliced baby squash between the fillets, and then more baby squash on the
side. As usual, they get an intense crisp on the skin from the grill.
A hanger steak course with Robuchon whipped potatoes, maitake mushrooms, and pan jus. The buttery
potatoes with the caviar were a real treat.
The first dessert course: a vanilla bean panna cotta with grilled strawberries, creme freiche, and
a golden caviar on top.
The main ingredient in the final dessert: a Basque-style cheesecake.
Our slice, very thick and rich and creamy, made even more so by the layer of caviar.
