I haven’t quite kept up with the food scene in Seattle recently, perhaps too many days of eating out in Bend has dampened my quest for seeking out new restaurants – too much of a good thing I guess.  So I was quite happy when Neptune chose a relatively newcomer to the scene, from celebrated chef Rene Erickson, that focuses on meat. Now, I do adore Rene Erickson’s Whale Wins and I have designs to visit her donut shop, General Porpoise, but her latest openings of Bateau and Bar Melusine were not on my radar.

We each did a tasting menu with a shared wine pairing between us, and the waitress helpfully suggested that we insert a steak before dessert. We took her advice as the cuts of meat listed on the chalkboard above our heads spoke the specialty of the restaurant, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss out on the meat.

steak tartare – with stone ground mustard, citrus zest, and horseradish cream quenelle; had a great beef flavor and had all the dressings of a prime rib with a twist of citrus zest to brighten and balance the dish

jamon and ikura custard – crispy jamon (think bacon bits) paired with a briny exploding roe topping a silky egg custard; a little bit on the salty side with a mix of textures, and the taste of the sea punctuated the overall pork flavor of the dish.

beef rillettes – with red cabbage jam, tallow (beef fat), fresh dill, on a rye crisp; the richness of the beef was cut by the sweet pairing of the cabbage jam and freshness of the dill. The rye crisp didn’t quite survive the job of holding this dish together as it was rather thin and cracked to the tough. While it allowed the dish to be eaten with fingers, it also shattered unapologetically. This was enough beef rillettes to serve 3 people.

brisket wrapped in mille feuille – spiced with vadouvan (French curry), topped with pickled onions, preserved limes, and sweet squash; a crispy pastry wrapping a fork tender brisket, contrasted with the sweetness of the squash and vinegar in the spicy onion and limes.

bavette steak – with bone marrow butter; so flavorful with a nicely crisped crust, perfectly cooked to bleed when cut, with a sprinkling of fleur del sel to enhance the beef flavor

rose petal kiwi meringue – with preserved limes hidden within; a nice light finish for the meal, heady with the rose petals, sweet with the kiwi and meringue, and a little tart with the limes.

The tasting menu was divine for $65 with such huge portions, one order would have been enough for the two of us, but we had to order the tasting menu for the entire table. The wine pairing were also sublime, full bodied with the beef dishes, and slightly citrus with the custard. The overall thread of the menu followed citrus notes of preserved lime, lemons, and orange that allowed it cut through the richness of the meat. The addition of the 8 ounce bavette steak was an excellent choice, and one of our favorite dishes of the meal. I liked the whimsy of the dishes and the variety of the preparations – pate, raw, braised, and cured. Neptune felt some of the dishes were on the salty side, which was indeed the case for the brisket and the custard.

Overall,  I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, with its nod to French techniques and focus on meat. Neptune chose well and I was delighted with his choice. Here’s to more restaurants to explore and more delicious meals together.

SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: bavette steak, rose petal kiwi meringue, wine pairing
Footnotes: go early in the evening as each cut of steak is listed on the chalkboard and the choice cuts and choice prices will sell out