Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/101724
The Hot Pear, a spicy cocktail, is best paired with Payard's St. Honoré, made with puff pastry, pâte à choux, caramel, whipped cream and rum pastry cream. Even in such an intimate setting, Berkley reserves Table 10 every evening, a tradition that began with his grandfather George Levine's irst visit to Payard Bistro. "'Let's say, you're busy,'" Berkley recalls Levine's words. "'Every seat is taken, and the President walks in. You need a table for this man.'" Berkley heeded his grandfather's advice. Every evening he reserves his best table for George Levine. The restaurant's founder, renowned French pastry chef François Payard, would be proud. As Berkley tells it, Payard doesn't settle for status quo. "I've never seen a man who is more about inspiring people to indulge than François," Berkley says. "He's literally held food right to my face and said, 'Eat. Eat. Eat. Try this. What do you think?' And it'll be something totally crazy that nobody has ever prepared before." But Payard's eccentric wagers always pay off. In Las Vegas, Berkley was inspired to indulge in creative risk-taking as well through Payard Bistro's beverage menu. When he accepted his General Manager position in early 2012, the restaurant didn't have a full liquor license. "I felt like I was a mixologist without a bar," he says. "I igured since we have an amazing wine rack . . . that doesn't mean we can't do cocktails." Berkley reviewed the usual suspects: Sangrias, Mimosas and Bellinis. But these options didn't capture the lavorful ingenuity of Payard's famed dishes and desserts. So Berkley imagined what Payard would do. Then he invented a menu of original wine cocktails. Berkley started simple with twists on classic cocktails. He transformed the beer-based Belgian Shandy into the hotel's favorite, the Hot Pear. This spicy cocktail features Ecco Domani Moscato, Ace Pear Cider, fresh pear garnish, an edible lower and a rim of black salt and cayenne pepper. While he succeeded, Berkley's beverage background (he trained with Cocktail World Cup Champion Eddie Perales at Caesars Palace) urged him to delve deeper. "I wanted to show that we are doing gastronomical innovations here," Berkley said. "I was challenged with making these cocktails as good as something François would make, thinking, 'There's got to be some kind of ingredient, there's got to be some kind of little garnish I could throw in here to really push it forward.'" Berkley's breakthrough came with his decision to combine Gallo wine with Payard teas for the cocktail called Presse (The French Press). "I took passion fruit and black currant tea in Pinot Noir, and I put it into a French press," Berkley says. "I literally force the tannins out of it, into the wine. Then I pour it back into the bottle, and with a vacuum sealer, I take out all the air, and I let it age for about three days. When I pour it out, you have a very fruit-forward Cabernet Sauvignon." Then Berkley includes raspberry syrup, adds a dash of trufle salt and pairs the cocktail with Payard's delectable chocolate caramel dessert. "The ultimate chocolate pastry with caramel inside is an indulgence in itself," he says. "Add this really fruit-forward and strong cocktail harmony. It's perfect." january 2013 / the tasting panel / 139