Among the more unctuous foodie terms — like, say, “locavore” (which sounds like a pterodactyl that eviscerates prey with razor-sharp pretensions) — nothing’s grown so tired as “farm-to-table.”
Oh, and maybe “Edison bulb,” too.
Saving you from grub snobbery while serving delicious local eats: Maude, the first restaurant from pretty-boy Aussie chef Curtis Stone, open now.
“Farm-to-table is just a shopping preference,” says Stone, who you may recognize from Top Chef Masters. “It really comes down to how well you can cook.”
Maude’s menu: seasonal, with each month centered around a theme. February is citrus. March will be artichokes.
Stone will be there every night with a team of chefs — hailing from places like Chicago’s Alinea and dishing out clever nine-course menus.
To wit: Kusshi oysters topped with caviar and gelée made from citrus and Spanish wine.
Or finger lime-sweetened Duck Duck Goose, a duck egg-stuffed ravioli on which he shaves — as if it were cheese — the yolk of a goose egg that’s been salted, boiled and dehydrated.
No reclaimed wood. No industrial chic. Just a warm room with an eclectic mix of furniture (from baroque to mid-century modern) for 25 intrepid diners.
There’s no doubt you’ll feel at home.
Nota bene: Best reservation times are the second or third week of the month, when the kitchen’s grown accustomed to the month’s new menu.
Join America's Fastest Growing Spirits Newsletter THE SPILL. Unlock all the reviews, recipes and revelry — and get 15% off award-winning La Tierra de Acre Mezcal.
