As photo-documented below, the Husband, Bro-in-Law and I went to Tremont 647 on Thursday night to celebrate the BiL’s b-day. My friend Andy Husbands was a great host and delivered a delicious dinner.
The three of us opted for the 7-course tasting ($65 each, $25 to include wine pairing). This option can be customized to your liking (as long as the entire table gets the same thing) — and changes on a nightly basis. We requested that our tasting not include any red meat (beef or pork) — to accommodate my eating restrictions. We didn’t do the wine pairing, but rather, went with individual cocktails.
I began the evening with Joy’s Pineapple Martini ($7) — house-infused pineapple vodka, Stoli Vanilla, pineapple juice and simple syrup. If you remember that now defunct Grill Fish (it used to be in the space now occupied by DaVinci), you know their signature drink was a Stoli Doli… pineapple-infused vodka — straight up in a martini glass. This was my FAVORITE drink back in the day, so I decided to be a bit nostalgic and order 647’s version. It was very good, with a hearty amount of alcohol — but was a bit too sweet for me. Personally, I find the pineapple aspect of the drink sweet enough without the addition of the simple syrup. That said, if you like sweet drinks, you will love this martini.
The Husband and BiL both got the The Gypsy ($9.5) — No. 209 gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, yellow Chartreuse and fresh lime juice. A very strong and tasty drink!
We started our meal with a complimentary Amuse Bouche of 647’s famous Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese — a delicious and creative twist on a classic comfort food (and normally $14 for a full-sized portion). Served in a lobster mornay sauce and served with a Ritz cracker crumb top, this one large spoonful was surely not enough to satisfy — I wanted more… MUCH more!
Take note: Andy says this dish is only on the menu during the summer time (lobster season) — so get going while the going’s still good!
Next up was the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp (normally $9.5) — a big, succulent shrimp, served in a sweet, savory and HOT sauce and served on top of a toasted rye circle. This dish was definitely a hit at the table. We all loved it and we all kept reaching for our water glasses after each bite. The rye toast was a tiny bit hard, since I could not pick it up and bite it (remember… braces) and had to use a knife to cut it. That said, I liked the texture contrast and it was worth the extra knife effort.
A Flash-Seared Tuna Sashimi with Egg Niçoise Salad (a special for the evening) arrived next. Another twist on the classic… this simple dish was fresh and clean and provided a lighter addition to the tasting.
Another special followed — Sweet and Sour Halibut Cheek with Seared Greens. This dish was dressed with an Asian XO Sauce — an exotic and spicy sauce (whose origin and original ingredients are not known). This “caviar of the Orient” probably contained dried shrimp, dried scallops, garlic, chili, oil and other seasonings — and added a surprise burst of sweet, hot and sour to the tender cheek meat. The seared greens were delicious… and one of my favorite things of the night. I am trying to get the recipe out of Andy… I’ll post it if I do!
The salad course included Matchstick Zucchini and a salad of Farm-fresh Greens from a local source. This dish, combined with the lightness of the previous course, got us ready for what was to come…
The pasta course — House-made Bucatini with mussels, clams and heirloom cherry tomatoes in a grilled corn and lobster cream sauce — another off-menu item and our favorite dish of the night. This rich, creamy, earthy, smokey and sweet dish was absolutely delicious — and lucky for you — will appear on the fall dinner menu starting this weekend.
The “main” course of the evening was the Banana Leaf Wrapped Chilean Sea Bass, with jasmine rice, julienne vegetables and a hoisen BBQ sauce (normally $24.5). This was served with a single (and huge) Truffled Fontina-stuffed Tater Tot (normally $6 for a side) and each of the boys were also treated to one of Andy’s “180” Ribs (normally $19.5 for a full-sized order).
While not my favorite dish of the night, the sea bass was fresh and delicately steamed. The tater tots were gigantic and crispy with a molten-cheese center. While I was unable to detect the truffle overtones, these feel-good fritters were yummy. The Husband and BiL loved the thick-cut, juicy rib… whose sweet and tangy sauce pushed them over the edge of being stuffed.
Lastly, and as always — my favorite course [dessert] — was placed in front of us. A HUGE slice of Andy’s Signature Banana Creme Pie — served with chocolate and caramel sauces and nut brittle was set next to an order of 647’s Almost Famous Donuts — which are served with a maple mascarpone creme dipping sauce. Ironically enough, banana creme pie is the BiL’s favorite dessert… so very fitting for the end of his birthday dinner. While he worked on that, I scarfed down my donut (and part of the Husband’s) and could have easily eaten the remaining maple mascarpone with a spoon. It was THAT good.
On a final note… Tremont 647 has some cool things going on. As always, they have their award winning Pajama Brunch every Saturday from 10:30 am to 2pm and Sunday from 10:30am to 3pm.
For a mid-week break, head to 647 for $2 Taco Tuesdays. Beginning on September 16th, choose any taco for $2 each… options include:
Carnitas & Salsa Verde
Fish Tacos with Cordito
Fiery Beef & Salsa Picante
Grilled Veggie & Refried Beans
Garlic Shrimp w/ Chipotle-lime Sour Cream
Want something to put a little more hair on your chest? Then book a reservation for the night of Monday, October 13th — when Tremont 647 is presentig A Bourbon & BBQ Dinner. For $45 per person, you will be privy to:
with Bourbon Cocktails
–Fresh Corn & Oyster Fritters
–North Carolina Pulled Pork Sliders
–Crispy Zucchin Bread
4-Course Sit-down BBQ Feast
–Blacked Catfish
–Local Tomato Salad
–“White Rubbed” Chicken
–Fiery Wings
–Memphis Dry Rubbed then Glzzed Ribs
With all the fixin’s
–Coleslaw
–Cornbread
–BBQ’d Beans
–Collards
–Cheddar Bisquits
Bourbon Tasting
With special guest speaker “Whiskey Professor” Bernie Lubbers!
And for more upcoming events, check out their website and click on the Food/Events link for the most up-to-date calendar.