Last Saturday night Stanley and I celebrated his birthday at the Crimson Sparrow.  We have been there several times, the last being exactly one year ago, also to celebrate his birthday.  They’ve changed the tasting menu format slightly, for the better I think.  Last year, there were an amuse-bouche and 5 courses for $55, with the option of adding a foie gras course (with a glass of sweet wine). They also brought out an extra course for us. Dessert was extra, and we did not order one.  The new menu offers an amuse plus 7 courses, foie gras and dessert included, but no glass of wine, for $75. Pricey, but very much worth it.  Portions are not stingy, either.  We had an excellent bottle of 2011 Minervois for $39,

I can’t remember the details of every dish, but some highlights were fresh peas with cod and chorizo, squid cut into spaghetti-like strands and lightly cooked, New York strip steak, black bass, and chicken, egg and kimchi.  The flavors in each dish were intricate and worked perfectly together.  The chefs are extremely creative, and we felt the food quality had risen to a new level.

The beautiful garden is filled on a first-come, first-served basis, but we were able to move there from the dining room after the first course, and enjoyed sitting at the counter facing the glass-enclosed kitchen.  Service is close to perfect, and the serving of the dishes is very carefully timed, not too fast, not too slow.

All in all, a spectacular meal.

Website: http://thecrimsonsparrow.com/