I am swiftly approaching the one year anniversary of my departure in the food industry, and I have become so very proud of the place that I call 'work'. I feel like each individual shares the same sort of bond with their workplace, but mine I feel is particularly special. The product of N9NE is something that I have become immensely proud of. The accolades speak for themselves, but I can truly say that I am proud of the product I support.
After working at N9NE for a few months, I brought in my girlfriend Caroline to show off the product to the harsh critic that usually accompanies me in my food ventures. In the fall when my family visited the city to watch me play soccer, I brought them in as well. Those were incredibly poignant nights for me, showing off something I work so hard to promote to the people that I care about most. The last of those close to me to visit are my roommates. They constantly hear about the goings on and how proud I am of the place, and my birthday was the perfect chance to show this off to them.
Walking into N9NE, my roommates were impressed, as it anyone with the high colorful ceiling and the glitzy columns; one being the centerpiece for the focal point of the champagne and caviar bar. We sat at a table on the far side of the dining room with James as our server. James has become a good friend of mine throughout my time at the restaurant, and it was great to see his talents at work first hand. He was entertaining as always, and very engaging for my guests, but still left us plenty of time to ourselves and to our meals while ensuring attentive service. His knowledge of the menu and food in general was immense and helped each guest make their individual decision on what to eat and drink based on their preferences.
For drinks, as my first legal drinks, we all went with mojitos. All of the roommates went with a Melon Mojito off the drink list, and upon allowing James and bartender Agnes to craft my first legal drink, he returned with a peach mojito. As feminine as it is, the peach puree infused mojito was a great start to what proved to be a long night for my liver. We continued drinking these for the remainder of the meal, with the exception of when Chris and I switched over to Allagash, a wheat beer out of Maine which I will soon be writing about.
Onto the appetizers. Myself, as well as James, recommended the three most popular appetizers: Ahi Tuna Tartare, Rock Shrimp, and Calamari. The Ahi Tuna is my personal favorite, with chopped avocado and edamame mixed in, as well as a chili puree and chick-pea chips to complete the plate. The Rock Shrimp are lightly breaded and served with lemon aioli and a more intense Asian inspired sauce, this appetizer in particular two of my roommates loved. The third is the calamari, served in a way commented on by all guests. They are traditional in that they are lightly breaded, but they are served with fried lemons and drizzled with a lemon aioli, both giving light but enjoyable flavors. All were much much enjoyed and for a steakhouse, I believe the appetizers truly show off the seafood skills of the N9NE kitchen, which has won numerous awards for their seafood exploits.
For the entrées, after careful deliberation with James, all went with the 8 oz filet. I went with the losing side of their decision, the hanger steak. The hanger steak is marinated in Asian flavors, with soy sauce as a large part of the marinade. These flavors really do come out, and if you are looking for a steak with natural flavor, not from a sauce, the hanger steak is a great bet. It is topped with roquefort shallot butter, which contrasts perfectly to the natural flavors of the steak to create a perfect balance.
For the guests and their filets, upon each taking their first bite, each let out that very satisfied moan, confirmation to me that the great meal was complete. Each commented on how it was cooked exactly as they preferred. James brought a four sauce sampler for them to try, and upon deliberation, the classic béarnaise was favored to compliment a pure steak, seasoned only with salt, pepper, and a bit of butter.
It was a meal I was very proud of, able to treat my roommates to a great time in an establishment that I work so very hard to promote. They really enjoyed the meal and were about to leave full, when we were treated to the cloud 9... a namesake cotton candy creation with miniature ice cream cones and a chocolate and sprinkle covered pretzel rod stuck into the house-made cotton candy. This was the perfect ending to our meal.
If this is what being a proud father feels like, I think parenthood is something I might be able to handle after all.
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