NeMesis Urban Bistro, the whimsical restaurant dreamt up by chef Micah Edelstein, features a menu that takes you not only around the world but also around the zoo. In the same vein that Edelstein brings us tuscan sushi, she also brings us far beyond the standard petting zoo of meats.
Our recent safari passport tasting menu (available for $50 per person for parties of five or more) featured everything from duck to steak to octopussy (her word, not ours) to kangaroo to alligator. These more exotic meats were not present for shock value, but rather expertly prepared for a full exploration of flavor and imagination.
The kangaroo carpaccio ($15 à la carte) was sliced paper thin with rooibos tea-smoked tomato oil for a delicate flavor on top and topped with dukka for some rich nuttiness. Crispy focaccia croutons and a micro green salad accompanied the dish to give it some nice texture. The kangaroo meat was right at home in this well composed dish. This dish is such a welcoming home that we heard that it also occasionally holds ostrich in place of the kangaroo. When it comes to taking in a new meat for the first time sometimes it's nice to go raw in a familiar place.
The real exotic meat highlight of the night were the alligator ribs ($27 à la carte). If you only know gator in its fried nugget form, you are missing out. These ribs were flavorful and tender; like falling of the bone cartilage tender. The meat is somewhat similar to pork ribs, not tough in the slightest. They are also so easily manageable that you wonder why you can't have them at every family barbecue.
Nemesis' piece of alligator meat accompanied with grilled frisée brought us back to scenes of the wild, reruns of The Crocodile Hunter, where an alligator emerges out of the swamp and you need to jump on top, blindfold them and put rope around their mouths to calm them. With that image, we let our imagination go as we closed our eyes and enjoyed another bite of this incredible meat.
If you are looking to add some variety into your carnivore lifestyle, Chef Micah will guide you to new meats in a thoughtful, gentle and flavorful way. Since NeMesis aims to serve only the best meats (local, seasonal, organic) the menu changes often, call ahead to see if gator, kanga and/or roo are on the menu.
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