Alain Ducasse at the Essex House - Perfection? But at what price?

I had always joked about going here but the potential cost made me feel that I would be the object of ridicule for the foolishness of spending so much money on a single meal. With its impending closure approaching (they are moving to a new location), and the excuse of my birthday and 8th wedding anniversary available, I figured we might as well just go for it...what else are Wednesday's for? While I knew it would be expensive, I don't think I truly grasped how quickly things can add up at Ducasse.

We entered the Essex on 58th and approached the heavy wooden doors that led into Ducasse. Looking back, a place like this should have doormen on the inside who anticipate your approach and open the doors for you. Instead, I opened the door for my wife and was greeted by a bit of confusion on the inside - there were three or four people in a small foyer type area. They quickly came to our attention, taking note of our reservation and taking our bag and coats without the necessity of a tag. We entered the main dining room and were taken to a nice table against the wall by the windows. The decor was dark and elegant...musical instruments had been melded into the walls of the restaurant and then colorful paint applied. The actual effect isn't as ridiculous as it sounds. Speaking of 'ridiculous' and 'sounds,' at one point a tune started playing and we swore it was the ringtone of a cheap cellphone. It kept playing and playing and my wife and I looked at each other thinking "Who had the nerve to leave their cheap cellphone on in a place like this?!?" - it turns out that it was actual some weird, cheap music that the restaurant was playing through their shoddy sounding audio system. Fortunately it went away quickly.

Since we knew the financial damage was going to be bad no matter what we did, we decided to go with the Fall tasting menu. The first attendant approached with a cart full of a wonderful assortment of liqueurs and offered us champagne. We went with a glass of the house specialty and were not disappointed - champagne is really a wonderful drink. I was even having a conversation with a friend recently about how people should stop thinking it is only for rare, special occasions and take the time to discover the joys of $15 bottles so they can enjoy it all the time. Next came the attendant to ask our choice of water. He was shocked when I said tap would be fine...he asked me "You mean...NY water?" as if I was going to be ingesting a radioactive poison by doing so. Somehow we survived. They started us with an amuse of a puff pastry with gruer cheese...incredibly light and tasty. It literally melted in my mouth and was gone. Fortunately, the service is so perfect here that you never have to wait long for anything to arrive next.

The sommelier came by to give me the wine list. I knew the food would be expensive, but I had no idea that I wouldn't be able to select a bottle below $160! I was so taken aback and wasn't sure what to do. He came by and I feebly tried to mention something about not wanting to drink much because of an early morning trip the next day. I believe he sensed my discomfort and took pity on me....he told me he was about to open a half-bottle of a special 1995 Pinot Noir and that perhaps that would work for me. I figured that a half-bottle couldn't be that bad (I was wrong) and decided to just go for it...I had already decided to swim with the sharks, I might as well jump into the bloody water!

First course was a carpaccio of hawaiian escolar with granny smith cucumber vinegar and caviar. The fish was moist, clean and fresh. The granny smith accompaniment and caviar adding the right touches of tart and salt to the fish. We were off to a good start. They kept up the pace with an amazingly fresh assortment of autumn vegetables and fruits with natural dressing. They each bursted with flavor and the taste of the season. Each one seemed as if it had just been picked and barely cooked in order to maximize its deliciousnesses. The presentation of each dish was done with a high level of synchronization and care. As I mentioned, the dishes were also brought out at just the right pace. Next came an utterly amazing dish full of foam that I was told hid some foie gras/tapioca ravioli beneath. The foam was celery flavored and although I am skeptical about pasta in non-Italian (and even in most Italian) restaurants, this was to die for. It was cooked perfectly and the foie gras/tapioca filling was divine.

My wine ($130 for a half-bottle) was actually quite good. It started very light and subtle in flavor and by this point had developed some character and bolder flavors. It was also making me drunk incredibly fast. Next came the butter poached lobster with salisify/mango hearts of palm. The lobster was cooked to the proper firmness and the natural sweetness was only heightened by the butter. Lately, many places we have gone to just haven't gotten lobster right, but here it was a perfectly cooked morsel. The surrounding vegetable and fruit went perfectly with the flavors of the seafood. After this came the protein in the form of medallions of venison with stuffed prune sweet potato and beet. The meat was cooked medium rare and its accompanying sweet potato was amazing. It was stuffed with some foie gras I believe and although I normally don't go crazy over the stuff, I couldn't get enough of it here because of their expertise in preparation.

The main meal was done and we were presented with a finely matured piece of truffled brie cheese. It was strong and heady stuff. My wife needed a nice baguette to make it work. I polished it off but it wasn't easy as this a challenging morsel of cheese. But I did it and was happy for it. I wasn't prepared for the parade of desserts that was about to happen next. I expected the typical palate cleanser and a dessert...maybe some petite fours to end. Ducasse goes a mile beyond most places. The palate cleanser came and the sour cream sorbet did its job. Then came the toasted peanut biscuit with chocolate cremeux and BEER flavored foam. Then came the man with the box full of chocolates from which you could have whatever you wanted. Then they placed a bowl of the BEST macaroons I have ever had. I requested that the three I couldn't eat be put into a small box for me. They never took them away and I would soon find out why. Then came another man with a huge cart full of desserts of all sizes, shapes and types from which you could pick anything you wanted! they do this on purpose because most people possibly couldn't eat much more at this point! What a cruel joke.

So we finished and were ready to go. By the way, the man who served the bread was wonderful. If you simply caught his eye from anywhere in the room and motioned, he immediately ran to the fantastic bread tray and whisked it over to you. Great guy. We paid the bill and went to collect our belongings. In addition to their tradition of a bricohe for the next morning, they gave us an entire box full of those macaroons!

Overall, Ducasse really is a wonderful restaurant. Yes, saying it is expensive is an understatement, but if you go here, you know what you are getting into. It is also a bit intimidating, but maybe thats because I felt like the staff could sense I wasn't rich, and maybe I really shouldn't be there - but I survived and am happy and full for it. The total bill with tax and tip was $835.

Rating(1-10): 8.7
Pros: Amazing food and service
Cons: Very expensive, the dinner music