#9 – GRAPEFRUIT GIVRÉ at BOULUD SUD

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

As I sat at the bar at Boulud Sud sipping my water and checking out the dessert options, I realized it’s possible for us bohemian types to live like the other half in this city. Or at least get a taste of how they eat.

Boulud Sud is the latest fancy schmancy restaurant from chef extraordinaire Daniel Boulud. Inside it feels sort of like a high-end cruise ship serving diners with oodles of old money. While it was bright and lively at the bar, it felt like a place I didn’t necessarily belong. There was one woman dressed to the nine’s reading a magazine, sipping some champagne, and I can only imagine waiting for a gentleman with money to approach. Very strange.

Well, here we were. We had come in just for dessert since the menu is a bit out of our normal price range. Perhaps another time after a big paycheck, but for now we figured we’d get the list item and get out of there before we went into debt. The only problem is that their dessert menu was overly tempting and we ended up getting two desserts (at $13 each).

The bartender wasn’t terribly helpful in helping us decide which to choose, but he was charming and lighthearted. We already were going to get the Grapefruit Givré, which he said was a must. And we also decided on the Moroccan Mint Chocolate Pavé.

Both desserts were dramatically presented. The pavé was thin and light with a rich cakey density. The flavors were a bit subtle and ultimately didn’t do anything more for me than a decent chocolate bar could have.

But the Grapefruit Givré was unlike anything I had ever experienced. And that’s why I loved it. I had no idea what to do with this when it arrived.  It was a frozen hollowed-out grapefruit shell (do grapefruits have shells?) but it looked positively sealed up with some sugar crust and a cotton candy-like mohawk.

I just broke my spoon into it and quickly found my way into the grapefruit which was filled with surprises. I kept finding new layers and unusual treasures. There was a creamy sesame foam, some tart grapefruit sorbet, chewy pieces of rose candy and pieces of the caramelized tuille added a delightful crunch, not to mention the halvah shreds that had a cotton candy texture and sesame seeds for a garnish.

It took me a while to really wrap my head around this dessert. It was playful and artistic and made for an interactive and unpredictable after dinner experience. And ultimately, the sweet and tart flavors and the infinite textures made for an incredible dessert that I’m glad I got to experience along with the 1%.

Would Boulud Sud’s Grapefruit Givré make my Top 100 of the year? You betcha. In fact, it did already. This is the kind of unusual, surprising food experience that I crave and remember for a long time. 10 out of 10.