Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 19th, 10:44am By Madelyn Feldman

Being in the Bay area and Northern California for the last 2 years, I can see my already beloved Buffalo with new eyes. More importantly, after studying culinary arts and working within the field, I can taste the city with a new palate. I have had the fortunate opportunity to get my first bite of Buffalo at the new Tabree restaurant on Elmwood. My guest and I had the privilege to indulge in an amazing tasting menu off of their abbreviated menu during the soft opening.

Tabree is the fusion of the extensive culinary background of Bryan Bryndle and the tasteful artistic energy of his partner, Tara DeJoseph. Bryndle, who studied at the French Culinary Institute, and has a resume that would impress, with such notable positions as the maitre d' at The Four Seasons Restaurant for six years, captain of the Gotham Bar and Grill, service director of Pastis. He was also inducted into the James Beard Foundation for his knowledge of fine food and wine in 2000.

DeJoseph, with master's degrees in both graphic design and fine arts, has used her knowledge to create a beautiful restaurant. Everything from the menu to the interior décor of the exquisite space to even the name (Tara + Bryan = Tabree) is a blending of both of their creative souls.

The façade of the restaurant is reminiscent of a welcoming French cottage. The interior décor creates a harmonious sophistication with a color palate of browns and golds. Bryndle and DeJoseph have literally built almost every element, from the remarkable mahogany and South African Granite bar, to the hand crafted wine rack and even the unique acid-etched mirrors hanging behind the new bench seating.

The small dining space allows for a quiet romantic dinner but the gorgeous massive patio can cater to the needs of a party of almost any size. Surrounding the patio lays lovely greenery and a considerable just sprouting herb garden will be made use of in Tabree’s kitchen. Although the entire restaurant was refurbished in the “Tabree” vision, DeJoseph and Bryndle were careful to utilize as much as they could form the original space. Both the original bar and the bench seating went from inside to out to create one of the most inviting patios in Buffalo.

Tabree uses local ingredients as much as possible, and will change their menu seasonally. Serving wine and beer, the staff will help with wine pairings and navigation of the incredibly expansive wine list, featuring all regions of French boutique wines by the bottle and glass, as well as New World wines by the bottle.

Chef de Cuisine, Kristina Daley, fabricates Tabree’s seasonal menu with finesse. Self-taught and with a French grandmother, French cuisine is just in her nature. Her proteins were executed flawlessly; her knife skills pristine and her sauces are full of flavor but delicately balanced without overpowering the dish.

The tasting menu, which flaunted high quality ingredients mixed with simple French preparations, allowed for a true tasting of Buffalo seasonality. First we sampled the Asparagus Soup, full of asparagus flavor, and perfectly seasoned, it is an excellent example of simplistic French cuisine that highlights fresh flavors through minimal ingredients. The asparagus garnish although texturally beautiful against the puree, was slightly large for a spoon to manage. The soup, without the use of cream, achieved an intensely rich palate rousing.

Secondly, we were wowed with the Diver Scallops with crabmeat and avocado, Provençal tomato puree, and grilled artichoke. The scallops' perfectly seared outside gave way to a buttery flaky internal texture. A fresh mixture of avocado and crab sits atop fire roasted then re-roasted tomato puree flavored with Provencal herbs such as, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, and marjoram. Accented with grilled artichoke, this dish symbolizes flavors of summer. Although incredibly rich, a balance is struck between the acid of the tomato puree and artichoke, against the butter flavors of the scallop, crab, and avocado.

Our third course, Hudson Valley Foie Gras was delightfully presented with potatoes Anna, cherries, port wine, and toast. The foie gras is over-nighted from Hudson Valley to ensure freshness, and the port wine used in the reduction is of high quality as well. This dish is filled with umami; the fatty, perfectly scored and seared slice of foie gras is complimented with the sweet flavor of the dried and fresh cherries in the port wine sauce. The crispy, perfectly salted Potatoes Anna help to create a textural excitement with the dish.

A palate-cleansing intermezzo of Vodka Strawberry Sorbet, made by Dolci on Elmwood, served in a martini glass, was creamy and light, with a slight mineral diffusion of the strawberry flavor. It was a perfect way to transition into the entrees.

