Turns out summer is leaving, and I haven’t cooked all that much. I was too busy eating everything. After 2ish months of countless lobster rolls, ice cream cones, and hot dogs (a strange but totally welcome part of the Summer 2015 diet), I was ready to close out the season with a bang. And this was certainly that.
Brian Mercury, the silly talented pastry chef at Harvest in Cambridge of bacon bun fame, teamed up with Tracy Obolsky from NYC’s North End Grill for a night of sweet frivolity in the form of a 6 course desserts only tasting menu. And these 2 were not fooling around. And despite being more of a savory girl myself, I would do eat every bite they gave me again in a heartbeat.
The effortlessly dynamic pair went plate for plate, taking turns at each course. Obolsky kicked things off with an elevated play on key lime pie (dotted with tiny toasty meringues), that led into Mercury’s fried dough rounds with hibiscus lemon curd (that was a lovely shade of pink). There was then a cheese course with unadorned but beautiful tiger stripe figs, and an unexpectedly refreshing mint vinegar sorbet as an intermezzo.
Already deep into a sugar coma, the final dishes gave no respite. Obolsky’s coconut pavlova with dulce de leche and cubes of tropical fruits and Mercury’s “grown-up” root beer float were both elegant feats not only of flavor but of plating. It was almost too pretty to eat. Except that it wasn’t, because I cleaned my plate at every course.
Good meals are always worth sharing. This one was worth showing off so that you might find your way into either of these chef’s restaurants to eat anything they are making. I would happily take on another sugar rush at either of their hands.
