Thank God Jon saw a post on Joseph Decuis’ Facebook page on Friday about Easter brunch. We hadn’t made any plans, and it turned what may have been a boring day into an unbelievable culinary experience. Of course, Joseph Decuis offers only unbelievable culinary experiences, but Aaron really outdid himself with the Easter Brunch menu. Our friend JJ came along with us, which gave us the opportunity to try more of the menu items. For $40 per person, we enjoyed a delectable four-course meal.
We all started with a specialty drink. I had the Blood Orange Mimosa ($10) and the boys had the Blood Orange Margarita ($12). Both were delicious…light and full of spring flavors without any added sugar, just the natural sweetness from the blood orange. Our meals began with a little amuse bouche: Spring Pea Soup with smoked bacon, chives, and creme fraiche. I can’t even describe how good it was. All three of us couldn’t stop raving about the smooth texture and complex flavors. The bacon added just the right amount of crunch to contrast against the creamy soup.
Blood Orange Mimosa (L) and Split Pea Soup (R)
There were four appetizers on the menu, so we each ordered a different one to optimize the experience. JJ chose the Creole Seafood Salad with chilled Gulf shrimp, diver scallops, blue crab, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, and creole remoulade sauce. This was an extremely fresh tasting dish with a generous amount of seafood. I chose the Braised Veal Cheek with creamy polenta, oregon mushrooms, shaved parmesan and white truffle. So much flavor! I love what truffle does to rich dishes like this, propelling it to the next level. The Veal was incredibly tender, melting in my mouth with each bite. And of course, the polenta was outstanding, complementing the tender meat and savory flavor combinations. Jon had the Signature Gumbo Ya-Ya with fried chicken, andouille sausage, rice and scallions. I couldn’t really identify the fried chicken, but the flavors in this dish were intense and wonderful.
(L-R) Creole Seafood Salad, Braised Veal Cheek, Signature Gumbo Ya-Ya
For the main course, I chose the Spring Lamb Ragout and both Jon and JJ chose the Famous Wagyu Meatloaf. The lamb was slowed cooked with San Marzano tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, papparedelle pasta, and fresh ricotta cheese. It reminded me of beef stroganoff with the savory gravy, but of course 1000 times better. Simply perfection. The lamb was incredibly tender and I loved the salty contrast of the capers and olives and the creamy ricotta. The meatloaf was also packed with flavor and was made with Wagyu beef, Mangalitza pork, local veal, potatoes robochon, grilled asparagus, morel mushrooms, and yellowfoot chanterelles.
Spring Lamb Ragout
Famous Wagyu Meatloaf
And for dessert… every option sounded out of this world, so I am glad there were three of us present so we could try them all. JJ went with Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cake, Jon had the Toasted Almond Mocha Creme Brulee, and I chose the Carrot Walnut Cake. Each were phenomenal in their own way. I loved the density of the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cake with its subtle hints of bourbon. The Creme Brulee was incredibly rich and the dark chocolate ganache tucked at the bottom added an exquisite texture. Perhaps I can’t be objective since I LOOOOVVEE carrot cake, but it was hands-down the best dessert. Not too sweet and garnished with candied walnuts and coconut caramel. Outstanding.
Carrot Walnut Cake and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cake
The entire experience was amazing, as usual. From the staff to the ambiance to the food, everything was absolutely perfect. I think we’ve found our new Easter tradition. And word on the street is they do special menus for Mother’s Day and New Years Eve too. I highly recommend giving it a try. You will not find an experience like this anywhere.
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