Marc Forgione

The last two months have been a bit of a blur. There have been so many incredible food events I totally forgot to talk about my fabulous birthday dinner at Marc Forgione! Forgive me if I don't remember everything from the tasting menu in detail but I'll do my best as some of these dishes were simply spectacular. The meal began as it always does at Marc Forgione with some buttery rolls piping hot from the oven alongside a creamy whipped butter before the amuse bouche.

This tray was an excellent start...puffy Gruyere Cheese Puffs, crispy Chicharones with Doritos Spice, Smoked Blue Fish and a Mackerel with lime juice that was absolutely fantastic.

The Kampachi Tartare with avocado, Sechuan buttons, toasted sesame and Saratoga chips was just as exciting and wonderful as always.

This was one of my favorite dishes in 2011 and it hasn't changed a bit.

The BBQ Baked Old Salt Oysters with curry and pancetta powder was tasty. I liked the southern style of the dish and the Cricket Hill beer pairing was a fun little accompaniment. I was really starting to enjoy the meal when the next dish arrived and blew my socks off...Foie Gras & Bread Service.

Words can't even describe how incredible this was...decadent yes, luxurious sure, but what about salty and smooth, fatty yet silky...it was definitely one of those quiet head nodding moments between me and Mr. T where words couldn't form what our taste buds were experiencing. I would gladly settle into this dish on my own with a nice glass of Sauternes.

The Chili Lobster came next, soft and tender with a satisfying spicy kick. I enjoyed the dish but was honestly expecting a bit more based on reviews.

An awesome Eggplant Parm Raviolo arrived which had the perfect balance of sweet tomato and fresh basil.

I'll be honest by the time the Black Bass arrived I was feeling a little bit more than pleasantly full and didn't really have too much.

Instead I saved room for the Colorado Lamb with Rye Bread Gnocchi, Pastrami Spices and Coriander Slaw. It was a hearty, homey dish that just about put me over the edge.