Aromatic, and mouth watering, the next tasting was the special of the evening: Mussels Provencal. Fresh and juicy mussels drenched in a white wine, garlic and herb broth, were served with lovely pieces of grilled ciabatta. Chiffonade of tarragon and basil brightened up the sauce.

The Grilled Bass, beets, arugula, oranges, and aged balsamic, is another of my other favorite flavor combination. The classic flavor profiles of roasted beets and peppery arugula, beyond being seasonally appropriate, were enhanced by the sultry 15-year aged balsamic. The Sea Bass, Chilean in our case, was fresh and grilled flawlessly; a bit of crunch gave way to a tender velvety center, though a touch more salt could have helped to enhance the fish. The acid and sweetness of citrus finished this light and playful dish nicely.

Duck Roulade, with spinach, apples, raisins, root vegetables, and calvados sauce, created a wonderful meld of tastes. When united, these flavors are reminiscent of a comforting duck pot pie, though the deconstructed plating created a certain intrigue. The duck roulade was wrapped around apples, spinach and raisins, and had nice flavor and texture. Seasoned well but slightly sweet, the root vegetable medley of parsnips, beets, and potatoes are well balanced against the fresh, savory spinach. The sweet, buttery calvados brandy sauce added richness to the other elements.

Although slightly palate fatigued, we were privileged to try the Braised Beef, with carrots Vichy, mashed potatoes, haricot vert, and bordelaise sauce. The bone in shoulder cut of beef, after being braised for nine hours, had no need for a knife. Beyond being incredibly tender the meat possessed a full flavor from the braising liquid. The beef sat upon light, fluffy rosemary mashed potatoes. A veal demi-glaze added a sumptuousness component to the complexity of the bordelaise sauce.

Cooked in ginger, ginger ale, and sugar, the carrots Vichy were sweet and lively, which really popped against the savory meat. Absolutely gorgeous, perfectly cooked haricot vert (green beans) functioned as a needed textural freshness in this dish. Along side of the braised beef, we sampled the House Frites. The battonetes of Yukon Gold potatoes are fried to crispy perfection and dusted with a bit of truffle salt, which adds a depth not easily reached by other fries. The fries are accompanied by mayonnaise for dipping.

To finish our journey though the flavors of Tabree, we sampled three of their featured desserts. The Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée was on point--smooth, creamy, and not too sweet--allowing for the essence of vanilla beans to shine through. The Chocolate Mousse, although slightly dense, over flowed with intense French dark chocolate flavors. The most unique of the desserts, the Lemon Chiffon Tart with blueberry compote and a hint of mint cream, once again showed Tabree’s ability to create intriguing seasonally appropriate dishes through flavor compositions.

Someone once told me that living fully is only achieved when one pleasurably utilizes each of their senses. Using this as a reference, dinning out is truly good for the soul; eating well does not just fulfill the sense of taste but smell, touch, sight, and even hearing can be activated during a dazzling meal. Tabree raised my senses and will truly be an asset to Elmwood Avenue and the Buffalo restaurant scene.

Tabree
423 Elmwood
Wednesday to Saturday 5:00 to 12:00
Sunday Brunch 11:30 to 3:30
Sunday Dinner 5:00 to 9:00
716.844.8477

Tabree Wines

Bryan was good enough to grant our request for a top ten wine list with prices that ranged from low to high, all with their own superb qualities. No need to study up however, as the wait staff will always be ready to help with selection.

1. Bruno Paillard Brut Vintage 1996 Champagne $95.00
2. Beaumont des Crayeres Rose n.v. Champagne $60.00
3. Domaine de Villeneuve Chateauneuf-Du-Pape '04 $55.00 (biodynamic)
4. Jean Rosen Pinot Blanc '06 $38.00
5. Triennes Rose '06 $28.00
6. Vire-Clesse White Burgundy '05 $32.00
7. Domaine des Coccinelles Cotes du Rhone '05 $30.00 (biodynamic)
8. Carrel Jongieux White Table Wine '06 $26.00
9. Rosacker Reislng Grand Cru '05 $70.00
10. Chateau Pipeu Bordeaux Rouge '05 $65.00

Click here for an NPR story on biodynamic wine.