A while ago (August 18, 2011 to be exact), a discerning girlfriend of mine made us a “couples” reservation at Corton. I love couples dinners, particularly when the right dynamic and chemistry are in place!
That marked my first introduction to the remarkable world of Paul Liebrandt, whose creativity and talent as a chef is undeniable. “Have you guys seen ‘A Matter of Taste,’ the documentary about the chef here?” asked the same friend during dinner. I shook my head no – never even heard of it, though hubby and I did find it on-demand after our dining experience and thoroughly enjoyed it. From thereon, my intrigue with Mr. Liebrandt continued – where I even had a run-in with the chef during the Morimoto Food and Wine festival. There was a sort of intensity that I associated with Paul Liebrandt (akin to Wylie Dufresne in certain respects), that made him at once a force to be reckoned with, while also demonstrative of a tortured artist at work. (Also, both men like to hover nervously over their staff in the kitchen… which I find amusing to watch!).
Fast forward nearly two years later from our Corton dinner, and hubby & I enjoyed a lovely date night (quite possibly our last for a while!) at the Elm, Liebrandt’s new restaurant in Williamsburg. Sadly, Corton and Paul Liebrandt have parted ways, leaving space for a brand new chapter in the eatery world.
Verdict – did the Liebrandt machine deliver at the Elm? I would say yes. Both the menu and fanfare were far less ostentatious than at Tribeca’s Corton (in comparison, I’d even venture to argue that there was no fanfare, this being Williamsburg and all). The menu was concisely divided into four categories (Raw, Sea, Land, and Share) with overlapping components – though perhaps it was purposeful irony at play. Without going too overboard, we sampled the Foie Gras (you can’t go wrong there!), the Kanpachi with watermelon, the Bouillabaisee, and the Kiev Style Chicken (arguably the dish du jour for the brand new restaurant). There was an element of quiet reserve and elegance to all of the dishes which I appreciated, and even though the presentation lacked the fanciful conception of Corton (an aspect which hubby appreciated), the tastes and flavors were still very much present and ever-sophisticated. I suppose this was Corton for the people, as evidenced by hubby’s reception of the bill, which he deemed to be “not at all like Corton.” Enough said!
