On Sunday, Jeff and I went to Volt for my birthday.  We had made reservations for brunch, but Jeff got a call a few days before saying that there was a cancellation for Table21, asking if we would like to go? Hell freaking yes. Luckily, even though I've been pretty nauseous and had a lot of odd/sudden food aversions lately, I was able to power through all 21 courses, and there was only one that I didn't like.  I was planning on sending any raw fish Jeff's way, but they were extremely accommodating and made a few special dishes for me.  We were seated almost right next to the main kitchen, and there was a really nice guy named Aaron next to me (who is hopefully sending me some photos!).  On the other side was a large group of older ladies, and the one closest to Jeff was pretty drunk and loud, but she ended up being entertaining by the end. The experience was BEYOND fantastic.  Here are some pictures/descriptions of the courses:

'Chips and Dip' - this was a Greek yogurt foam with lobster and anchovy chips.  They were pretty yummy; the chips had the consistency of pork rinds, and the foam (luckily) did not taste like Greek yogurt, which I hate.  It was kind of a throwaway, but tasty.

A beet macaroon with foie gras.  This is very yummy, and actually kind of reminded me of a Cheetoh because of whatever was dusted on the top.  Again, though, sort of a throwaway, plus we've had them before (as a freebie with dinner).  Despite my use of the term 'throwaway', I am glad that they paced the meal with some very light courses in the beginning - I couldn't have handled it if these first few were heartier!

'mock oyster' with salsify, oyester leaf, and malt vinegar.  A very, very pretty dish, but it was disgusting.  Not only did I not like the flavor (basically, it just tasted like vinegar), but the texture was like a giant ball of snot.  I am proud of myself for trying it, though, because I really had to steel myself...just looking at it, I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it.

This was kampachi, though they torched my fish.  There was blood orange, yuzu, fennel, and ginger.  I LOVED this dish; the blood orange was perfect and really refreshing.

This was very light, and tasty but not that memorable.  The ribbon-like thing was celeriac, and there was also nasturtium, mustard, and grapefruit.  I really liked the tangy bitterness of the mustard with the citrus.

This was buratta (a type of mozzarella, we were told) on a bed of kale, with crushed hazelnuts around the edge.  Oh.my.god. was this good.  Somehow it seemed light, and it was the most delicious mozzarella I've ever tasted.  The hazelnuts were so perfect...this was the first stunner of the night.

This is goat cheese ravioli; the pasta is colored and flavored with vegetable ash.  I have had this several times before, it's one of my favorite dishes at Volt, and it did not disappoint.  Even amongst the heavy-hitters of the night, this dish stood up as one of the best for me; as you can see, I licked the plate clean:

This was kimchi, in a really tasty broth, with compressed chicken thigh.  I was surprised at how savory and slightly sweet this broth was, and the chicken was pretty tasty too!  Probably not something I'd order again, but that's because there were so many other awesome dishes.

Turbot with butternut squash puree and brussels sprouts.  Now we are really talking. The puree was awesome, the fish perfectly cooked, and damn if Volt doesn't make me want to eat brussels sprouts!

Striped bass with garlic threads, broccoli variations, and some kind of yummy puree (ALL purees at Volt are yummy!).  I loved loved loved these garlic threads, shocked at how much flavor was in there, and the crispy skin on the fish was to die for.

Maitake mushrooms with steel cut oats, sea beans, and fresh yeast (which sounds gross, but wasn't).  This was incredibly good, which I wasn't expecting from a dish like this.  Savory and sweet and delicious!

This was a venison tartare with horseradish sauce, and some kind of liquid-nitrogen stuff that was still smoking when it was delivered.  Jeff loved it, but I got something else.  Which is good, because I don't think I would have eaten this even if I wasn't pregnant.

My version of the tartare was a beet tartare with egg in the center, some crispy things, and more garlic straws.  All of it was AWESOME (who knew I liked beets?), and I was absurdly pleased that my dish was prettier than Jeff's.

Next was a sweetbreads course, with bacon, sunchokes, and black kale.  I forgot to take a picture (maybe because I was so nervous?) so I'm hoping our new friend Aaron delivers on his promise to send pictures.  I was apprehensive, but it was very tasty, and I'm glad I jumped that hurdle.  They were nice and crispy, and while the texture threw me off a little, I think that's only because I knew what they were.

Salsify (some root...it's the thing that looks like a branch) with quince, hazelnuts, and country ham.  Without the ham, this would just be boring, but it provided just the right counterpoint.  I've had this before, too, and while it was good it wasn't a standout in my mind.

Foie gras with ruby beet, blood orange, and vanilla brioche to spread it on.  I LOVED this.  I had gotten the foie before here, and it was a giant brick that was way too overwhelming.  I was pleased to see that the portion was decreased, and the addition of citrus was perfect.  So yummy.

Lamb with cauliflower, golden raisin, and chickpea.  OMG this lamb basically melted in your mouth, and every single element on the plate was awesome.  One of my three favorite dishes of the night.

Beef with baby chard, potatoes, and turnip.  Also crazy delicious, and the third of my top three faves.

Banana puree, frozen coconut foam, and black sesame cake.  Very, very good, plus it was cool to watch the guy putting the foam into liquid nitrogen!

This was a parsnip cake that tasted like carrot cake, with freeze-dried cream cheese, walnuts, and caramel.  My favorite dessert of the night!

This was a toasted marshmallow and chocolate (also a frozen foam-type thing) with peanuts.  Good but a little heavy on the cocoa for me, I'm not a fan of raw cocoa on the plate unless it's cutting through something super sweet.  It was still good, but not great.

They also gave us several small desserts; a passion fruit gelee thing, a macaroon, a truffle, and...something else?  I forgot to take a picture.  And they sent each of us home with a box of these same desserts.  This was easily the best meal I've ever had, and probably will ever had, and I was internally squee-ing with delight every time I saw Bryan Voltaggio - he even took one of my plates away!  I'm really glad that I was able to eat all of this, considering my 'morning' sickness kicked into high gear the next night (last night) and I barely ate anything Monday.  I was so sick that I actually stayed home today; it was a combination of the morning sickness and a lingering cold that I've had for over a week.  I got plenty of rest and drank more fluids that I thought was humanly possible, and ate frequent nibbles of food throughout the day.  And I was actually able to eat more than half of my dinner!  I am really paranoid now, after all the stomach acid from yesterday, I never want to have an empty stomach again. :-/   I should be fine to go to work tomorrow, though, and my first ultrasound is Friday!!!