Thank You Moto!

Adult mac and cheese. That’s what I remember reading on the edible menu before we, well, ate it. The dish appeared...truffled dehydrated cheese dusted on rehydrated noodles along with fried quail in a small bowl. The flavor was extraordinary, I still crave it, still remember it exactly. It was one of 10 courses, ending in dessert nachos which, literally, while comprised of sweet flash fried pastry “chips”, kiwi, ground chocolate, creme fraiche, and frozen shredded cantaloupe, looked exactly like savory nachos when set before us. (Photos are banned in the restaurant, so here's their official gallery of photos including the edible menu and “nachos”) I was stupified by the skill, the flavor, the presentation, it was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I’d been devouring foodie magazines and cookbooks for years, trying new recipes, trying new restaurants when traveling but this night, this restaurant, ironically in my home town, after my first molecular gastronomy experience I began to fully embrace my obsession with food and wine.

Mac and fromage. I grew up in the midwest, the land of orange cheddar cheese and the ubiquitous Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or “mac and cheese” as we all know it. My most frequent and favorite dining partner (and co-author of this blog) grew up around the world but definitely refers to his cheese as fromage and frowns upon any that is the iridescent orange color I just spoke of. But we both agree on adult mac and cheese and most things involving truffles for that matter as well. (We even have a fantastic friend that grows truffles in Tennessee! www.tennesseetruffle.com ) When choosing between Japonais and Moto that evening I didn’t know what a long lasting impact my decision would have. By choosing Moto I gained said dining partner’s trust in restaurant decisions when traveling, I learned that he would enthusiastically sit through a 4 hour 10 course dinner and deconstruct/analyze each course with me, and that he was as much a foodie as I was. We started cooking and experimenting in our kitchen much more often, too, and love to drink wine and dance while we prepare new recipes. Food and wine (and travel and running... a perfect compliment to calorie laden meals...), both inside and outside our home, are our passion.

From Moto to Morimoto, from Spice Market to Slanted Door, from Aziza to Ze Kitchen Gallerie, we have plenty of stories from behind the table, behind the wine glass, as well as from behind the pan in our own kitchen. But the best is yet to come, so join us here on our journey!