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Local King figs done seductively at Spur
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I've been reporting about lots of amazing plates over the past year, many coming from the monthly "Dish-Off" in Sound magazine. As previously noted, the Dish-Off concept continues, as two restaurants interpret a given song as food, but the venue has changed, with Sound magazine now merged with City Arts. And with that merger, chefs now prepare just one plate each instead of multi-course meals.
But during the transition, the current month's participants, Spur and Branzino, prepared full meals - only to have all but the featured dishes all but lost to the world like hidden tracks on an album. One of those dishes was one of the best in memory.
This month's song was "Fruit Nut" by XTC, from their Apple Venus Volume 1 album. Spur chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough served up lots of fruits, accompanied by ingredients with nutty qualities to them. The "Local King Figs" looked simple enough on paper, but the taste was simply out of this world. The Kings were the last of the season and were boosted by the nuttiness of arugula and speck (porky goodness that alternates between tantalizingly sweet and salty, as well as soft and brittle), the tang of chevre, and the sparkly pop of champagne vinegar.
Figs are a seductive fruit, long associated with fertility, sex, and love--many claiming that they are a powerful sexual stimulant. All I can say is that with their creamy consistency, Spur's figs oozed sticky sweetness that made me gluttonous for more.
(City Arts' October issue, featuring Spur and Branzino, remains available for another few days. Note that the editorial team made a mistake in designating a Dish-Off winner in October. Dish-Off is non-competitive until the year-end playoff issue; both of these restaurants are true winners.)
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