Come hungry, and come with a group, as you tour a food and wine menu that stretches across a wide belt of the Mediterranean.
The meze are solely vegetables, and are a great way to start the meal. They're $6 a portion, but will go cheaper for a bundled price. I chose eggplant, pistachios, yellow beets, escalivada, spicy carrots, and brussel sprouts. All of them were fantastic, but the yellow beets were my personal favorite of the group. The tangy labhne kept me coming back for more. The pistachios and marcona almonds are simple, but hit the spot with the right amount of saltiness. The brussel sprouts are solid, although I would have liked to see more char on the edges. The eggplant was a great texture, although it's a little jumbled with the tomatoes and olive oil. Its good, but its not as composed as I like. The escalivada was good, but nothing about really stood out to me. Charred veggies are always a good choice, but nothing here seems too exciting about it. The spicy carrots were my least favorite meze, mostly for the gritty, crunchy texture of raw carrots, when I was hoping for a grilled carrot.
The pita here is absolutely fantastic. What looks like a dry hockey puck, is actually a firm, yet fluffy soft piece of warm bread. Although I was expecting hummus to go with this, the salt and seasoning is a nice approach.
The quail lollipops are executed with finess and craft. The pomegranate glaze is what truly excited me about this dish. Sweet, yet spicy. The fennel was a nice touch for an herby spice to go to top of the already spicy harissa. The carrots underneath seemed more like garnish, as they were shaved for a beautiful presentation, but nothing memorable to eat as they were mostly dressed in olive oil. The quail itself was juicy, moist, and had a nice chicken thigh gaminess. My biggest gripe is how costly it is for four quail pops. I know its not cheap to use quail, but I feel it could have used a bed of pearl couscous, or pita to feel substantial. It's a delicious small bite, but choose wisely if your wallet is tight.
The "grilled" octopus shouldn't have been called grilled. Grilled octopus should have a crispy, charred outside with plenty of grill flavor. This was sous vide, surrounded in a soupy salmoriglio, a huge bed of beans and chards, with barely any grilled texture. Moving past the "grilled" aspect, this dish isnt that bad. The salmoriglio soaked in the octopus juice, and tied everything together. This dish wont change anyone's mind on octopus if you didn't like it to begin with, but it wasn't a bad dish.
The lobster spaghetti was simple in its approach, but highly satisfying. The lobster was well pronounced, with a reasonable amount of lobster meat present. The noodles were cooked just right to al dente, with just the right amount of olive oil. The tomato sauce was actually quite spicy, which took me by surprise. Overall, if you like spaghetti and lobster, this is easily a winner.
The butternut squash agnolotti packed a heavy punch of oil, due to wielding the hammer of the mighty brown butter. The sage offered some herbal freshness, and the butternut squash soaked it all in. This dish a heavy, yet sensual blanket of comfort food that wont give you heartburn, but will make you reach for a glass of water. The agnolotti itself was the right texture: firm yet soft.
The duck confit was the real highlight of the entrée choices. Slow cooked for tenderness, yet had a beautiful, crispy skin on the outside. Although I will admit it's a little on the salty side, it more charismatic than overbearing.
Overall, Im glad a place like this exists. It offers fine dining within an elegant, yet casual setup. read more