Celebrity chefs seem to love casinos...for whatever reason, they seem to be a cohesive unit.Not many people have ever heard of David Burke. He isn't on television as much as Bobby Flay and may not have the name recognition of Wolfgang Puck, however, after the experience at David Burke Prime in Foxwoods, I firmly believe his relative anonymity has led to a more creative and fun experience than his counterparts (cow upholstered seating) which finally lead to, quite possibly, the most entertaining dessert Busters has ever covered.
The focal point of David Burke Prime is it's steaks and wine selection. Busters visited the high end steakhouse during the lunch period, which offered a less traditional menu than perhaps the dinners might evoke.The wine rack in the middle of the restaurant is a gorgeous symbolic gesture that lets customers know that even though they might not have heard of David Burke, there will be no "slacking" when it comes to the decor, service, and most importantly, the food.
And speaking of the food...to start, the obligatory carbohydrate was served before the appetizer. When seeing the bread being served in a small baking pan, I couldn't help but smile at the creativity.
However, things did not start off on a good note. The bread, albeit very good looking, did not translate into a good taste. First off, it was more of a croissant which is lighter interior but also, much less tasty than say a dinner roll. I guess that would not have been a big deal because butter makes everything better. Yet, the interior of the bread puff had a sort of slimy texture...almost a mixture of undercooked and possibly the moisture from the hot bread hitting the cold air of the room. Either way, the bread was the lowest point of the meal but it did get better...much better.
Above is the appetizer...surf and turf dumplings. The surf was a lobster dumpling with lemon chive and butter. As you can see, each side of the dish featured it's own sauce. What I loved about this dish right off the bat was the presentation. Lobster claws stick out of the top of the dumpling to indicate which side is which. The lobster was good but the turf side was even better. The turf was a barbecued and cheddar short rib over BBQ. The whole dish was great. The dumpling was boiled to perfection where it had the right type of firmness to hold the interior but soft enough to eat. Not typical steakhouse fare.I saw just below the appetizers a little note saying, "Make sure you try a signature Can-O Cake" (because it takes twenty minutes to prepare)...I didn't think much of it and moved on to the main course.
Above is a chicken and shrimp BLT. The sandwich is served open-faced and features a bun (obviously), two generous helpings of chicken, tomato, lettuce, bacon (unbelievable), chipotle mayo, and caramelized onions.
This dish was fantastic. The most jarring taste is the bacon...which is real, real bacon. I think the bacon at David Burke's tops Bobby Flay's in terms of taste and thickness. It was just the right blend of sweet and salty. It was so real that it wasn't even like the bacon you're used to...it was almost like a really sweet jerky...plainly put, get down there simply for the bacon (oh, and we forgot to mention that it was at least a 1/2 inch thick). The chicken was moist and tender. The shrimp was also fresh and thick. What was great is that the shrimp had a firmness to it indicating it had been chilled on ice in the kitchen. This really makes a big difference...it still was very moist but when you bit into it, it had a sturdy crunch that sometimes is missing from shrimp if you leave it out too long.After plates had been cleared...we had to ask.
"What's the Can-O cake?"
The bartender smiled. "It's like...you know the German tins...it's like a cake cooked in that with fresh..." He rambled on but I was sold by the mere idea it came with a German tin that you could take home with you. Really...when was the last time you had a dessert like that?
The cake served six at a small cost $20, which isn't bad considering the portion. The twenty minute countdown began.
I saw the bartender come around the corner and place on my table the most peculiar thing I have ever been given at a restaurant...a nice 'tip of the cap' to baking at home.
That's right...up above is the actual whisks to the cake batter...remember when you used to lick them off after you made the batter? That's exactly what's called for here. To save myself embarrassment, I just tried a little of the batter puddling at the bottom of the dish with a spoon. However, certainly not what anyone could have expected at a high end steakhouse such as this...yet, there was something that made you feel very comfortable simply because the gesture seemed to have so much thought behind it.Finally, the cake was rolled out...yes...ROLLED out and garnished table side. Let's go through the process:
1.
Bartender Tim dumps a fresh slab of the BUTTER-SCOTCH CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING onto the freshly baked chocolate cake. To the side, there is vanilla ice cream, which is put on later. See below for another picture of him icing the cake.
2. Put the Heath Bar mixture on top.
3. Cut and Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream and Fresh Whipped Cream
4. Think of the dessert this way...it's the best brownie sundae you will ever have. The lava cake was unbelievable sweet, hot and delicious. The cream cheese a nice balance and, surprisingly, the heath bar works very well. The whipped cream is whipped fresh and it has an airy texture to it...very good. Here's the leftover after giving some away to the bartender and some patrons at the bar.
Everything, minus the bread, at David Burke's Prime was fantastic. Most importantly, it was fun. I don't think I've had so much fun eating at a restaurant before. Ever meal that came out had such an AMAZING presentation that took careful construction and planning that it made the experience that much more entertaining. I dare say the presentation came close to overshadowing the food. And with a 15 dollar glass of wine added in, all of this only came to about 70.00 bucks without tip. I'm not sure my money would go as far is something like a Ruth Chris or Carmen Anthony's or even Bobby Flay Steak.
If you haven't ever heard of David Burke...it's time you get to know him better.
4 out 4 Belly Bustins
