The Morris

General Notes

I've been here five times now and I've never been disappointed. The menu is really interesting -- you'll almost certainly try something that you haven't experienced before. The Morris isn't especially famous and is in a relatively nondescript location, but the food is quietly some of the best I've had. They offer several fantastic duck dishes (including their flagship whole smoked duck) and they leverage charring / smoking to really elevate and add another dimension to their dishes. In my mind, this is the epitome of New American restaurant that isn't some >$150 tasting menu. I'd definitely recommend this place for a special occasion!

Positives

> As of ~2023, they now offer lunch poulet frites service on Saturdays! It's basically AYCE charcuterie (featuring everything that's typically on their menu!) + miscellaneous other appetizers like salad, brussel sprouts, radishes with smoked mussel creme fraiche emulsion, etc, roast chicken + fries served with a mushroom sauce, and desserts! It's a bit pricey at $75pp, but you get to try a little bit of everything. And that roast chicken + fries are some of the juiciest chicken and best fries you'll ever have.
> The last time I came here, I organized a team dinner with a party of 12. The service was lovely and it was an amazing experience. For large parties, they offer a family-style fixed-prix menu of two starters, two entrees, and two desserts. We got the charred broccoli, alpanie gravlax, ling cod, smoked duck, buckwheat donuts, and chocolate pudding (although aside from the smoked duck, the menu will have likely changed when you read this). They were really considerate about team members not being able to attend due to sickness, were proactive and careful about food allergies (one of our team members was allergic to nuts), and accommodated our vegetarian team member with their separate starters + entrees when meat was present. $90pp for the team menu; great for large group dinners with a larger budget.
> The ambiance of the restaurant is lovely, particularly the outdoor parklet area. Each table is surrounded by plants and isn't cramped like most parklets. The restroom definitely stands out ... you'll have to see for yourself.
> The servers are fantastic. I can't exactly pinpoint why, but I feel so at ease with these servers. They're also great at striking up conversation and incorporating a touch of humor.
> Food is absolutely amazing! The execution is spot-on -- individual dishes have few ingredients but they are thoughtfully selected. The components are prepared perfectly and provide an incredible depth of flavor.
> Many dishes are charred or smoked to perfection, which really takes these dishes to another dimension.
> Most items are easily sharable (especially the charcuterie, nibbles, and smoked duck!) and the menu is well-structured to allow you to try all kinds of dishes.

Negatives

> If you order the whole duck, you'll also get some bony pieces closer to the ribcage. These pieces become somewhat difficult to chew as it cools.

Dishes Tasted

• ★★★☆ Little Gems -- hazelnut, bacon. Simple but pretty good, I love that the bacon are thick lardons that are super crispy but also really fatty
• ★★★☆ Charcuterie -- Duck liver mousse, pate de campagne, jagerwurst, soppressata, and some kind of cheese. The duck liver mousse is AMAZING. Intensely flavorful, well-balanced, and the perfect creamy texture. Goes perfectly with the bread, which is both crispy and soft. Everything else was great too, but it's really all about the duck liver mousse. OH, the duck prosciutto is incredible too.
• ★★★★ Poulet Frites -- roast chicken, fries, and mushroom sauce. The roast chicken is SO juicy and flavorful, it honestly doesn't even need the mushroom sauce. Only complaint is that the chicken is on the hard side vs crispy or juicy. The fries are a sleeper hit, they're INCREDIBLE, hands down the best fries I've ever had (at least, when they're fresh out of the fryer)
• ★★★☆ Chocolate puddin' -- salty cookie. Compared to other chocolate flavored dishes, this definitely has a stronger coffee flavor, which really intensifies the flavor.
• ★★★★ Ling Cod -- english pea, morels, chartreuse. I have no idea how the chartreuse was incorporated into the dish, but the sauce was absolutely amazing. Slightly creamy, perfect amount of sweetness to compliment the fish and other components. The fish is cooked beautifully and is so tender. Love the peas and morels too -- this dish is a perfect representation of springtime -- fresh, light, delecate, but so flavorful.
• ★★☆☆ Alpine Gravlax -- avocado, radish. The gravlax was delightful (had a lovely texture), but the components seemed a little random put together. It didn't really feel cohesive and I kind of just consumed the components individually.
• ★★★☆ Buckwheat Doughnuts -- whiskey creme anglaise. Freshly fried, well-balanced in terms of the cinnamon sugar, creaminess, and the booze. The buckwheat gives the doughnut a nice, slightly heavier texture.
• ★★★★ Kabocha Agnolotti -- mushroom chicories. This dish is incredible! Buttery, intensely flavorful, pasta cooked perfectly, and the kabocha filling works great with everything else.
• ★★★☆ Pork Sausage -- savoy cabbage, farro. Cabbage is charred lovely, farro is cooked nicely. Sausage has a nice flavor. Be warned -- this guy is THICK.
• ★★★☆ Whole Smoked Duck -- with root vegetables. Their flagship dish, and definitely worth trying. Our waiter explained the cooking process but I don't remember much of the details (it's really complicated, spanning 40 days). The skin isn't quite as crispy as I was hoping, but the meat is super juicy and perfectly cooked. The smoky flavor is simply incredible and adds another dimension to the dish. My only complaint is that the sauce is average and doesn't add much to the dish.
• ★★★★ Charred Broccoli -- Grilled squid, chili lime. Absolutely try this. The broccoli and squid are individually perfectly cooked, but the chili lime sauce takes it to another level. The intense charred flavor is delightful and really helps bring together the broccoli and squid. Overall, intensely flavored and well balanced.
• ★★★☆ Beet Salad -- Citrus, buffalo mozzarella. I haven't enjoyed beets in the past but these were a pleasant surprise. The other components pair nicely with the earthiness of the beets and provide a nice texture and flavor contrast.
• ★★★★ Duck Heart Skewer -- Incredibly juicy with an amazing charred flavor that reminds me of barbeques with family friends during my childhood. Give it a try!
• ★★★☆ Mushroom Profiterole -- nice texture, lovely flavor on the mushroom stuffed inside.