CleverRoot

4 2 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t Now, anyone who knows Moonen knows his reputation as a cham- pion for sustainability. An active member of Monterey BayAquari- um'sSeafood Watch and Seaweb, Moonen routinely incorporates "trash fish" (that is, less desirable but perfectly suitable by-catch) into his menus. But his efforts come by land as well as by sea; rather than give an out-of-season fruit or vegetable a first-class ticket from another hemi- sphere, Moonen routinely makes room in his kitchen for locally grown produce and relishes the so-called "ugly" fruits and vegetables that supermarkets often reject for their imperfect appearance or mere odd- ness. For this dinner, Moonen integrated kohlrabi and bergamot, "neither necessarily beautiful," he says, "but both have characteristics that will blow your socks off with the Grey Goose Zesty cocktail," made with Grey Goose Le Citron and L'Orange vodkas, manzanilla Sherry and Chinese celery vinegar. "I had goosebumps. Between intellectualizing and reality on your palate, there's usually some sort of separation. The process to me is super rewarding when you get something like this marriage." Of paramount concern to both men was flouting the prevailing notion that a spirit-pairing dinner necessitates experiencing a high-proof spirit neat or serving a potent cocktail with, say, a delicate salad. Says Lafran- coni, "Sometimes you go to those dinners where you have a filet with a 120-proof cask-strength bourbon, or tequila straight with a jalapeño dish—and your mouth is on fire." He would prefer to offer a more subtle experience. Along those same lines, "You shouldn't be so blasted by the end that you don't remember the last three courses," Moonen says with a chuckle. Keeping that principle in mind, not one of the evening's drinks contained more than one ounce of base spirit, and relied instead on highly flavorful modifiers such as Sherry, Madeira, shrubs or cider to bring the drink together. Exemplifying the synergy between kitchen and bar, Lafranconi sought to "harvest" ingredients from within Moonen's kitchen. Take, for ex- ample, the light and refreshing Eurasian Cocktail from the cocktail hour. Lafranconi borrowed dashi to make a briny connection from a mixture of Grey Goose VX, ginger, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur ® , lemongrass and cucumber-flavored saké that would be paired with a Snow Creek oyster, the finish of which, Moonen adds, is not unlike cucumber or wa- termelon. "Think crisp, clean, Japanese minimalism," Lafranconi says. Similar to the meaty umami-bomb that is a Bullshot (or Bloody Bull), the Crab Shot arrived in a sea urchin-shaped glass ("the tactile ele- ment," Lafranconi says) with a leaf spritzed with jasmine water for an aromatic bridge to the Bombay Sapphire East Gin, spicy/salty yuzu kosho paste and black pepper tincture, along with a crab reduction and water collected from the cooking of the jasmine rice, both of which were at the heart of the King Crab jasmine fried rice appetizer. "This all came out of just tasting it," Moonen points out. "At first, [Lafranconi] had a whole other cocktail planned, but he was moved and influenced by the crab stock." Similarly, Moonen pulled Bénédictine ® into the gremolata that topped a braised lamb shank. An educator as well as a passionate creative, Lafranconi specified that cocktails should be served a few moments before the food, providing "the chance to evaluate the drink, the tactile and the sensory experience." "Ultimately," says Brandes, "although spirits suppliers and restaurants occupy different places in the supply chain, it's important to remember that the end customer is always the consumer. To me, success looks like many more chefs and bartenders leveraging the power of collaboration to create a more engaging, unique and enjoyable experience for the diner." ■cr

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