Meat restaurant shop max's beef for money. Max's Beef for Money: restaurant - butcher shop on Patricky

Max's Beef For Money

Restaurant hand made designed for advanced users

The new Moscow project of the most experienced sommelier and wine merchant Vladimir Basov, the owner of the Tre Bikieri winery in Moscow and two iconic establishments in St. Petersburg - the Big Wine Freaks wine bar (soon this will appear in Moscow) and the Moroshka dlya Pushkin gastronomic restaurant, is completely dedicated to meat , is called Max "s Beef For Money and is located on Patriarch's Ponds. The institution turned out to be absolutely European, and at the same time completely terroir, and even working exclusively on its own raw materials. Two years ago, Tre Bikieri became a co-owner of a meat farm in the Leningrad Region, having found a like-minded companion in the person of a downshifter farmer, a former St. Petersburg businessman. There are still 60 Aberdeen Black Angus bulls in their herd, but there will be almost twice as many. The bulls are on natural fattening, that is, they eat fresh grass in summer, hay in winter, no corn, no growth stimulants, everything is natural.After slaughter, the carcasses arrive at a Moscow restaurant and there, in a dry aging chamber, which is located right in the Max's Beef For Money hall, they are aged in large cuts for up to a month and a half. It looks very impressive, giant pieces of meat hanging behind the glass, reminiscent of the paintings by Chaim Soutine and evoke memories of the best butcher shops in France and Italy. And this is no coincidence. Butcher Max Torganov, whose name was "declared" in the sign of the institution, studied with the most famous butchers in Europe - Dario Cecchini in Tuscany and Hugo Disnae in Paris, and the system of dry aging in large cuts itself is traditional old-world. Max's Beef For Money uses the French meat classification, and it is the most complex, includes over 20 cuts. In addition, Max's Beef For Money is constantly engaged in independent research of beef carcasses (by the way, the restaurant is closed on Mondays because all day meat is being cut) and have already found two muscles that are absent in the French classification, which have become the restaurant's signature cuts - the André steak and the False Spider steak (found, unlike the classic Spider, in a completely different place). The Max's Beef For Money menu fits on one sheet, and the main meat offer is written every day on a slate board near the kitchen - as the next carcass is eaten, it constantly changes. The menu lists two types of steaks - title steak (prime cut from the back ) at a price of 630 rubles per 100 g and an alternative steak at a price of 300 rubles per 100 g. All the details are on the board. As a rule, there are five or six cuts to choose from, and each has a fixed weight due to the structure of the piece - for example, cote du boeuf weighing 1.4 and 1.5 kg, bavette weighing 1.1 and 1.45 kg, poire weighing 0.17 and 0.35 kg, panzaneza - 0.64 kg. Therefore, for some cuts it is better to come with a company and order to the table. This is what two large commune tables in a small, elegant hall with 30 seats are designed for. In general, Vladimir Basov is not afraid of "unpopular" decisions. He is pathologically alien to any "consumer goods", but at the same time he is very loyal and open to communication. He is ready to explain to the guests himself why grass-fed meat is not as fatty and soft as their usual grain ribeye (and such questions often arise, since our public is not yet accustomed to the textured dense meat of wild free range), why you can’t cut the cote du boeuf before cooking, why it is better to order a large steak to the table and why there is no coffee at all in a restaurant, but there is a large tea list (Vladimir Basov is convinced that coffee is terribly harmful after a meat dinner). The same strategy, completely atypical for Moscow, but the only one possible in the Old World, where the owner of any restaurant is really the owner, and decides what he wants to feed his guests and what to drink, extends to the wine list compiled by Vladimir Basov from him personally. selected wines from winemakers he personally knows, from David Leklapar to Pavel Shvets. All these wines are biodynamic, which is ideally combined with a biomenu focused on handicraft and terroir approach. By the way, in addition to steaks, it includes veal goiter in crab bisque sauce (850 rubles), bone marrow with black truffle (500 rubles), Piedmontese trampoline tartare made from the freshest raw beef, ground with a tenderizer and seasoned only with olive oil and salt (600 roubles), minestrone soup with cabbage rolls and dried egg yolk (350 roubles), beef cheeks stewed in port with young vegetables (550 roubles), an exquisite set of raw, marinated and grilled vegetables (600 roubles). ), and a couple of desserts. I must say right away that Max "s Beef For Money is not Voronezh, and even more so - not" No Fish ", this is a hand made restaurant designed for advanced users, the story is not about "anti-sanctions", but about careful adoption old-world experience, risky own business and an individual look at meat and wine.I really want to believe that there are enough individualists in Moscow who can support this unique phenomenon for money.

