33 @ Upton 43

We celebrated Jamie's birthday over the weekend, since he's at work today. We had a delightful 9-course Chef's Table dinner at Upton 43 on Saturday. Located in Linden Hills around the corner from one of our favorite restaurants, Tilia, Google Maps was having an off-day and brought us to 43 Upton Avenue in Bryn Mawr instead. Why we would have wanted to go to a random residential address is beyond me. Recalculating... via the scenic route, we ended up driving around Cedar Lake and Lake Calhoun to our intended destination.

The Chef's Table at Upton 43 is one of those ticketed events that starts at 7 pm, so we were a few minutes late, but no matter, because we were the only people there for Chef's Table that night. Two communal tables, each seating 6, are directly off the kitchen, providing an interactive and entertaining experience. The restaurant itself was packed, it's strange that no one else was interested in the Chef's Table on a Saturday night. Chef Erick Harcey was missing in action though, Chef de Cuisine Andrew Acker was the one who prepared and introduced our Nordic- / Swedish- influenced food. I love that they have switchels on the drink menu, I ordered the cucumber + ginger one.

Okay, I definitely won't be able to accurate describe the myriad of ingredients in each dish, but let's see if I can recall the gist of all the dishes [Jamie might need to fill in some of the gaps here]:

Crayfish tacos with elderberry capers, served on a wood block and held together with mini wood clothespins. 

Gouda balls, gooey on the inside with a crunchy rye coating.

Herring with shaved kohlrabi spears, in a refreshing tangy green [some kind of herb] buttermilk broth.

Summer peas in a rhubarb consommé.
Chicken liver mousse with blueberries and granola cracker.

Cauliflower prepared two ways, some kind of foam involved. 

Salmon with... [food coma setting in, help, Jamie]

Pork chop with roasted root vegetables.

Elderberry granita with berries. 

Crumbled chocolate cake with potato chip ice cream, fudge, and crispy fingerling potato chips. 

We were filled to the brim by the time we stood up from the table. Chef Acker actually inquired if there were any misses, and for the most part, the food was sublime. The only complaint was the pork chop was overcooked, and some of the portions were too large [the herring and pork chop dishes come to mind]. The last dessert was pretty sizeable as well, but was so delicious I couldn't stop eating it [I even polished off some of Jamie's].

Speaking of cake, Jamie wanted the same birthday cake that I made last year, but I hate repeating myself, so I decided to try a similar but different cake - lemon cake with lemon curd and cream. I've been watching The Great British Bake Off [aka The Great British Baking Show in America *shrugs*], and this was a recipe from one of the contestants. The cake was good enough for the queen, said the judge. It WAS supposed to be a stunning three-tiered cake filled with homemade lemon curd and cream. And the cake tastes great, it just doesn't look great.

It looks better like this, behind the frosted glass

This is probably the last time I attempt a British recipe. Not because they're bad, but because some of the ingredients just aren't the same / available in the US, and it always feels like something is lost in translation. Double cream, for example, isn't available here; self-rising flour and cornflour aren't commonly used ingredients in cakes. Interestingly, while doing research on the fat content in cream, I discovered that heavy cream has more milk fat [around 36%] than whipping cream [around 30%], so if you want a thicker whipped cream that is more stable, you're better off using heavy cream. Double cream has a minimum milk fat content of 40%.

Jamie wanted a cream cheese frosting, in keeping with the spirit of the original recipe, I made a lighter version, and whipped cream cheese with cream, but the whole thing just didn't hold together as it should have. Summer temperatures don't help. Ah well. Happy Birthday Jamie! Hugs + kisses.