The Stadtlanders' philosophy of living harmoniously with nature is reflected in everything from their farm's decor (the dining room is illuminated with only one lamp, countless flickering candles, and a crackling wood fireplace) to sourcing ingredients produced at their farm or locally.

highlight of the meal:

Jerusalem Artichoke and Lobster Soup with Hot Smoked Black Cod Garnished With Tomalley

* This was my favourite course of the evening. The soup was a dark brown puree of jerusalem artichoke with very concentrated lobster flavour. The pieces of lobster were the most tender ones I've ever tasted. It was so perfectly cooked that just a tad less cooking would qualify it as sashimi. The black cod imparted an aggressive smokiness that cut through the richness of the soup very well.

Foie Gras Terrine Wrapped With Bacon Fat And Soaked In Muscato. Served With Roasted Baby Potato, Butter Sauteed Leeks, Mixed Greens, and Balsamic Reduction

* This was an utmost luxurious foie gras terrine. Intead of finely chopped foie gras, the cross section of this terrine showed large pieces of foie gras tightly stacked on top of one another. Typically this rich ingredient is paired with a sweet element in the form of a fruit compote. However, soaking the terrine in a sweet wine overnight provided an intrinsic sweetness that permeated every bite. The baby roasted potato slices were a delicious crispy accompaniment.

Seared Yellow Perch and Whitefish Served With Wild Baby Leeks Shoots, Potato Puree with Maple Syrup, and Leek Pesto

* I much preferred the texture of the whitefish and found the yellow perch rather mealy. However, the potato puree was absolutely delicious with a strong garlic flavour yet it did not overshadow the sweetness of the leeks.

Roasted Suckling Red Warthog Pig Served With Chives Pasta, Turnips, Beets, and Bok Choy

* Everything about this dish was delicious except for the very tough skin on the pork. The pig was raised right there at the farm and the meat had an unbelievably fresh taste that was highlighted by the sweetness of the beets and turnips. My favourite component of this course was the chives pasta. It was a paper-thin strip that tasted at once delicate and robust. It reminded me of a nicely-done wonton wrapper.

Petit Four

* Candied Orange Peel: very soft and fresh tasting. I liked this a lot.
* Dark Chocolate Truffle flavoured with Grand Marnier: at only the size of my pinkie fingernail, this precocious truffle was cute. However, it didn't impart a lot of flavour impact.
* White Chocolate Truffle: neither RS nor I could identify the liqueur used in this truffle.
* Almond Financier topped with Caramelized Almond Slivers: nice and chewy with great caramel flavour. It was just a tad too sweet but went well with my cup of coffee.

I was not too fond of the dessert course because all three components were of the creamy variety hence lacking textural contrast.

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would love to go to Eigensinn but factoring in the $300 per person plus one night at a B&B (if they do not try and get a minimum 2 nights out of you if its a weekend) in the area and related travel and other costs (although I would bring my own wine that was bought years ago I still consider this a cost) makes it a very hard choice every time I think about it. We thought about it again for a short trip in August but decided to fly down to NYC and go to Per Se again - figured if we were going to spend that kind of cash why not spend a little more (can also catch the Barney's warehouse sale for some new suits). I would opt for Spendido and given the recent review of Susur, it also. At Spendido I would BYOW with a bottle and fill in missing courses with a glass where needed.

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