6 Hours, 4 Meals, 2 Cooks, 1 City: Part 2/ by Kat Gibbons, Palace Line Cook
After two meals in two and a half hours, it was time for some culture.
We walked up to MoMA. We checked out the art; one of Cam’s favorite artist’s work was showcased, and we cruised through the paintings by Lichtenstein and Picasso. I mentioned that my parents said that the restaurant in MoMA (one of Danny Meyer’s many establishments) was incredible, so naturally, that was our next stop (Editor’s note: the Bar at the Modern). We each ordered a signature cocktail. One sip acted as the kick in the pants we needed in order to get our hunger back. We decided to share a small appetizer. Now, by this point, Cam and I had walked all around downtown New York, eaten two buttery, cheesey, rich meals, had two very strong cocktails in the span of three hours and STILL had a full meal ahead of us. We decided to share the foie gras torchon with cherries, duck prosciutto, and toasted brioche. Because THAT would be a “light snack” before dinner. Tart cherries, RICH foie gras, salty duck- that was perfectly seasoned and maintained a beautiful duck flavor- crunchy toast, and a small salad of micro greens. It was a delicious combination of flavor and texture. This was the highlight of the day so far.
Last stop of the day: Momofuku Noodle Bar.
We’d walked off some of the foie gras and were ready for the final meal. We were seated in the kitchen bar, right in front of the saute cook, so we could watch him dominate during the dinner rush (seriously, he was impressive). Cameron and I ordered a couple of 22 oz Japanese beers as well as:
Pork Belly Steam Buns: soft buns, perfectly braised pork belly, lightly pickled cucumbers, and drippy, sticky, 
sweet sauce (photo upper left)
Roasted and Braised Pig Tails (a special menu item): fall-off-the-bone tender, very rich, and paired simply with some tart Asian pears
Chicken Wings: a no-brainer. Seared on the flat top griddle and tossed ina soy glaze with scallions- delicious of course
Momofuku Ramen: noodles swimming in broth with fish cakes, pork belly, scallions, sauteed mushrooms, and a soft egg. This dish was pretty similar to the ginger scallion noodles we also had that had similar flavors, with a little less broth and more cucumber.
The Star of the Show: Seared and Roasted Foie Gras with Pineapple and Celery Root Puree. (photo right) Cam and I agreed that this dish was one of the best all time dishes either of us had ever eaten. The foie gras was melty throughout and crispy on top, resting on sweet/sour pineapple, served alongside an ultra smooth celery root puree with celery leaf, chervil, brown butter panko, and pineapple foam. Cameron and I were contemplating ordering another plate for dessert, but we settled on the sour cherry-olive oil swirl soft serve as an end to our lovely day.
A few hours spent in one of my favorite cities, with a few great meals and one great friend.
One of the best days I’ve had in a long, long time.
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