Ordered another meal in from EMP for Christmas. I misspoke on my last post; it was a roast chicken that is basically a full chicken and a carbon copy of the one done at the Nomad Hotel. The Christmas dinner is more expensive but better IMO; whereas we threw out most of the butternut squash soup and didn't finish on some other things, we are going to eat every last bit of this meal. It's duck-centric, so there is foie gras (a lot of it - given to you in a medium-sized jar) that is phenomenal, as they have blended in the fruit with the liver, giving it a much more even flavor profile. The duck breast instructions are excellent; it may be the best duck breast I've ever had, even if it was done at home! The lavendar-infused spice blend, along with the glazed honey, is an excellent finishing touch. The black truffle-infused celery root veloute is delicious, but the quantity is a lot, even for the stated 4 people (and much more for just 2 of us at home). We decided not to cook everything at once, per the instructions, and will try the EMP Duck Shepherd's Pie (honestly, the main selling point for me) and the hazelnut tart, as well as finishing up the foie gras tomorrow.

I sincerely hope that these top-end restauranteurs hire some businesspeople and figure out a way to make takeout / takeaway of these kinds of meals a fixture, even in the post-pandemic world. Seeing restaurants scurry around with plans so uncertain now is kind of pathetic; one would expect these places with such high acumen on the culinary side to have something resembling that when it comes to dollars and cents. Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare is firing up their previous takeout/delivery menu (which is very good), but I have noticed that Atera is going very high-end with their offering. Mistake, IMO - when I had their (much) cheaper option earlier this year, it was much better. You simply cannot earn takeout / delivery dollars in the same way you can when providing an in-person meal, and these restaurants need to understand that. However, there is definitely a business model whereby a place like EMP can still make its in-person meals while providing a certain number of takeout orders that fattens the bottom line. And, to be frank - I am more impressed by EMP's takeout meals than my last in-person meal with them.