Nana Grill is tops in more ways than One

by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

As a food and travel writer, I have the delicious responsibility to taste some of the best food in the world. I travel more than half the time, dining on meals specially created by top chefs.

On a recent R & R between trips, I dined with a food friend at Nana Grill. It made me realize I need to spend more time eating at home. Between trips to food and wine festivals and culinary extravaganzas, I usually dine on lettuce leaves and fat-free chicken bouillon to balance the gastronomic gorges. But now I will save some calories for the best dining experience in Dallas, the Chef’s tasting menu at Nana Grill.

As one of the tallest buildings with an unobstructed view of the city, Nana presents Dallas from its best angle. It is particularly breathtaking at sunset when you can watch a virtual light show as the sky changes and the tall buildings light up. Be sure to request a window table.

Many times, restaurants with great views don’t have a menu that reaches the same heights.

At Nana Grill, the food is so spectacularly presented that it is a bit like being in an art museum, with carefully sculpted and plated treasures creatively presented on each plate.
I took almost as many pictures of my plate on this recent dinner as I did in an equal four hour period with my first grandchild, Hudson Rex Miller.

Even two days later, I was exchanging photos with my dining companion, almost as you would share vacation pictures. Did you get this angle of the foie gras? Do you like my picture of the tiramisu? Would you like a copy of my amuse shot? Only a foodie really understands this.

THE TASTING MENU

Chef Anthony Bombaci, Nana Executive chef adds his creative flair and visionary ideas to culinary traditions from around the world. Bombaci balances flavors and creates signature menus that have enhanced the dining experience at Nana. With classical training in European cooking as well as Mediterranean techniques drawn from the Iberian Peninsula, Bombaci’s cuisine has garnered nationwide attention.

He has been influenced by the molecular gastronomy trend. His amuse, the palate teaser before the meal was an Arnold Palmer –but Bombaci’s rendition was a frozen ice tea cube topped with lemoncello foam.

The tasting menu is either 7 courses for $75 person, $105 with wine selections (2 ounce servings) or 10 courses for $89 per person, $135 with wine selections (2 ounce servings)

The menu changes frequently, always based on what is freshest in the market and what inspires the chef. And everything we tasted was truly inspired.

How does one think up things like Gazpacho of Watermelon and Tomato? Nana’s version is a nice balance of sweet and savory with feta cheese, red onions and olive oil.

The Ahi Tuna Tartar was one of my favorite dishes. Served with Passion Fruit, a soy-sesame wafer and scallions and then garnished with a tangy wasabi ice-cream made from wasabi powder churned into vanilla ice cream.
Tuna tartar 3

The precise slow cooked and seared Kobe Shortribs with prawns, aji panca, avocado and cilantro tasted even better than it looked.

If I could only repeat one thing on the menu, it would be the Pork Belly.Where do you get Pork Bellies? I learned that the ones from the Berkshire Black Hogs in the Four Story Hills are absolutely luscious. Slow roasted and seared, the pork belly is served with a peanut sauce over baby spinach. Chimichurri, and Piquilo peppers (banana peppers) add spice to the flavors.

A simple cantaloupe sorbet was the palate cleanser before the next course. It looked like a Botera sculpture in its wavy white serving plate. And I was beginning to wonder if my body would also look like a round Botera sculpture when I realized we still had seven courses to go

I learned the most tasting the seared Cervena Venison. Have you ever tried a Araguani Gastric Forelle Pear? Our waiter explained it was marinated in red wine to get its color. The dish is served with a sweet carrot puree and would certainly win for most colorful
venison.

The passion fruit “caipirinha” may have been a foreshadowing of what was to come. A transition to dessert, it could easily be served as an “after dinner drink.” A soft meringue tops an inspired combination of rum, lime granite, and passion fruit sorbet.

The milk and cookies course was a whimsical presentation of cookie crumbs spread on a glass plate and served with a refreshing ice cream made from coconut milk.

When we were served the Valrhona Manjari Chocolate Coulant with a ginger “crema montada” and topped off by white chocolate ice cream, it seemed hard to believe we had been eating for four hours. The time flew deliciously by. As we enjoyed the last course, we remembered that we had also ordered a Tiramisu from the A la Carte Menu.

A FEW TASTES FROM THE A LA CARTE MENU

My companion ordered a few things from the A La Carte Menu. He hadn’t planned on sharing the Blis Smoked Trout Caviar with green apple “cru”, celery sorbet, and wild rice popcorn ($18 ) but as soon as it was served, I snatched a bite. The serving was small, really only two bites—so if you have more than one friend, you will need another order.

Especially since it such a sophisticated blend of salty mixed with cool and sweet.

I was completely uninterested (well, not really—who could be uninterested in Bombaci’s food?) in the pasta dish he ordered and this time he had to urge me to try it. The Tagliarini ($12) was a remarkable execution. Hand-rolled with Parmigiano-Reggiano Whey, it has flavor layers of vanilla and scented olive.

And in the category of most photogenic, the Tiramisu was gorgeous from every angle. But best when swallowed and savored slowly.

www.nanarestaurant.com

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who writes for www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com and www.coffeeatlas.com