Some really amazing dishes paired with some dishes that in my opinion needed a lot of work or should probably not be on offer.
The salad with cheese, cashews, craisins, apple, and creamy garlic dressing was excellent, with a wide variety of textures represented. It felt like a crunchy salad and was fun to eat, helping balance the rest of the items at dinner.
The harissa cauliflower was curious. I had a few bites initially, and then I came to some realization that it tasted fairly off-putting, almost like some chemical. There was some aroma that didn't seem quite right. I conferred with wait staff and kitchen staff and they assured me that that was the proper flavor, but my body and taste buds weren't convinced. They were professional and assured in their communications with me which was appreciated, even if my senses didn't match their convictions.
The polenta with beef tenderloin tips was amazing. The polenta was creamy and well-flavored and the flavor was a cheese flavor that was balanced nicely the brightness of the tomatoes. The cook and tenderness on the beef tips was amazing!
The mussels with microfrites was problematic: the mussels were dried up, and overly salty and in general overcooked. The microfrites were overcooked as well, tasting burnt despite being nicely crispy.
The seafood bourride came off as a tad too sweet, without enough differentiation in textures. The monkfish itself had a nice texture, but the shrimp was overcooked.
The steelhead trout special was decent, particularly the zucchini and rice pilaf sides. The trout itself was a tad too stiff, and for the price wished that it was a tad fresher. It was labeled as "Catch of the Day" but the freshness on the fish itself didn't match the label.
The duck with cannellini beans was quite amazing if a tad rich. The cook on the duck was perfect, so tender, and the beans with the arugula added a nice touch of balance with the richness of the duck. The salt content could have been lessened. The Canadian bacon - I wasn't sure what effect it was supposed to have on the meal - just added saltiness to an already heavily-seasoned dish.
The service was amazing, always responding to specific questions we had about the dishes and noted dietary restrictions as well.
Couple of comments about the architecture and the space: the table was a bit small for the number of dishes we ordered, and it got really dark to the point that I couldn't see the food past sunset. The proprietors should consider placing a light on that side of the restaurant. It gets really noisy when crowded.
The carrot cake dessert was super textbook classic carrot cake, executed to classical perfection. I probably should have abstained because it was super sweet, but it was undeniably delicious.
This seems to be an establishment with big aspirations, a generally fun location to meet with friends and family, in a neighborhood that's in the midst of a boom. It seems to be quite a hopping place and it deserves much attention going forward. read more