We have wanted to go to Travail for the past couple of years so to say we were excited (okay, it was mostly me) was an understatement! Then Winter Storm Olive came into the picture and we had to postpone a week, putting a pause on that excitement for just one more week!
Finding the restaurant was fairly easy, however we did drive past it the first time, missing it only because their sign was half buried in the snow at the street. They have some on-site parking, but that was full when we arrived, so we found a spot on the street. There are a couple of public lots across the street, which is fairly convenient. We were there for their Signature Chef’s Tasting Menu, which is offered at two seatings a night, so there were a few others vying for parking spots at the same time as us.
Upon our arrival, being greeted by a couple of happy staff members at the door, we were given a little mug of lavender-ginger tea as a warm-up to the night. We were then taken to our table, which was at the end of a long communal-style table, one of two in the main dining room. The open kitchen off to one side, the two dining tables with a prep area in between made for a fun, lively atmosphere, but if you come in a party larger than four people, prepare to talk loud to hear each other.
As we settled in, I ordered a glass of bubbles (2018 Roger Goulart Brut Cava Reserva, from Spain) our first cocktail from the cocktail pairing was served (which was a wonderful Milk Punch that none of us remember what exactly was in it, just that it was SO good!) and we were greeted with our first little bite of deliciousness, ‘Oyster & Caviar’ which was a flavor bomb and great start to our evening!
I am not going to talk about each thing we ate and drank, or we’d be here all night 🤩 but instead highlight some of our favorites. I have the full menu posted below, so you can see all of which we enjoyed!
Cocktail number two, not my favorite because it was too bitter for my taste, again, we had a hard time remembering what all went into the cocktails because they were very involved! ‘Delicata Squash’…tempura, pistachio Mole, pistachios. Our visit to the kitchen for ‘Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll’ served as a shot.
💛 No, those aren’t cake pops…those are Foie Pops! OMG, soooo good, ‘Ham Cured Foie Pop’…pineapple jam, brioche bread crumbs.
Our third tasting was served in the kitchen, where we got to walk thru where they were cooking my favorite larger taste of the night, the ‘Scallop Glacage’…seared scallop, sauce glacage, candied endive, pickled fennel, black truffle. 💗
Fourth cocktail…slightly spicy, Mezcal based and another highlight dish…’Celery Root Mezzaluna’ (pasta), with pickled pear, hazelnut, vegetable demi. 👌🏻
‘Prosciutto wrapped Pork’…chorizo sausage, tenderloin, sauce marbella, parsnip two ways. Cocktail number five – a riff on a Pimm’s Cup and ‘Chermoula Lamb Loin’…romesco, cauliflower, pickled raisin, potato crisp.
Last savory dish of the night (we were stuffed at this point, so that was welcome news!) ‘Umami Steak’…prime strip loin, mushroom rosti potato, black garlic, broccoli, miso, taleggio.
Last cocktail was a warm, floral tea-inspired drink, with a luscious foam on top. Dessert, ‘Chocolate Torte’ devils food cake, raspberry-chocolate mousse, blackberry, cranberry. Dream Creamery Ice Cream. ❤️
It was a night of a million tastes, whipped by in a flash, but so delicious! Not a leisurely meal, so you’ll have be ready to take it all in, food, atmosphere and all! We would highly recommend visiting Travail Kitchen & Amusements and in fact, you don’t have to go the full tasting menu as they offer a variety of other fun adventures you can find out more about on their website here.
This visit, was supposed to happen in February, but as mentioned before, Mother Nature had other plans and we were supposed to be in Vegas this past week, so there will be some shuffling of the list for our next stop, later this month.
Stay tuned on that and be sure to reach out with any additional questions you might have about this bucket list stop!
~Shawn
