High Street on Market:
As a college student living off of dining hall food, I will gladly jump at any chance to go out to eat a real meal. For my birthday five friends and I went to eat at High Street on Market. We opted for their 8-course tasting menu, and it didn’t disappoint.
High Street on Market is described as “country-chic.” It has a very “homey” feel and the kitchen is right in the main dining room, so you can see them preparing the food before they bring it to you. The tasting menu has “eight dishes” but each dish had several small plates, which we were able to share among the six of us.
I was worried that a tasting menu could be too overwhelming- you feel obligated to eat until you’re stuffed because you don’t want to waste food! But by the end of the meal we were full but not overly stuffed. We got to so try many different flavors and foods that I’ve never experienced before! Here’s an overview of our eight courses:
Starters: We started with “Zach’s kale chips”, baked with miso and garlic. I’ve made kale chips at home (seriously underrated and super healthy) but I’ve never had them at a restaurant! These were a pleasant surprise.
The kale chips were served with potted shrimp. I was hesitant to try because they were served with whipped foie gras (liver…) but it was really tasty! The shrimp were flavored with nutmeg and served with a side of shrimp toasts—so good.
Second: Next, we were served brussel sprouts. This was probably one of my favorite dishes! The sprouts were served with smoked goat-milk yogurt and charred cabbage.
The second course also included a mushroom plate. The combination of flavors was intriguing, and I can’t say I’ve ever had a mushroom dish quite like this ever before. It was served with sunchokes, smoky eggplant, kale, and a runny egg.
Third: The third coarse was charcoal Grilled Squid. I’ve never been a huge fan of squid (I usually try to stay away from calamari at restaurants), but this was served with cauliflower, coriander, and—wait for it…squid ink. I took a risk and tried the ink…let’s just say it was an experience! The ink also stains your teeth, which made an interesting bonus.
Fourth: The fourth dish was a Sunflower Risotto. The risotto was wonderfully creamy and flavorful and was accompanied with meadowset pecorino, cold pressed oil, and button mushrooms on top. The sunflower seeds added great flavor and texture to the dish.
Fourth: The fourth dish was a Sunflower Risotto. The risotto was wonderfully creamy and flavorful and was accompanied with meadowset pecorino, cold pressed oil, and button mushrooms on top. The sunflower seeds added great flavor and texture to the dish.
Sixth: The sixth course was our pasta course. First we were served “Angry Crab Spaghetti” made with peekytoe crab, old bay, scallions, and bay leaf. I love Old Bay seasoning, but I’ve never tried it on pasta before! The combination was incredible and I will definitely try it at home.
Next we had the “Smoked Pumpkin Tortelloni” with burnt sage, walnuts, and rye cracker.
Seventh: For the meat course we had the “American Wagyu” served with crispy rice cakes, chimichurri, and fermented broccoli rabe.
We also had Grilled Quail with roasted quince, charred leeks, and rosehip.
And finally, Barbecued Lamb with three bean salad, and molasses vinaigrette.
Eighth: The dessert course was incredible–and even better because it was sharable! Each of my friends and I got to try a little bit of everything, which was great because usually I end up eating everyone’s desserts anyways–but in this setting it was encouraged!
We had “Smoky Milk Chocolate” served with Jersey cranberry sorbet, wild rice, and bittersweet cocoa.
Then, we had a Roasted Sunchoke Custard with black walnut brittle, candied kumquats, and maple.
And we also had “Toasted Spelt Cake” with candied kumquats and ricotta. This one was really interesting–it was crumbly and tasted like bread!
Overall, the experience was amazing–I got to try so many new foods and flavors! High Street is must for any foodie (the instagram opps are prime). Grab some friends–defintely friends you can handle for a really long dinner!–and go for the 8-courses!