Secret Society Dinner-Cobaya Area 31

Can I just say this is one of the cooler concepts to be happening in Miami right now!  There is an underground secret dining club that gets together every so often (the Chowfather is one of them) and gets to try these menus that let the chefs go wild. I was lucky enough to snag the last ticket to the event that happened tonight at Area 31 in the EPIC Hotel. I was plesently suprised to see how this society worked, you were picked at random from an email resonse you send in to get the invitation to go to this meal. There is about 25-30 people that got to go and you have a wonderful tasting with or without wine and it is in a communal table arrangment so you got to meet a whole bunch of cool people from all walks of life. But the coolest catch is you dont know the place (until right before it happens) and you definetly dont know the meal. You will know when they set the menu before you. For a chef this is highly intriging because we try the same things day in and day out so this is very amuzing. We started with a beautiful Amuse Bouche, tomato and peach with truffled cheese and a basil top from paradise farms to top it out, clean simple DELISH; Then we had the Cobia Ceviche wow! There was obviously alot of thought and work that went into that dish.the cuts were beautiful and the texture was all there. Then for my favorite there was the foie gras fluff, so smooth, it was like eatin butter haha beautifully composed the Foie just melted in your mouth and the maldon gave it that extra flavor it needed. Then I had the Flounder with Asparagus and Vanilla Turnip puree... not my favorite I think since my piece was relitivly smaller than everyone elses my piece of flounder was overcooked but it was also underseasoned. oh well on to the next, Then came the crab and diver scallop with farro and coconut broth (couldnt find it) farro was cooked nicely and the english peas were a nice pop of color and flavor. One of the tops in my night had to be the sous vide duck with pork belly confit. OMG the pork belly blew my mind!! SO GOOD! For me duck is not the best choice for sous vide unless it gets a bad ass sear on it after its done cooking in the vaccum. Duck tends to be chewy anyways so maybe not the best. if that duck was braised I would have loved it forever Then came dessert filled with cherry sorbet, dehydrated mousse, greek yogurt panna cotta and truffles to top off the decadence. Wow that was such a beautiful panna cotta kudos to whoever made that one. I would have to say I will be excited to try out Area 31 again. The new Chef looks like he really knows his stuff. Overall this secret dining society is like my new guilty pleasure. Who wouldnt want to meet with some amazing people who like to eat good food just as much as you do. As for telling you anything about contacts ill have to leave you with the famous quote from Gossip Girl "and thats the secret Ill never tell, until again XOXO Gossip Girl"

To Good Friends and Good Food

~Lady of the Knife~