What makes a perfect dish? It’s a difficult question. The easy answer is that you know it when you see it and taste it. The large majority of dishes are far from perfect. For instance, a dish may taste fine, but you can instantly recognize that the seasonality is off, or the chef didn’t take into account that it would be sloppy or unsexy to eat (meaning he didn’t even try to eat it himself) or it simply wasn’t visually appealing. A perfect dish is rare.

What you’re looking at above is a perfect dish: Foie gras stuffed saddle of rabbit with seasonal vegetables, pomme dauphine and foie gras emulsion from Meritage. First, it should go without saying that the dish is stunning to look at. The colors, the precision, the symmetry-- the whole thing draws you in visually, and a good chef knows we eat with our eyes first.

Next, there are a number of textures and mouthfeels going on—crunchy, smooth, rich, bright, meaty. Your mouth will never get bored.

Every element feels intentional—there’s nothing on the plate that seems superfluous, right down to the number of veggies. Sometimes three carrots and five beans are just enough, especially when they’re exactly in season and cooked to precision. You want to enjoy and savor each and every bite. The baby carrots came from a grower in Oregon (and they taste just like candy) so you’re getting a spring preview here, and they’re a classic pairing with rabbit.

The obvious conclusion is that each of the elements must come together to make a logical whole, and this one hits all of the marks.  

Get yourself on down to Meritage now, before this work of art is all gone.

Other spring menu highlights from Meritage:

Moroccan-inspired rack of Iowa lamb with lamb stuffed baby bell peppers, chickpea panisse and black olive oil, as well as organic Scottish salmon en sous vide with spinach puree, baby artichokes and yogurt. The salmon in question is cooked in extra virgin olive oil and fresh thyme, and the sous vide process results in salmon that all but melts in your mouth. “I never thought I would be excited to cook salmon again, but the texture we achieve with this method is sublime,” says chef Klein.

I’ve had it, and yes, yes it really is sublime. I don’t even really dig salmon, so there you go.

Also note: A new offering from Meritage this year is happy hour on the terrace. Tuesday through Friday from 4-6pm Meritage is offering discounts on wines by the glass, cocktails and food. Happy hour highlights include a fun take on an old bar staple: wings. “The kitchen has been having fun with buffalo frog legs as well as crispy rabbit rillette bites with mustard sauce,” says Klein.