Cafe 909 Tasting Menu

This week at Cafe 909, Mark did a Wine Pairing Tasting Menu. I did a little bit to help get it ready and then stood next to him watching, occasionally holding something or getting something. I got to see him really show off his talents, which are among the finest. He's been nationally recognized for a reason and I got to see it first-hand.

It is a true shame that his restaurant is closing next week. Cafe 909 is a gem of a restaurant in a sandy bowl of pebbles. It has been my pleasure to work there and learn from Mark Schmidt. I have only been working there a short nine weeks, and I don't remember it being so awesome when I worked there last year, but I have grown very fond of and close to the people I work with. David is the pantry guy, the professional baker who has been cheerfully guiding me in my sourdough journey. He's also my political tutor, updating me on statistics and answering so, so many questions. Mike is a worldly loner cook, back from 18 months in Ireland, about to go to NYC to cook with the very best, in Marble Falls for only one reason, which is to learn from Mark. I fit in someplace in the middle, inwittingly exposing how truly naive I am, making everyone laugh sometimes, being a chatterbox and keeping pace all the while with the two awesome cooks on either side of me. Mark can be a [jerk], but for the most-part, he is a kind and respectful leader, happy to help in so many ways. I am very sad to see this restaurant close, to be losing my job and to see the friendships that were developing end. I have warned them all that I'm not "Amy the Crying One" for nothing, I never fail to deliver tears in any (even slightly) emotional situation. I have the utmost respect for Mark and his wife Shelly for the way they run their business and the knowledge they have about what they do. It's been a while since I felt that way at work.

These pictures aren't in the right order and I am not smart (patient) enough to put them in the correct order right now. You get the point though. The man for whom the tasting was is the owner of a winery, and he brought some incredible vintage wines (1970-1992). The courses in the order they were served was this:
Japanese Flavors -oyster, escolar & kiwi tartar, eel, tuna sashimi
Seared Foie Gras, candied butternut, ginger
Sturgeon, grilled sardine, blood sausage risotto
Squab breast, carrot puree, most delicious sauce
Smoked lamb, lamb chop, roasted baby leeks, artichokes and cauliflower
Marcona almond stuffed fig, honeycomb, bleu cheese, olive oil

And those are David's cloverleaf Brioche rolls!