Augustine Grille spoils Folio Weekly's BiteClub with fresh, farm to table quality dishes and drinks galore!



Sawgrass Sunset

Tuesday night, I had the extreme pleasure to get spoiled rotten at Folio Weekly's BiteClub event, hosted by Caron Streibech, at Augustine Grille located inside Marriott Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. I was a BiteClub virgin, so going alone (Eric had to work late sadly), I didn't know what to expect except I was happy to see my good foodie friend, Mike Mina, already downing a Motorbike and encouraging me to try the ladies "Sawgrass Sunset" (drink descriptions at BiteClub blog, link above).  I was also skeptical about dining in a hotel, as most resorts tend to serve mostly wedding chicken type fare.  I was about to be seriously checked on this thought.

Appetizers were gloriously circulated (did I mention I was famished?), so I started a love affair with the tuna tartare goodies with balsamic glaze on a crispy cracker below that after who knows how many, some ended up on my shirt:

Followed by these lovely aged beef potstickers: 

While noshing and waiting, lobster bisque shooters came round, with surprise, lovely tender bits of lobster at the bottom (sorry, no pic here).  Chef Brett Smith warmly greeted all of us, a CIA graduate, and was very passionate about their use of farm fresh ingredients from local and out of state farmers and vendors.  Fully tantalized, we were seated inside the tasteful, dark wood interior of the Grille.

 

Some of the farmers and vendors spoke about supporting local farmers, and to hear their passion and sense of hard, back breaking work, it was inspiring.  We started with pork belly, red pea, andouille, and greens, tender, perfectly seasoned cooked deliciousness with andouille flavored red peas.  My favorite (besides the chocolate crunch later) for the night, hands down.  Reminding me a little of Filipino lechon, it was an elevated crispy and soft pork experience.

We moved on to the next course, and the picture below does not do the beautiful red, sweet beets justice.  The truffled goat cheese was a creamy sensational treat and together with the peppery, bitter arugula (not my fave salad greens), it was a wonderful combination.

Next up was the Mayport shrimp, grits cake, greens and tasso gravy.  While the shrimp was huge and cooked well, the spice and saltiness overwhelmed the dish a bit, but combined with the lovely cucumber herbed spirit drink, it went very well together.

At last, the beef course: house dry aged prime natural strip loin, gnocchi, and brussels sprouts.  I love beef, but for steak, I'm a lover of ribeye and often, restaurants can easily screw a good piece of steak (medium rare, please, and don't forget to season the damn thing).  The steak was a little more on the medium than medium rare side, but aging the beef did so much to add flavor and depth, and the seasoning was spot on.  The gnocchi was a nice, buttery rich accompaniment (this is a whole new take on steak and potatoes, men), and the brussels sprouts helped me not feel so guilty about this meaty indulgence.  Lovely. The merlot with this dish was a perfect marriage.  (Eric, sorry hon, you missed a great beef dish, you would have cried over the pork belly).

Now, the finale, sweets: chocolate crunch, pot de creme, and truffles, can I get a hallelujah? The hazelnut encrusted truffle and milk chocolate truffle were only the beginning; the pot de creme was creamy and dreamy but not overly sweet, and the chocolate crunch (on the right below) was the grand slam.  I'm still thinking about that dessert, and thanks to the lovely lady who had no room in her belly so that she gave hers to Mike Mina and I to split.  Clearly, one chocolate crunch was not enough for our ravenous sweet tooths.

Oh, did I mention that a lovely almond port was served with the desserts as well as this lovely chocolate mini martini glass concoction?  At the end of a fabulous meal that resulted in standing ovation and applause for the entire kitchen staff, I had to roll out to my car, like the blueberry girl in Willy Wonka, a content, smug smile on my face.  God bless BiteClub and Augustine Grille.