How does a restaurant earn the coveted WhereTwoEat 5 mortar and pestles? Let's start with examining why we go out to eat. Hunger. Ease. Diversity.Entertainment.Socialization.On some rare occasions however, you may find yourself walking into a space where almost immediately things seem different. The room is welcoming. The smells from the cooking are entrancing. The host or hostess makes you feel as if you and only you are expected and welcome. Your table is just right. The menu is enticing. And as the food starts to arrive with perfect timing, beautifully plated, exquisitely prepared and presented, your heart begins to melt. Your shoulders drop. You sign to your companion and roll your eyes with delight. All senses join in the ecstasy of the meal. What cosmic forces align to create this transcendent dining experience? A restaurant may be a five one night to One and Two and a three on another night to someone else. So perhaps we should qualify our mortar and pestle system by saying that the scoring is based on the restaurant's potential to deliver a certain level of experience. This sounds like a bit of a disclaimer but my point is that a rating is a relative thing. One and Two can really only try to relate their experience and assess the symbiosis of elements that may have combined to lead to it. In thinking about our meal at Jean-Georges last summer, we have come to the agreement that a large part of our five M&P rating was due to the expert and gracious attentions of Hristo Zisovski.
Hristo Zisovski started cooking at one of his father’s diners in Rochester when he was 14 years old. He went on to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America. After an eating and drinking tour in France with Chef Voislav and Voislav's wife Stephanie, Hristo became completely enamored with wine. He took courses through the American Sommelier Association, where Chuck Simeone, then wine director at Jean Georges, was a lecturer. At the young age of 27, Hristo can now be found at Jean-Georges in NYC as Chef Sommelier. His work has received numerous glowing reviews. Of his experience at Jean-Georges, Maurice Graham Henry wrote of the"...fabulous wine pairings selected by Hristo." Additionally, Hristo Zisovski was third runner up for Best Sommelier in America by the American Sommelier Association of America.
Which brings us to the meal...
Hristo asked us two questions before we began our adventure with him: "Have you had breakfast?" and "What are you doing after you leave here?" We answered "No." and "Going to galleries." He smiled and said, " great...and by the way you are going back to your hotel to rest after this." We though this funny given our energy level but smiled back into his young face. After that everything was a blur. We sat in that restaurant from noon until 3PM. One started with Jean-Georges' signature egg caviar, a creamy smooth not quite scrambled egg mixture that is returned to the shell and lavished with caviar. Two had thin pieces of toast with poached eggs and caviar. Both were expertly paired with champagne. From there the day is a blur. Had One and Two been writing at the time they may have taken notes. But as it was they just sat back and soaked in the expert pairings of wines and beers and sakes with the tasting plates as they arrived. Hristo provided eloquent reasoning for his pairings. Every dish and every drink were beautifully matched. One and Two were served different things each time plates arrived, each carefully eating half, trying hard not to cheat with the really tasty morsels, and then switching plates. Dessert was exquisite. One had a chocolate tasting of four selections. Two's plate emphasized fruit. By the time the meal was over, One was wondering how they would get back to the hotel. Two was wondering if she could even find the door. Beyond the generous pourings of the various libations, the food, the atmosphere, indeed the whole experience was intoxicating. Thank you, Hristo. Go meet this young man and experience his passion for his profession first hand. Have something to eat while you are there...
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