Caviar is more accessible than ever, and depending on what variety you buy, it’s also more affordable. Diners are curious – especially those who have never tried it – and restaurants are responding by putting caviar on their menus in applications that range from the traditional to the creative.
The term “caviar” refers to the roe (fish eggs) from any one of several species of sturgeon: White sturgeon caviar comes from white sturgeon, osetra caviar comes from osetra sturgeon, and so on. Different caviars can vary in everything from price point to color and flavor profile. Osetra, for example, which can be found on several menus in St. Louis, combines a nutty quality with a rich, buttery texture.
“I think more people are interested,” said Nick Bognar, chef-owner of Sado and Indo. “Delicacies like sea urchin, nothing else tastes like that … caviar, same thing. When people start to have it in unique ways, that bite won’t taste like anything else, it’s special. We’re lucky that people are curious about what we do, there is a value when diners know more and with social media and food TV and food media you see [caviar] more often and people are curious.”
At Sado, Bognar offers a gunkan nigiri on the fish market menu. It’s a seaweed cup with rice, toro tartare and osetra caviar. The toro, or fatty tuna, is chopped up and carries a velvety, rich texture. It’s also unseasoned, and that’s where the osetra comes in.
“The one that we’re using, it’s golden osetra – it’s really high quality, it’s not cheap,” Bognar said. He explained that the osetra caviar is the perfect foil for the tuna. “It’s a big salt bomb in a unique way and the tartare is plain – it’s seasoned by the caviar. [It has an] over-the-top richness, and the nori and vinegar rice on the bottom … It’s almost like a match made in heaven,” Bognar said.
Meanwhile, Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co.’s dedicated caviar menu offers caviar in a variety of forms: deviled eggs with caviar; caviar with a shot of vodka and johnnycakes; or the caviar service, which offers a half-ounce of caviar with prosciutto, shallot, egg, capers, creme fraiche and johnnycakes.
Peacemaker’s baseline caviar is white sturgeon, but optional upgrades give customers the chance to compare and contrast different varieties. The best way to do this is with their caviar sampler, which offers seven grams each of three different varieties. The selection currently includes white sturgeon, osetra from North Carolina and a Belgian osetra that’s new to the menu. The sampler is served with egg, caviar, creme fraiche, shallot, capers and johnnycakes.
John Messbarger, executive chef at Peacemaker, is another fan of osetra caviar, and especially its golden variety. “[It’s] almost a copper-ish color, and the eggs are creamier and individualistic and bigger,” Messbarger said. “People are curious and love learning about it.”
Messbarger said Peacemaker’s happy hour option of a $5 deviled egg topped with caviar is popular with customers, and they’re not the only restaurant using deviled eggs as a delivery mechanism. Bistro La Floraison serves deviled eggs with golden kaluga caviar. Here, smoked creme fraiche adds a little nuance to the filling, combined with cooked egg yolks, lemon juice and vinegar. The caviar applies the final flourish. “It’s a good price point, it’s golden and has a nutty, hazelnut, briny flavor. Not too salty, really nice and balanced and buttery and works with the egg,” said Aaron Martinez, Take Root Hospitality partner and culinary director. “It’s not cheap, but not breaking the bank either.”
The salinity, brininess and complexity that caviar can bring is exactly right for cutting through the richness of things like toro, eggs or even dips. At None of the Above, the onion dip with potato chips comes with the option of a caviar-enhanced upgrade, with the caviar lending extra flavor and texture to each scoop. At Three Sixty Westport, adding an ounce of osetra caviar and creme fraiche is an option for their cheddar and chive drop biscuits, a luxe way to upgrade a humble dish.
Whether you’re trying caviar in creative formats or traditional presentations like Blood & Sand’s caviar service for two, which comes with blinis, cured egg yolk, egg whites and creme fraiche, caviar is no longer the preserve of the elite. “It used to be this luxe thing that was out of reach and it was just for rich people, but people are interested in it because it’s more approachable. It’s just really good,” said Messbarger.
This article appears in August 2024.