White Rabbit Lab

In the White Rabbit restaurant, Vladimir Mukhin's secret laboratory, his chef's kitchen, equipped with space instruments, is launched, where the most complex culinary experiments are performed, miraculous elixirs and distillates are produced and a smiling pig's head and a swan carcass hanging down its long neck ripen in a special glass cabinet. You can get into the secret room Lab only by appointment if there is a company of 4 to 10 people. Then Mukhin, with his numerous assistants, shows a gastronomic performance within the walls of the laboratory (the repertoire is the same as at the chef's table in the White Rabbit, but the cost is different: in the White Rabbit main hall - 8,000 rubles, in the White Rabbit Lab - 10,000 rubles .). In addition, the Lab almost always departs from the dinner script, supplementing it with completely outlandish products obtained by Mukhin as a result of endless trips around the country and creative research. The last premiere was a set on the theme of "Domostroy" of 16 servings, which included sieve birch bread with forshmak from herring milk and hare meat, fermented baked milk from swan livers with Antonovka marshmallow, sour cabbage soup in the form of jelly and distillate with smoked herring and fresh cucumber, bird-cherry flour kundyums with fried elk tongues and smoked eels, albino sterlet with its caviar on fried onion espuma with fried carp sauce and sorrel leaves, and in addition to all this triumph of haute cuisine, fixed in the libretto, as a gift - filet swan with blackberry and strawberry sauce, fresh elk milk just brought from a farm near Kostroma, and a bottle of perfume produced right there in the laboratory with the aroma of Tula gingerbread, chocolate truffle, parsley or citrus shrimp marinade. The opening of the White Rabbit Lab testifies to three things: Mukhin is a world-class chef; In Moscow, Russian haute cuisine, worthy of international recognition, finally established itself, Suskind chose not the most advantageous plot for his "Perfumer".

Late Friday night, Max's Beef for Money greeted me with a black sign on a blue-and-green façade, a display window, and a glass door. Inside, plunging into light twilight, there is a small square blue hall. Of the six tables, three were occupied, including a sinuous red communal structure, at which a noisy but intelligent male company was having fun. Immediately upon entering, I was greeted by an open wardrobe, and behind it, a glass butcher cabinet stretched along the entire wall, where carcasses and bran were dry-aged. The opposite wall was occupied by wine cabinets. Between them was a buffet with a cash register and a glass-enclosed open kitchen, where a few energetic young men in black chef's suits were bustling about during my visit. Despite the subdued lighting, the lighting above the tables was bright enough to fully and easily see and appreciate the wine and food. If on the first visit the design seemed strange to me, then this time I did not notice any irritants, except that gusts of cold street air periodically burst into the hall, let in by the opening front door.

The menu at Max's Beef for Money remains just as small. The entire selection fit on one page, which for some reason was smeared with blue blots. Although the names of the dishes were extremely simple, their descriptions made you think. Prices are above average, but adequate and imbued with honesty. The meat theme was represented by two general positions "Alternative steaks" and "Premium steaks" either grass-fed or mixed. If you rely solely on the menu, the order promised to be a very difficult undertaking, but, as it turned out very quickly, there was no point in being guided by the menu, because all the explanations and recommendations came from the representatives of the restaurant, and communication with them on all topics was close, in-depth and interactive. By the way, if in starters and side dishes variations danced around the author's approach, then in meat positions the choice revolved around specific meat bran, which in the restaurant was called in a French manner that was not standard for Moscow.

The food at Max's Beef for Money during my visit was visually simple and pure in taste. All dishes created ideal combinations of taste balance, which not only made a bright and deep impression, but also launched a certain culinary and gastronomic mental process. Moreover, literally immediately the meal ceased to be just a meal and turned into a certain event, which I later wanted to remember and talk about. “Homemade bread” arrived at the table fresh, soft, fragrant, lightly grilled. It was difficult to break away from him, and did not want to.

“Beef tartare” was made in the Italian manner, that is, instead of tartare, “Trampota” was resting on a plate, originally from Piedmont. The taste is clear, balanced, understandable. The meat is chilled, the cut is neat, the spices are moderate, simple: salt, pepper, olive oil and a little lemon juice.

The "Emerald Olives" indeed had an unusual emerald color and were distinguished by their large size, juiciness, easy acidity, moderate saltiness and fleshiness.

