Supper Clubs, let’s be honest can be hit or miss. There is the venue, the guests, and the food. Even if one of these is slightly off then it can all add up to a forgettable experience. This night at Finca Luna Serena owned by Susan Chamberlin (a Certified Olive Oil Sommelier) & her husband Victor Gutierrez (ex-NY Ad man and one who understands simpatico) at their Hacienda all the elements came together in perfect harmony. Not the usual club suspects, but rather a new eclectic group of 16 something, including special guests, a renowned artist and his lovely wife. This was not a meal you worry about your calorie or cholesterol count, as in filling a manikin with meatballs and lard, no this was eat as if it were your last supper. Chef Anthony presented an almost flawless set of mouth-watering dishes (to start the
most surprisingly delicious hot buttered rum with passed hors d’oeuvres of mushroom risotto arancini w/balsamic glaze and creamy crab toast, as you mingle and get to know one another. Sit down First Course, Brussel Sprout salad with hazelnuts and roasted pears. Second course: Roasted Butternut Squash soup, with an optional drizzle of smokey olive oil, why not. Third course: deconstructed Beef Wellington. A clever interpretation, mushroom duxelles and puff pastry ring around a 7oz filet mignon with root vegetables. Fourth course: Flambés whisky spice cake w/ candied pecan crumble and Vanilla Chantilly cream. And to top it off, an Irish Whiskey coffee, sipped outside gazing at a quiet, tangerine night sky in the county, just outside San Miguel de Allende. A Chef, it could be said, tries their dampest to be a Renoir painting your plate, so as to eat with your eyes and choosing their ingredients with such deft that it awakens your olfactory senses and stimulates your pallet almost to the point of a mouth orgasm ~ the consensus was the dessert was the piece de resistance! Being a chef is not easy, however, humility and art sometimes do come together in utopian unity. Some back story behind Anthony Crisafulli ~ Italian heritage and he had the good fortune to be trained by Anne Willan of the fine French cooking schools, La Varenne in Paris and Chateau de Fey in Burgandy. Result; this evening we experienced some world-class cooking ~ c’est tres Bon Chief Anthony! On that, we could all agree. The conversation was light and lively to the point of couples, I have no doubt suggesting, having their own post-dinner pillow-talk, about who and what was said and the deliciousness of which was partaken this night. In the end we as a couple, along with the Phantom Gourmet and SMA Jack, we’d hit the repeat button easily. If success is also defined by the number of Silver Spoons being awarded, the PG would have to say 🥄🥄🥄🥄🥄 would do nicely, merci beaucoup. San Miguel Jack who prides himself in equally knowing when an event is worthy of praise, would say, as an ode to one of Jack’s classics, “What can I tell ya, this is as good as it gets”😎…what is life without good food and friends. A warm muchas gracias mush go to the most gracious of hosts, Susan and Victor; you hit this one out of the Orchard!