To Prix or to Pick?

I am lucky enough to have celebrated many Valentine’s Days in my life–with my mom, with my dad, and a few times on an actual date. Each one affirmed the fact that you don’t really need love when you have food (sorry Oliver). After two February’s in New Haven New Haven going on four, I’ve been convinced that the restaurants here are up to par for the holiday. The reservations are competitive (a good sign) and there are countless options at every price point. The biggest decision I’ve heard my friends trying to make as they look for reservations is whether to do a prix fixe dinner (such as Gioia, ROLi, or olea) or a la carte (Siena or 116 Cocktail Bar by Hachiroku). Here are my thoughts on the two and a solid example for each one.

The Prix Fixe

Last year I had an 8:15pm reservation at Hachiroku Shokudo and Sake Bar. It was an easy walk from my dorm in Bingham, down Elm Street, and half a block on Orange. The restaurant was full to the brim of couples having planned weeks if not months in advance for this reservation, just as I had. Hachiroku is one of my favorite New Haven establishments with four unique restaurants all close(ish) to Yale. 

While I had been to Hachiroku three times before, this experience completely knocked my previous ones out of the park. The meal started off with two flutes of champagne and Uni Toast as an amuse bouche. I can’t say I usually love the taste of Uni, but the buttery toast topped in salty sea urchin hit the spot. We then moved onto a glass of rose and a bowl of miso soup. Miso soup is hard to mess up, but it’s especially good here, with tiny cubes of tofu and crunchy seaweed.

Next up we had multiple small plates in quick succession: hokkaido scallop and octopus carpaccio, tako kale (stir-fried kale), a sashimi plate, and yaki kinoko mushrooms. I loved the scallop but unfortunately am not a fan of octopus. Still, not one bite was left on the plate. The kale felt like an unneeded effort to add something green to the meal. That’s not to say it was bad, as I’m a huge kale fan, but it was nothing special and was lost among the other flavors of the meal. The sashimi plate and mushrooms were the highlight of the meal. The buttery scallops, thin tuna and thicker slices of bluefin tuna, lemony mackerel, and tendrils of octopus provided a fresh and unique taste every single bite. The mushrooms came in all shapes and sizes, all lightly grilled in mirin and soy sauce.

You thought the meal was over. But no, the largest dish was yet to come. I chose vegetable agedashi and Oliver ordered wagyu, both laid atop a bed of rice. At this point I was full to the brim, but still appreciated the rice’s sweet vinegar flavor with the savory agedashi tofu (the wagyu was definitely the way to go though).

We ended the meal with the “Hen & Heifer Dessert,” a matcha panna cotta topped with strawberry and matcha chocolate hearts (a little sweet but still good) and a small cup of shuzo yuzu tsuru (yuzu sake). The meal was decadent and certainly a treat, full of delicious bursts of flavor and a festive atmosphere.

The A La Carte

This year I was forced to celebrate early. To make up for this, I booked a reservation at Union League. I’ll be honest–it was refreshing to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a different day than everyone else. There was much less fanfare, which I prefer. I’m sure it also helped that the meal wasn’t prix fixe (though I’m sure their Valentine’s Day prix fixe dinner is incredible). We sat in the main dining room, though in hindsight I’d recommend requesting the side lounge. 

The dining room is designed like a traditional French bistro, with white tablecloths and dark wood paneling. The crackling (fake) fireplace in the corner brings some warmth to the space, while the slightly more modern gold chandeliers and massive mirror across one wall bring a more contemporary touch. The lounge, on the other hand, is cozier, with suede benches, lower ceilings, and dim light. If you’re lucky enough to sit in the booth, or if you’ve walked in and are seated at their bar seats, you’ll get a view of their well-stocked bar. It stretches almost from the floor to the ceiling in a large column completely encircled by rows of high-end bottles. 

Now for the main event: the food. The meal started with fluffy French bread bites, toasted and lightly covered in parmesan cheese..They were crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside. And then with our bread came… more bread. The basket of bread after the bread bites felt a little excessive. Not a complaint though: always a fan of more bread. To start we got the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and the Scallop Ceviche. The ratio of fish to ponzu was perfect in the tartare. The highlight was a creamy avocado (which is not listed as an ingredient on the menu) which went perfectly with a flavorful bite of tuna. While the tartare was delicious, the Scallop Ceviche carried the entire meal. The scallop was cut into thin buttery slices. It was paired with thin disks of cucumber and topped with jalepeño, cilantro, and red onion. The garnishes were honestly not needed, that’s how good the scallop was, but a little jalepeño never hurts.

For mains I got a full portion of the Radiatori pasta: fusilli with crab meat, bread crumbs, and calabrian chili. Oliver got the Friday special: trout meunière, which was a pan-friend trout filet with browned butter, lemon, and parsley. Both were great, but honestly, neither of us could stop thinking about the appetizers. The mains were the right amount of heavy, warm, and comforting. They nailed their use of brown butter, the pasta was an ideal al dente, and the tomato sauce had the perfect zap of spice. By the end of the meal we were too full for dessert and happy with our choices.

Overall I think the content of the meal matters more than the structure. Depending on your price point (prix fixe can be more expensive), inclination to share, and favorite cuisine, the decision between a la carte and prix fixe may be made for you. Regardless, make a choice and stick with it, and make sure you’re in good company.