On Sunday evening, a.k.a. Father’s Day, I attended a scrumptious underground dinner party hosted by aspiring Chef Tony Krause. Tony previously worked at the old Weczeria Restaurant on Broadway Ave.  On off hours, he surrounds himself with everything culinary.

After this 11 course meal, I’m convinced Tony will take food experiences to a new height.  Our underground dinner included, state-of-the-art presentations of delectable courses served with his own elegant dinnerware, and live music. With each dish, Tony whet our appetites with anticipation of another.

Smoked trout in a jar

A beautiful presentation with a tasty surprise.

Upon opening the lid, a wonderful aroma of smoke visually enticed our palate.

And the trout, with hints of oregano and honey, Jack Daniels and Saskatoon berry gel, lay at the bottom of the hermetic jar, a succulent treasure waiting to delight.

Frozen coconut milk with chard corn husk oil

A hot, silky corn soup poured from a small pitcher, livened the senses with a fragrance of sweet corn and coconut.

Sweet corn soup

Creamy, smooth, and complex with delicious flavors of hot and cold, everyone wanted to lick the bowl.

Little Criminals

We were treated to contemporary folk music. Amanda with the violin and Taylor with the guitar have played these instruments as long as they can remember and their voices – a pure delight to hear! They met last summer at the Ness Creek Music Festival and formed their duet in February.

Foie Gras with brioche

My first foie gras experience, and I wondered why I had not tried this delicacy before. The texture luscious, buttery, and oh soooo rich. And the brioche, light and airy, a perfect bread and balance for the Foie Gras.

I’ve only heard of one other chef who made foie gras ganache – Marcus Samuelson. So Tony, you’re up there with the best.

Ice Tea

I had three of these and a glass of Tony’s delicious root beer with a twist of ginger.

Beet Cloud with honey toffee and snow goat cheese

Wow, a garden on my plate and I didn’t know edible moss existed. The beet cloud so incredibly tasty and delicate, and the snow goat cheese added to the fun of the garden box as a finger food.

The toffee melted in my mouth like a spoonful of honey.

Sea bass over a bed of onion, fennel, and saffron compote and served with a light curry sauce

I’m partial to fish and I loved this! Flaky, tender, and moist, and the compote a perfect accompaniment, it was another lick the dish meal.

Tomato sorbet with a hint of orange zest

I know it’s a palate cleanser, but give me a bowl, and I’ll eat it for dessert.

Beef cheeks on licorice root with mashed potatoes stuffed in onion chard with sherry vinegar and mushroom au jus

The onions with mashed potatoes looked like beautiful gems and tasted like gems too, and I loved the aroma of licorice root.

The beef cheeks were Sous-vide for 14 hours with star anise and juniper berries and served medium. I was too engrossed in eating my cheek and forgot to take more photos.

Frozen chocolate foam served with guava puree and caramelized bananas

Oh yes, the lady sitting across from me, and myself, looked forward all evening to the chocolate dessert and we weren’t disappointed. Tony used liquid nitrogen to freeze these chocolate foam balls that tasted like a chocolate mousse explosion in the mouth.

Our evening ended on a playful Jackson Pollock culinary delight. On a plastic tablecloth, brush strokes of basil, strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla cake vodka gel tempted. Luckily, we had wild strawberries growing on a basil plant (no just pinned) to spoon the luscious flavorful gels in our mouths. And when the strawberries were gone we used the basil leaves but mostly our fingers. An incredibly fun way to end an evening!! And there were fireworks at the same time – the 200 year celebration of  victory for the war of 1812. Well-planned Tony!!

Wild strawberries with strawberry and basil gel. My favorite, the basil gel.

Tony you gave us an incredible evening filled with exciting culinary experiences. And  a huge thanks to those in the kitchen who also helped to make this a wonderful evening.

Tony you are TOP CHEF excellence!