The Crossing, Clayton - Visited May 2019

New Zealand Rack of Lamb

My youngest child officially graduated from college today with a highly desirable degree from an esteemed university, so it was time to celebrate with a celebratory meal and what could be more appropriate than the "Graduation Celebration Chef Menu" from The Crossing in Clayton. We had not been there in about two years, and my son suggested it as where he wanted to go after his commencement. We made reservations in advance and we ended up being the first ones there when they opened at 5:00 pm. We were seated at a table up front by the window which allowed us to watch all the people using valet parking which he had decided not to use (we parked on nearby Bemiston instead.)

We had all decided to go with the Chef Menu, but now we had to decide which selections to pick for each course. Since there were four of us we were able to sample a number of different items for each course which made it quite a treat. Here is a list of the items we selected:

First Course
Mixed Greens Salad – Granny Smith apples, truffle honey, lemon vinaigrette
Yellowfin Tuna Tartare*– Celery, lemon zest, lemon cream, Hackleback caviar
Local Strawberry Salad – Spinach, pickled red onions, goat cheese, walnuts, white balsamic poppy seed dressing

Second Course
Hudson Valley Foie Gras* – Mixed berries, greens, Banyuls
Tagliatelle – Grass fed Missouri beef Bolognese, Parmigiano-Reggiano
The Crossing’s Blue Crab Cake – Field greens, sambal honey aioli
Tagliolini – Wild golden chanterelle mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano

Entrée Course
New Zealand Rack Of Lamb* – Crushed Yukon gold potatoes, asparagus, carrots, lamb jus
Grilled Creekstone Beef Tenderloin – Pomme purée, green beans, local carrots, caramelized onions, sauce Bordelaise
Pacific Barramundi – Pomme purée, local spinach, artichokes, white wine lemon butter

Dessert Course
Malted Caramel Pot De Crème – Sea salt, whipped cream
Chef Bo’s Cheesecake – Graham cracker crust, raspberry coulis
Warm Chocolate Torte – Berry coulis, vanilla bean ice cream

Wow, that sure was a lot of different items we all were able to taste in one evening! That did not even include the cheese dip and bread they brought out at the beginning which were both fantastic.

For the first course, I enjoyed my tuna tartare and also tried the two other salads that we ordered. They were all fine, but I was disappointed I could not really taste the caviar much in my tuna, and neither salad really stood out either. The tuna itself had a good flavor, much like a piece of maguro sushi and the lemon flavor helped to accentuate its delicate taste. And of course, it appeared looking like a piece of art, as most of the courses did.

The second course was much more interesting, and the four of us actually selected all four of the options. I again selected the crab cakes as I had two years ago, and their crab cake continues to be incredible, with plenty of delicate, meaty crab and a delightful savory aioli with just a little heat to it. Both pasta selections were also exceptional with rich sauces that were not too heavy and fresh tasting pasta. I preferred the Tagliatelle to the Tagliolini with its meatier, heartier flavor. The Foie Gras was also very rich and an interesting experience, but I think we all agreed it did not compare to any of the other second course options. At least we could all say we had tasted Foie Gras now!

The entrees were also fantastic. I had the rack of  lamb which was a little fatty, but was incredibly tender and flavorful with a rich sauce that accentuated the meats flavor without smothering it. The asparagus, carrots and potatoes also went well with the meat and the sauce. The barramundi fish was very moist and tender in its butter sauce which also went very well the with potatoes that were served underneath it. And the tenderloins were of course very tender and flavorful, again with an excellent sauce that highlighted the meat's natural flavors. It is hard to go wrong with a perfectly cooked piece of tenderloin!

Finally it was time for dessert, and we all agreed the chocolate torte was again the best choice, although the cheesecake was very well done and the caramel was also rich and flavorful. It was all a very fitting end to a marvelous shared meal.

Throughout all the courses, the service was impeccable, with the whole dining staff working together to make sure our plates and silverware were picked up and replaced if needed, refilling our drinks, and making sure everything went perfectly. Our son visited the restroom and said they were nice too, but nothing special.

All in all is was another incredible evening of experiencing a large number of delicious items, all in appropriate portions for tasting without having to stuff ourselves. It was definitely not an inexpensive meal, but well worth experiencing again, especially to celebrate my son's special day concluding his four years as a college student. Who knows, now that he will be making those "big bucks" maybe he can treat us to an evening at The Crossing in a few years!

Food quality, variety, presentation, service