The “mushroom consomme” with ravioli and spinach was light and at the same time rich in mushrooms. The broth is transparent, the aroma is appetizing, the ravioli are tender, with an interesting spicy filling.

"Onion soup" was not performed in the Parisian manner, but rather the way it is done in Lombardy. The toast arrived separately. The cheese floated not in a dense crust, but only in a small blanket. The onion broth was dominated by the sweetness and pungency of black pepper.

“Title steak, premium grass-fed”, aka fillet, at first they showed me, told me where the meat came from and what they would do with it. Here it would be worth noting that the origin of steaks remains the same - the Leningrad region. The meat was cooked flawlessly. Although it was cut before serving, the chefs did it right by letting the meat sit out after the grill and oven. The taste of the dish was precisely meaty, bright, intense, while the steak did not lose a drop of juiciness.

“Alternative steak (diaphragm) of mixed fattening” also impressed with rich meat taste, excellent color, well-aged roast and plenty of juice. The purity of taste is commendable, the pleasure is long-lasting.

“Beef patty with goat cheese, artichokes and onion chutney” did not disappoint. The stuffing was of decent quality, the juiciness was tangible, the roasting was correct. Nothing extra and no buns.

Of the side dishes, "Young Fried Potatoes" performed perfectly. It was firm on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. "Baked Carrots" was also bright, very sweet, with a hint of grilled. "Young cabbage" crunched provocatively, but not damp. The leaves have collected all the necessary aromas, juices and freshness and did not hesitate to share this wealth with the receptors.

Unfortunately, things didn’t come to desserts that evening, but this didn’t make the meal any less pleasant - largely due to the excellent, sincere, professional service, in which all representatives of the institution participated.

The bottom line is this:

After a year and a half, I finally tasted Max's Beef for Money. Undoubtedly, this place is not for everyone and not for every day, but it is worth going there at least once and at least in order to enjoy the purity of tastes and honesty of performance.

Since its foundation, The Village has been tirelessly following everything that happens in the city - the opening of shops, cafes, restaurants and salons - and tells about the most significant and interesting to readers. However, the pursuit of novelty, which has become the norm, has outlived its usefulness by 2016: talking about discoveries, you forget about old places that continue to change for the better. Now in our section "" we collect both newly opened and simply loved establishments over the years that can surprise us and become a good place to relax and meet friends. In the new issue - the Max's Beef for Money meat restaurant at the very beginning of Bolshoy Kozikhinsky Lane.

Photos

renata garipova

The meat restaurant Max's Beef for Money, which quietly opened in early April in Bolshoi Kozikhinsky Lane, belongs to Vladimir Basov, the best sommelier in Russia in 2002. Together with him, the team of the Tre Bicchieri wine company, the owners of Tre Bicchieri wineries, the restaurant "" and the wine bar in St. Petersburg. Hence the four-page wine list. Organic and biodynamic wines of Europe predominate: Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Slovenia and even Russia - there are about 100 items in total. A bottle of the most inexpensive drink will cost 2,300 rubles, some wines you can order by the glass (on average - about 450 rubles). Remarkably, in addition to wine in Max "s Beef For Money, you can only order water and tea: there are no juices, no coffee drinks, let alone lemonades in the institution.

Ksenia Smirnova, who has worked with Tre Bicchieri before, is responsible for the interior of the establishment: the designer made frescoes for the restaurant, and developed the design for the Big Wine Freaks wine bar. In Max "s Beef for Money, you need to go with a large company (tables are designed for at least six people), and not only for dinner, but also for the sake of impressions: where else will you have the opportunity to examine in all details the impressive parts of the carcass suspended behind the glass of the fermentation chambers?

Dmitry Finyagin, who previously worked at the Tre Bicchieri wine cellar and the Salon De Gusto restaurant, became the restaurant's chef. The institution supplies Angus beef from its own bio-farm near the city of Vsevolozhsk in the Leningrad region. After slaughter on the farm, the meat is aged in a fermentation chamber in large sections for 28 days right in the restaurant hall - the chambers are located to the left of the entrance, exactly behind the backs of those sitting at the tables. And this spectacle, it is worth recognizing, is impressive for an unprepared person.

