Partage — Restaurant in Paradise

Tasting menu at Partage. Here are my thoughts

The interior is warm, the light soft. The service is attentive at this early evening seating. A bone marrow broth with braised oxtail and smoked eel follows the amuse bouche. Then, a pan seared foie gras over pineapple mango chutney, topped with salted caramel.

It's an earthy start, especially with the foundation of smoked hay. The structural aesthetics of the pot-au-feu are splendid, one of the highlights. The smokiness quickly recedes, leaving you with a pastoral, low country feel, a state of being in nature, not exposed, but just tangible enough to infuse you with meaning, with memory. And then the bone marrow broth and braised oxtail gives way to this slow, melting fruit feeling. It's like coming out of a late winter or cold spring. And as you barely taste the foie gras, a subtle, gentle crisp of the underlying pineapple supports your descent into the chef's vision.

This is an acknowledgment of the first page turn, the idea that you're not eating a meal, but just starting to understand a story. Next is a North Atlantic cod wrapped in A5 wagyu, accompanied by celery variations: pureed celery root and whole celery root, both overlaid with an olive sponge cake. The pairing of a French pinot surprises, both by design and by palette, to bring out the finishing flavor in the ensemble - the wagyu.

The bite is sublime and immediate elevates you from the sweeter experience of the foie gras. We are introduced to a cool summer day along the ocean. We smell the sea air and feel the wind. We remember the fire built just hours earlier, the hands that built it. The momentary reminiscence to our pre-modern life. The wagyu blends so beautifully with the pinot, completely opening you up, unannounced and yet fully welcomed. It introduces a new part of the story. An evening walk after dinner along the coast.

The olive sponge cake: like sitting down and lying in the grass, breathing in the night air. You kiss your children and your wife. As the taste lingers, you turn over on your side, tuck your hands underneath your head, and remember your childhood. As the lucid dream extends, a freshly sliced olive and yuzu wakes you up again, infusing you with light and the energy of your surroundings.

Pan seared duck breast with sweet potato puree, and an ice cream cone sweet potato chip with a thousand layer carrot and mango chutney, mixed with curry, and topped with frozen sweet potato ice cream. Paired with a Syrah.

Here we have something. The duck breast and the syrah pairing is absolutely unreal. The puree flirts with you, the mango distracts you, the chip visually intrigues you, but those are all carefree afterthoughts. Like a beautiful girl you've already forgotten. There are these very subtle oppositions: the sweet potato wants time to join the duck, but the syrah owns this experience. The accoutrements enhance the duck on the margins... but when something wins, it wins.

Let your winners run.

The knife and the fork are perfectly placed, only taking the slightest movement of my hands to grip them fully. There's something to be said for that, the joining of the table to the body.

Dessert was a pineapple grapefruit yuzu base topped with a soaked sponge cake with edible gold leaf and yuzu cream. An espresso gives a hint of smoke that brings the meal full circle.

It's hard to write a story, a story of words, let alone the food. A story of sitting down, of being together, a story of place, of time, of circumstances. A story of thoughts both old and new. Partage told...

Had Partage on my list for some time and finally decided it would be perfect to celebrate a couple of milestones.

Atmosphere: Modern swank with a friendly and appealing wink. Approachable. The kind of venue where the ice cubes have tiny molded pedestals for gold-dusted garnishes but also a cheery wine-lined foyer/tasting area with barrel tables and a rustic tiled entry into the dining room. PLUS, a semi-private banquet room with a logoed laser light show projecting onto the tabletop, for those Instagram moments.

Was escorted to what mixologist Matthew assured me was the second-best seat at the bar. After receiving introductions (Matthew, Jordan(?), Ian), water, menu book, and restaurant vision, had the difficult task deciding which cocktail (alcoholic all $19) to have first. Already had planned to order the Signature Tasting Menu ($180) and threw in the Black Truffle supplement ($40).

