It’s hard to believe that I started my Hungry Bee blog almost a year ago. It seems like just yesterday when I came up with my first bee graphic and domain name. Yet so much has happened in the last ten months. I’ve done a ton of cooking, baking, eating, and exploring, along with seemingly endless amounts of writing, contemplating, and designing. But it wasn’t until last weekend that I found a restaurant which truly challenged all of my blog writing capabilities.
MOSAIC, located in St. James, NY on Long Island is a great culinary find. Its cozy, elegant, and warm interior contrasts with its rather generic strip mall setting. The key to this restaurant’s uniqueness is its 5-course tasting menu that changes every night ($54 per person -- wine pairing is extra). This innovative concept seemed rather mind-blowing to me at first, but now I think I get it. Having only five dishes everyday lets the chefs be super creative, yet not overwhelmed with a large menu. While the chef will gladly remove any item that you do not want or cannot eat from each course, in general, what you hear is what you get at MOSAIC.
So why was this such a challenging blogger experience? It was because of the shear number of ingredients delivered in each dish, and the speed at which the dishes were introduced. Since I didn’t have a tape recorder with me, intense listening and concentration was a must (especially since wine was involved)! Thankfully the room wasn’t very big and the waiters repeat the menu items with each new table. Just so you don’t think I am exaggerating, I’ve created a link to my extensive menu notes. Sure, a part of me thought that the waiter might offer me a copy of his menu list, but what fun is that!?!
Overall the meal was delicious, beautiful, and filling! Each dish was crafted in a unique pattern highlighting the ingredients on the plate. The fillet was by far my favorite part of the meal, followed by the duck breast, and the sensational dessert platter with the most delicate strawberry cheesecake panna cotta ever. I recommend this restaurant for any special occasion or dining splurge. I also recommend making a reservation, because space is at a premium at MOSIAC!