The menu at Max's Beef for Money (one page and eight main items, not counting appetizers and dessert) primarily depends on which parts of the carcass are ready after fermentation. Some are fermented for a month, others need up to 50 days. there is no reason to expand the menu: the restaurant adheres to the principle of waste-free production and uses all parts of the carcass, even the bones go to the broth. On Mondays, the kitchen at Max's Beef for Money does not work, as the restaurant is cutting meat: on this day you can order only cheese and wine.

On other days, you need to go here for Piedmontese tartare (nothing more - just minced meat, olive oil and salt), bone marrow with black truffle and goiter in a crab bisque. Despite the fact that the entire menu at Max's Beef for Money is built around meat, the restaurant serves only two types of steaks: the “title steak” (a premium cut from the back on the grill) and a steak from alternative cuts. The cost is 630 and 300 rubles for 100 grams respectively.In addition to meat, there are several vegetable dishes: minestrone with cabbage rolls and dried yolk, vegetables cooked in several ways, a cheese plate and crab with fries soufflé with herbs.There is only one dessert on the menu, but it would be unforgivable to bypass it. English custard cubes with a couple of scoops of sorbet and licorice mousse flavored with sea buckthorn - all together sound unsweetened, but without excessive sourness.

As they say in the institution itself, there is no mystery in the name of the restaurant: Max is Maxim Torganov, the local butcher, whose efforts always include several steaks, tartare, goiter and so on on the menu. And this is just the case when the institution lives up to its name: the food at Max's Beef for Money is really worth the money.

Chamber meat restaurant Max's Beef for Money of the Real Authentic Wine team and personally Vladimir Basov - the best sommelier in Russia in 2002, the founder of Tre Bicchieri wineries, co-owner of the Real Authentic Wine wine trading company, Big Wine Freaks bars in Moscow and St. Petersburg and BeefZavod.

The meat that comes to Max's fermentation chambers is really special. This is the meat of an "old" cow (The age of the animal is from eight years old and yes, this is a term, not an insult). What's in the meat of an old cow?

Well, firstly, from a humanistic point of view: the cow lived her life, gave birth and lived all the years in natural conditions - she ate grass, grazed on pastures. Happy, in general, cows.

Secondly, a cow, unlike a bull, leads a more relaxed lifestyle, which affects the softness of subsequent steaks. And thirdly, the “old” cow, due to its age, also has a rich taste. Softness and saturation are enhanced during dry aging - dry-age.

The bottom line is obvious: aged cow meat is a natural, natural meat, and besides, it is soft and has such a rich taste that you can “dig into it” like in a good aged cheese or wine. In France and Spain, by the way, it is the steak from the meat of an old cow that has undergone dry-age aging: this is what you will be served in famous restaurants, in the same Asador Etxebarri.

Why have you never heard of this "old" cow before? This is a very long and difficult process. Think for yourself: raise an animal (and this is from 7–8 years old, or even more), properly slaughter, cut, withstand and cook, taking into account all the features of this product. Few people do this - too labor-intensive process. And at Max's, they do.

And, as the Belgian hereditary butcher and one of the heroes of the film Steak Revolution Hendrik Direndonk says: “Now the trend is this: people stop eating a lot of meat, but begin to pay attention to its quality. This enables those professionals who deal with meat to create a product of a different quality.” Here in Max's they create.

The chef is Dmitry Finyagin, before that he worked in the Tre Bicchieri wine cellar and the Salon De Gusto restaurant. Max's cuisine is based on seasonal products, delicate tastes and, of course, the very best meat - from a partner farm in the Kaliningrad region. Homemade sausages, minced meat, steaks or a couple of cans of olives and artichokes can be taken home - Max's has its own small grocery store.

The menu, which is frequently updated seasonally, includes tartars, onion soup, thymus with crab biscuit, kidneys and marrow, bouillabaisse, bluefin tuna and baked octopus, as well as, of course, classic and alternative steaks. Desserts include apricot-pitted semifreddo and warm apple pie.

The wine list of the institution, made up of natural, organic and biodynamic wines from Europe (France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Russia) and the USA, has received recognition from authoritative juries and numerous awards. Natural wines were the first to be sold here in the city - and they have been selling them for three years now.

Ksenia Smirnova, who worked with Real Authentic Wine projects, is responsible for the interior of the establishment: she also designed the Big Wine Freaks wine bar in St. Petersburg.

Aestheticism in Max’s Beef is in everything: in the interior, in the approach to cuisine and wine, in dishes and in glasses: for example, drinking wine is offered exclusively from thin glasses handmade by the small Austrian manufactory Zalto and there is a chopped tartar-trampoline from K.H. plates. Würtz.