Berks County Bar Association The Berks Barrister Spring 2019 - 37

w w w.BERKSBAR.org

C'est Magnifique
scrambled eggs topped with shaved black truffles. It seemed like
a trite choice, and I only ordered this item because the restaurant
was out of foie gras, but I was thoroughly delighted with it as the
eggs were perfectly cooked and the dish transcended all other
versions of it I've enjoyed elsewhere.

My pheasant roulade arrived next. It was not one the server
recommended, but since I had never tried pheasant before,
let alone seen it on a menu, I thought it was a measured risk.
Served on a glossy wooden plate, the succulent rolled meat was
surrounded by a very memorable rich dark brown demi-glace
sauce. There were just enough tangy mulberries dotting the dish to
compliment the subtle taste of the pheasant fat was the true star of
the plate.
My third selection was a slender Dover sole filet served over
a bed of spinach with a line of petite potatoes placed parallel to
it. It's something I almost always order when the opportunity
presents itself, but I think my taste buds
were on system overload by the time it
arrived and I found it rather flat despite
it being perfectly cooked and beautifully
plated. I might have enjoyed it more if it
came before the pheasant.
Forewarned that the small servings
were petite, we ordered the featured sides,
which were a risotto generously seasoned
with black truffle and a gnocchi frito.
Although both of those pasta servings had
the potential to be heavy and incongruous
with the delicate flavors of the succession of
small plates we selected, they were light and
sang on the palate. While the extra food
was not needed, I would not have wanted
to miss either pasta.
The next delivery to our table was one
of the chef 's surprises; a white tea and
citrus ball with edible gold. Served on a
special spoon, the instructions were to put
the whole offering in one's mouth so it
could explode without any of the heavenly
elixir escaping the lips. It was a palate
cleansing experience that defies description

and it left us wanting another. I've never been intrigued by the
modern science-based manipulation of food but that small treat
put me back on my heels and has given me a new-found respect
for those who are more like mad scientists than chefs.

The fourth and final course was a light lemon meringue dessert
that featured a scoop of passion fruit gelato. It had a perfect
balance of tangy citrus to sweet meringue and was an elegant end
to a most delightful meal.
If you go, be sure to engage with all the staff and especially the
sommelier; he was as interesting as he was knowledgeable and he
treated us to samples of some of the wines we were considering
ordering by the bottle and our enjoyable exchanges with them
resulted in our getting a tour of the entire restaurant beginning
with the wine crib and ending with the pristine kitchen.

As our night was drawing to a close, coffee arrived with an
offering of delicate chocolate chip cookies served in a hollowed out
cocoa pod, again one of the chef 's surprises.
Thinking no more could be packed into our
magical meal, a bag featuring a box with two
rich chocolate truffles was delivered with
instructions to enjoy it at home. Even before
that gift arrived, we understood why we were
asked what we were there to celebrate, as the
whole experience was so incredible that it
seemed like we needed a special reason to be
there.
What fascinates me about The French
Laundry is its attention to detail and that
was why it was on my culinary bucket list. It
is that same attention to detail that makes
Amorette a restaurant that transcends all
others local ones and the reason I want to
go back there again and again, even if for no
other reason than because it is a Thursday
night.
Ms. Denaro is with the Wyomissing law
firm of Georgeadis||Setley.

Spring 2019 | 37
http://www.berksbar.org
Berks County Bar Association The Berks Barrister Spring 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Bar Association The Berks Barrister Spring 2019
