If you are an adventurous eater the private dinners at Kensington Quarters are the best deal in town. Not only do you get to try the different cuts of the animal cooked that night but you are able to see the various techniques the chef utilizes to put together a 5 course meal, not to mention each plate is paired with a glass of wine. Besides it’s fun to get the animal confused with another animal you usually eat like lamb which happened a couple of times during this meal.

The Goat Dinner started with a thinly smoked piece of goat leg garnished with some radishes and pickled jalapeños while spiced with charred garlic and chili pepper. After one taste of this starter I knew I made the right decision to attend this dinner. This dish could be served on the same plate as some of the best charcuterie boards in the country. The salty smoky taste of the thinly sliced goat leg with a delicious punch of heat at the end provided by the chili pepper, along with the fresh, vibrant tasting white wine pairing was a great start to the night.

The 2nd course was a bit of a let down after such a great start. The celery root added some crunch to the soup but not much taste while the slow roasted shoulder was a little chewy for my taste. I would have rather seen the shoulder prepared in a different way. Although the sweet white wine pairing did go well with rich broth.

Fortunately the Chef made a huge comeback after the 2nd course and this is where the night truly started to become decadent. The 3rd course was the ultimate comfort food for a cold snowy night. The Cannelloni filled with tangy goat cheese and mouthwatering braised shank mixed perfectly with the intense flavor of the mushrooms. After I finished this meal in about one minute I looked around and the gentleman next to me had done the same, we looked at each other only wishing we could have another serving to enjoy. This also happened to be paired with my favorite type of wine, a Pinot Noir from Oregon, my favorite is Firesteed Pinot Noir, but really any Oregonian Pinot Noir will hit the spot with a comfort food.

Up next came the main course, Grilled Goat Chop and Loin served over some sunchoke purée, pickled beets and grilled apple. This dish was cooked perfectly for such a lean meat, because of its leanness goat is hard not to overcook on the grill but the chef pulled it off. The chop and loin were both juicy while the sunchoke purée added a nice smooth texture without weighing the dish down like mash potatoes would. The Malbec pairing worked great here as well, all in all I was impressed throughout the night on how well they paired the food and wines.

Last but not least came dessert the Goats Milk Panna Cotta was no let down, the tanginess from the goats milk blended perfectly with the cinnamon flavor and the texture of the fennel seed topped it off way better than a cherry could ever have imagined. I ordered and excellent espresso to eat with this dessert and then to end the night Kensington Quarters served us a nip of the chianti Malvasia which worked as a sweet finish to end the night.

This was a 4.5 Tizzle event, I recommend any adventurous eaters out there grab a spot to the next private dinner Kensington Quarters hold and hopefully I will be able too.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry!