Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

While visiting our kids in Cary, North Carolina recently, we were treated by them to dinner at [One] restaurant in Chapel Hill.  It was their birthday gift to the two of us.  Kristen’s brother David is the sous chef there, shown above.  My David is conferring with David and our able server about wine pairings.  [One] is an open concept restaurants where the best seats in the house are at the bar.  All of the action in the kitchen is visible.  It is a fascinating orchestrated dance that produces seemingly effortless works of art on a plate.

Watching the interplay in the kitchen was great entertainment.  It was obvious that executive chef Sean McCarthy and his staff act as a well oiled machine.  The food was not only innovative, but beautiful to behold.

I fell in love with foie gras while in France this year.  One of the first courses at [One] was Hot and Cold Foie Gras with Mexican Chocolate.  Wow, what a concept;  foie gras with chocolate.  The presentation was amazing.  In the front you see a pan seared duck liver with spiced mole’ along with a smear of the mole’ chocolate and nibs of chocolate.  In the back is a cold tin of foie gras pate with a dark chocolate gelee on top served with toast points.  I dug in with gusto.

David started with Smoked Cobia Filet with Wild Mushroom and Apple.  Cobia is a firm-fleshed flavorful fish that is favored by many well known chefs.  Thomas Keller of The French Laundry has Cobia on his tasting menu.  The presentation, done on a slate board, was stunning.  It was garnished with meyer lemon puree, fresh herbs, shaved pear and ginger sorbet.  I can still taste those harmonious flavors.

We had expected to go directly to our entree choices, but the kitchen gave us a gift from their tasting menu.  I received a Snapper Consomme with Honey Thyme-Glazed Shrimp.  It came with crab and asparagus stuffed agnolotti, brown beech mushrooms, scallions and smoked paprika oil.

David received Spicy Pork and Shrimp Laarp Salad with Mango.  It was garnished with rice dumplings,chili foam cilantro oil, toasted rice and roasted peanuts.  What a bright combination of ingredients.

 

Are you getting full yet?  I certainly felt that way.  Here is my main course.  I am a sucker for cassoulet.  [One] featured a deconstructed version of the dish.  A casserole of rosemary scented cannelini beans was served along side crispy skinned duck pieces with boudin blanc sausage.  It came with 5 chutneys, two of which I remember, raisin and onion.  They were all delicious.

  

David’s main course was Potato Crusted Red Snapper with Artichokes, Shell Beans and Saffron.  It was garnished with butternut squash puree, roasted tomato jus and shaved cucumber salad.  Everything in this dish was stellar, fresh and good for you.  To me it is an example of celebrating all that can be good about cooking and dining well.  We celebrated our birthdays very well indeed.

No room for dessert for us, but the kitchen presented us with this chocolate birthday wish with sorbet.  Thank you [One] Restaurant, David, Michael and Kristen for a perfect birthday dinner.  If you are ever in the Chapel Hill area you must try this amazing restaurant. Try to sit at the bar for an evening of great entertainment.  You won’t be disappointed.