There are dinners out, and
then there's dining. Soft lighting. Fancy plating. Cozy tables that allow for
hand holding and whispering. Paced out courses. This is the stuff date nights
were meant to be made of. Date nights and birthdays, that is.
On my most recent 29-again birthday, Ryan treated me to one of
these special meals. Based on a recommendation of my friend Erika, we found a
restaurant called Harvest Beat in Wallingford that boasted a farm-to-table
model and which features an all vegan menu—it sounded promising.
From 45th Street, Harvest Beat might look exactly like the granola-y
hole-in-the-wall kind of establishment that comes to mind when you hear
"vegan restaurant". The kind you might find on the Ave nearer to UW
with servers wearing Birkenstocks and handwoven clothing. Trust me, I am aware
of the stereotypes. However, Harvest Beat is a great reminder of the old adage,
don't judge a book by its cover. Upon entering, we were warmly greeted and
given a choice of tables, opting for a quiet corner table tucked in the wall
across from the kitchen on the upper floor. Away from the door and the foot
traffic outside, we not only had a quiet spot, but we also had a front row view
of the kitchen.
After being served glasses of bubbly and given a few minutes to
get situated, the deep, round timbre of a gong reverberated through the
restaurant as a summons to gather everyone around. After introducing himself,
Chef Jacob shared that he hopes Harvest Beat feels like our "living room,
dining room, and kitchen." Truly, the restaurant model is about making
everyone feel at home, welcomed, cared for. Chef continued on to share more
about the food and preparation. Almost all ingredients are local, in-season,
and come from within a 200-mile radius. Harvest Beat actively works toward
reducing their carbon footprint by composting all food scraps and, of course,
they eliminate waste by creating a pre-fixe five-course menu for the number of
guests based on reservations for each evening. This eliminates the need to
keep, and then eventually toss, extra food.
The courses were inspired by food of this moment, selected by what
was in peak season this week. I loved the detail with which the food was both
created and explained. As Chef Jacob finished up, I introduced myself, and he
eagerly invited me into the kitchen to observe the plating of the first and
second courses. What a treat!
The entire meal was exquisite. The food quality, taste, and
plating was on par with a fine dining establishment, but the atmosphere was hospitable,
gracious, and humble, and anything but pretentious. I felt as comfortable
walking into the kitchen as I would in the sauntering in the door of my family’s
home. From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, you will be treated
to a sensory experience of taste and comfort. It was a special experience and I
can't wait for our next date at Harvest Beat.
More About the Meal
Stinging Nettle Cake Course:
Little did I know that stinging nettles (yes, the kind that will give you a
rash when you’re tromping about in the woods) are super high in nutrients. They
blanch them to remove the sting and then puree pumpkin seeds to give the cake a
lightness. The tomato sauce with fava beans made for a flavorful and decorative
touch.
Salad and Soup Course:
Parsnip soup with crispy parsnip chips was double the fun and double the
flavor. The salad was the most spring forward part of our meal with some early
spring greens and a smoked apple dressing.
Crepe Course: This was a
nigella and mung bean crepe topped with maitake mushrooms, cabbage rapini (the
word for the first harvest of a vegetable), and all topped with a turmeric
cashew cream sauce and garnished with marinated hijiki and cilantro. I’m not
even a mushroom fan and I liked this dish.
Dessert Course: Though a raw
carrot cake may not sound like a great dessert, the flavor was divine. Spiced
as a traditional carrot cake, but with nearly all raw ingredients (the only “cooked”
ingredient were the toasted walnuts to give them a bit more nuttiness), the
cake was finished with a cardamom cashew cream cheese icing, pomegranate
molasses sauce, and candied walnuts. I wouldn’t have refused seconds.
