Umami is a difficult term to define efficiently, but I like to say that things that express this flavor 'taste like the place they come from.'
Great French Cheeses, North Pacific Oysters, Hawaiian Prawns, Piedmontese Reds, Jambon Serrano, Kentucky Bourbons, etc...
To borrow a wine term, they express terrior.
How appropos a description for Harvest. We went the other night and were thoroughly impressed!
Service was excellent. We had Ian and I really enjoyed his opening presentation. He hit all the marks one looks for- even pulling out his book to remember a dish's component (as opposed to making it up and hoping we'd not notice- a common server tactic.) Great teamwork, as well, I watched a number of FOH staff engage various tables, almost seamlessly. These people seemed quite happy to be working there! Big plus, in my book.
The facillities were nice. Clean, rustic and engaging. Some might have a problem with the quasi-communal table set-up, but I like it. Anytime you can encourage guests to mingle, I think it's a good thing. Thier challenge will be the acoustics, though. They've got sound dampeners behind the pictures and I was told they are going to take more steps in the near future, so I think management has this issue well-in-hand.
Sometimes you gotta play the hand you are dealt, so to speak...
The beverage program is interesting. The wine list appears not to have a progression, which is curious, but I'd love to hear the logic behind that decision. Ms. Hobbic is well-known for her acumen on the subject, so maybe I'd learn something new. The cocktail, 'Day at the Office' was fantasic and next visit I'll try one of the punches.
The salad exhibited a nice flavor profile I haven't thought about yet- pickled beets and parmigano. Nice play on umami...
The entree, buttermilk fried chicken took the classic test- I cut directly down the center of the breat. Juice rolled out! Perfectly cooked, I was very pleased they kept it on the menu...
Most importantly, and the real premise for this post, was the pairing of the braised greens side dish and the Mauro Veglio Barbera.
Oh. My. Goodness. That was the best umami pairing of the year! If you want to truly get umami, just do this and you'll understand.
I also ran across another young turk FOH manager. His name is Stephen (now there are two!) and I had hired him at Majid's, but never witnessed his work. I certainly saw it here. Of course, he may be part of the great morale I witnessed amongst the staff, but I did see that his people enjoyed working with him. And you can't fake a handshake and smile with me. He's good people, with NYC credentials. It was a smart move bringing him on, I think.