Drinks (all awesome with lovely presentations)- The Golden Pepper: A zingy smoky sipper. South of France: Slightly sweet, slightly sour, garden fresh tasting. Bruschetta Tartine: Delivered on the intense impression that a rich toasted tomato sandwich had been transformed into a liquid. My favorite out of an outstanding field. Le Café des Îles: Partage's caramely citrusy take on the espresso martini.

Food- As the menu changes frequently (once a month; the one I enjoyed is due to rotate out around 19 December), I have to refrain from my usual excessive rundown of all the courses. BUT, every course was a showcase of unique flavor boosts and ingredient twists, and were sensorily fascinating. Portions were larger than tapas, each dish enough to enliven the taste buds and satisfy the belly, not wearing out its welcome. If I were forced to pick my favorites, these two would have to duke it out- Seafood course John Dory: not usually a fish fan, but this piece was so flaky tender and delicious, and Appetizer Lobster and Leek Ravioli, because not only was the super-stuffed pasta pocket a hearty salt/sweet flavor bomb, but, due to the colors, to me that dish resembled an alien spacecraft camouflaged on a forest floor. Also the happy beneficiary of the generous truffle supplement, which sent the savoriness into the stratosphere.

Service: Impeccable and engaging. Milestone noted on my reservation was warmly acknowledged. Pace was deliberately and thankfully unhurried for maximum enjoyment of the meal. Thorough explanation of each dish and drink, and the menu provided at the end went beyond repeating just the course headings. Floor engagement by Chef Yuri Szarzewski all the way through the staff amplified the sensation that they want diners to be happy.

Value: For sheer volume and creativity, well worth it. The whole experience at Partage was a delight.

Last note Le Club, the next-door à la carte concept of Partage, hopefully due to open early 2025; perhaps items from the tasting menus will be...

It pains me to leave such a low review because the service, especially from Daniel (I believe that was his name) was very good. But upon walking in the restaurant the atmosphere is pretty but there was a strong lemon cleaning chemical odor that overpowered my senses. It did not work up an appetite. I've had my fair share of excellent, award winning, dining experiences, and prior to my arrival, I would have believed based on the pictures and other reviews that this would be another evening well spent. Unfortunately I left feeling like I had absolutely wasted a lot of money. From the first amuse-bouche, I was wary. A delicate crab cake with a slice of apple and a tart sorbet. Some other elements I'm forgetting, but it did not pair well together. It was disjointed and confusing to eat. Then the chilled pea soup starter. Beautiful to look at, but absolutely no flavor other than unsalted pea puree. No depth and no seasoning. I didn't finish this dish. I didn't finish several dishes and it wasn't because I was full. The seafood course was next and that was the only one that had any merit. My husband's lobster crudo with a pepper sauce was delicious (though under salted too), and my blue fin tuna tartar with a passionfruit "yolk" was nice. The next course was the meat course and it was a maple duck breast with a vegetable main accompanying. The duck was good in taste but very oddly soft in texture. Not a meat texture. I thought perhaps it was sous vide but i was told it was not. They gave us special steak knives to cut with and I was still having trouble cutting mine. The vegetable manicotti of sorts was decent but also under seasoned. Meanwhile I have paid $60 for the 5 course wine pairing and not one of the wines I tried was noteworthy or exceptional. I've never had that happen. Then dessert, at which point I really just wanted to leave. A rice pudding molded into a rectangle and coated in chocolate. Topped with a milk chocolate mouse, all accented by orange flavors. I'm sorry but I expect something more inventive than chocolate and orange. And the texture of the rice pudding just wasn't pleasant. Then they bring us complimentary extra desserts with the check and they were also both terrible! Nothing like making a bad experience worse with one last bite that was worse than all the others. Like I said, I really didn't want to write this because the staff was charming and kind, but it pained me to walk out of there $400 poorer and very unimpressed. I felt I should at least leave a...