So, Winter Restaurant Week is back! As soon as I knew, I went on Opentable and made a bunch of reservations. The first one was for Blenheim, a farm to table restaurant located in the West Village. Farm to table is a growing concept, more and more popular in the health conscious circles. The restaurant gets its name from the township in The Catskills where the farm is located. There, they grow vegetables and herbs, have maple trees (they make their own maple syrup) and let animals roam free for the satisfaction of their customers.

I liked the place that was smaller than what I imagined and had a rustic feel. Next to us, sitting in the private room, was a large party and I thought I would have to yell to get heard by Jodi, but it was not the case...Yes, I really enjoyed the fact that the noise level was reasonable, the music not being loud at all. I do not remember when the last time it happened was...

In the back is the kitchen, where the crew was actively preparing dishes. We went for the Restaurant Week menu, that offered, for $38, an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. They started off bringing us some bread.

There were flaxseed crisps and a cheddar and marmite bread, all homemade, served with butter from the farm. I admit that I had no idea what marmite was, besides the French word that means a pot...If you want to know, it is a spread made of yeast extract (thank you wikipedia...). I am not sure where the marmite was, if in the dough or on top, with the cheddar, but I surely appreciated the cheesy top and the delicious butter. As far as the flaxseed crisps were concerned, I have to confess that I cringed a little when I heard the word flaxseed, but, after tasting it, I could not stop eating it; it had this fantastic nuttiness that was a bit addictive.

For the appetizers, Jodi went for the cauliflower custard, served with a gruyere broth, leek ash and garlic chips. I tried a bit of it and liked it, the custard being very well made, light and refreshing in a way.

On my side, I went for the carrot and crab bisque, served with a cumin lavash, a thin flatbread of Armenian origin. That was a great dish, although I had difficulties cutting with my spoon the bread that was immersed in the soup and wonder if I would not end up with some of it on my pants...It took a bit of time for it to get soft and soaked by the carrot bisque. I liked the combination carrot, crab and bread. the latter adding some texture.

For her entrée, Jodi ordered the roasted cod, served with caramelized sunchokes, brussels sprouts and meyer lemon butter. That was very good, especially the cod that was perfectly cooked and flakey. If I were to go back, I would definitely order this dish.

On my side, I went for the sweet potato gnocchi, accompanied by a preserved lemon cream. This was the only vegetarian entrée and yes, I ordered it and did not go for the chicken (I did not like the garniture) or the lamb (same here). The gnocchi were good: slightly sweet, the frying process gave them a nice texture. I could have eaten them with or without the lemon cream...

For dessert, Jodi decided to try their chocolate cremeux, that was served with licorice ice cream and star anise. The cremeux was delicious, very chocolatey, but the ice cream, although good, did not taste licorice at all...

On my side, I ordered the pear and frangipane tart. It was accompanied by a pear sorbet and some smoked almonds. This was an incredible dessert! When it came to the table, there was this sublime butter smell. No need to say that we inhaled it. I should mention the delicious pear sorbet that I wish I could find more often: it was very refreshing and the best way to finish the meal.

I really liked Blenheim, whether it is the concept, the decor, the ambiance or, most importantly, the food, that was well presented and delicious. I would definitely go back for brunch or dinner outside of Restaurant Week, maybe to try their take on eggs benedict or their braised chicken tacos...

Enjoy (I did)!

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