Farrah Olivia by Morou, Crystal City - Now Operating Inside of Kora in Crystal City - Closed

[Escoffier]

Farrah Olivia by Morou: Opening September in the Old Town Alexandria space that was home to Sutton Place Gourmet's Blue Point Grill comes this new (long awaited!) offering from the highly regarded former Executive Chef at the now defunct Signatures, (600 Franklin Street, Alexandria, VA; 703.597.6409)

Source: The List, Are You On It?

[oliveDC]

And more from the Biz journal here.

Also, as part of the lease agreement with Balducci's, Morou will apparently "create signature dishes which will be available in all Balducci’s prepared foods cases and will offer cooking demonstrations at Balducci’s locations in Alexandria and McLean, VA; Washington, DC and Bethesda, MD," according to a press release.

[WARojas]

Spoke with Morou recently and he said his new restaurant--replacing the recently shuttered Blue Point Grill--is on target for a September opening. In fact, he launched the preliminary home page just yesterday: www.farraholiviarestaurant.com

He's still working on the menu, but promised "creative American cuisine...with an accent." And Morou's brokered a deal with Balducci's to have several signature creations featured in all the local prepared food cases.

Sounds promising....

[Escoffier]

WARojas said:

Spoke with Morou recently and he said his new restaurant--replacing the recently shuttered Blue Point Grill--is on target for a September opening. In fact, he launched the preliminary home page just yesterday: www.farraholiviarestaurant.com

He's still working on the menu, but promised "creative American cuisine...with an accent." And Morou's brokered a deal with Balducci's to have several signature creations featured in all the local prepared food cases.

Sounds 

From todays The List:

Chef Morou's new restaurant, next to the Alexandria Balducci's, at 600 F Street is slated for a fall opening. Look for African and French influences on the menu and desserts from Pastry Chef Leon Baker.

[cheezepowder]

The restaurant's website says opening October 2006 and already has menus up. The dinner menu also lists options of a five course (vegetarian and regular), seven course (vegetarian and regular) and fourteen course tasting menu with wine pairings.

[Escoffier]

cheezepowder said:

The restaurant's website says opening October 2006 and already has menus up. The dinner menu also lists options of a five course (vegetarian and regular), seven course (vegetarian and regular) and fourteen course tasting menu with wine pairings.

We were at Balducci's last weekend and there was paper covering the door and the same message there saying that they would open soon...September if I remember correctly. I believe the website has been up for some time (but I might be wrong about that).

[Al Dente]

The restaurant's website says opening October 2006 and already has menus up. The dinner menu also lists options of a five course (vegetarian and regular), seven course (vegetarian and regular) and fourteen course tasting menu with wine pairings.

Man, that menu looks intriguing. Pork Rind Tandoori? Hangar Tartare? "Shocked" Tuna?

Mmmm, bacon powder. I'm there!

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Al Dente said:

Man, that menu looks intriguing. Pork Rind Tandoori? Hangar Tartare? "Shocked" Tuna?

Mmmm, bacon powder. I'm there!

OK, I'll bite. How do you "shock" a tuna?

[Free Wilma]

Escoffier said:

From todays The List:

Chef Morou's new restaurant, next to the Alexandria Balducci's, at 600 F Street is slated for a fall opening. Look for African and French influences on the menu and desserts from Pastry Chef Leon 

I saw that on "The List" too. It should be noted that the address is 600 Franklin Street...in Alexandria. NOT 600 F Street as "The List" printed.

[Escoffier]

Free Wilma said:

I saw that on "The List" too. It should be noted that the address is 600 Franklin Street...in Alexandria. NOT 600 F Street as "The List" printed.

I didn't correct that because I wanted to see how many people would go to F St. and then complain they couldn't find the place. As much as DC would like the Old Town tax revenue, I don't think Alexandria is quite ready to give it up yet.

[christopherc]

Can anyone tell me the latest opening date for Farrah Olivia in Alexandria?

[WARojas]

I didn't correct that because I wanted to see how many people would go to F St. and then complain they couldn't find the place. As much as DC would like the Old Town tax revenue, I don't think Alexandria is quite ready to give it up yet.

One staffer told me they should be open for business this Sunday.

[christopherc]

Farrah Olivia will open for dinner tomorrow night. Farrah Olivia is in the old Blue Point Grill space at Franklin and S. Washington in Alexandria, VA. The redecorated space is a big improvement over Blue Point.

Told today they will open tomorrow for dinner (11/8/06).

[Free Wilma]

Thinking about getting by in the next week. Anyone been yet?

[cheezepowder]

I went last night. I think every table was occupied at one point (it's also a small restaurant). I had the 5 course tasting menu, and I really enjoyed it. (Re: question above on shocked tuna - I asked, and it's called that because they sear it and then shock it in ice water.)

Some of my dishes are not on the online menu, and I'm not sure what all the accompanying sauces were so my descriptions are lacking, but here's an idea of what I had:

Plain and raisin bread came with four spreads – red pepper, squash, pesto, and tofu.

Amuse was tuna tartar on watermelon

Rare tuna cubes with a slightly spicy cream sauce, wasabi cream, a red powder, and gingered, pickled, thin slices of apple and ginger

Black eyed pea fritters with refried tomato and tail pepper honey

A scallop in a bowl surrounded by a sauce plus powder and crumbles on the bowl (how's that for a vague description - edited to add: I think it probably was the scallop dish on the online menu with melon seed milk and bacon powder.)

Local beef slices, cubes of simmered daikon, a ball of cooked spinach leaves, tail pepper (?) powder (strong stuff), crushed grapes compote

A slightly cool, espresso sized cup of thick, rich chocolate soup

Spice cake – layers of thin sponge cake, fig, vanilla? mousse, with spiced creme anglaise-type sauce, a tart red fruit sauce, and small cubes of honey gel

My favorites were the tuna and scallop, but I liked all of my dishes. There were a few components I did not like as much as the others. I really like the use of unique ingredients and creative combinations.

[christopherc]

I have stopped in twice. Both times the dining room was or was just about empty. One reason may be that they are pouring 3 oz. glasses of wine and telling one customer at least this is the normal pour. I don't mean you have a choice of 3 or 6 ounces they just pour 3 ounces no matter what price the glass.

They also do not seem to have a bartender. My first visit Heather was tending bar. Heather is the owner/chef's wife. She seemed very knowledgable about wine but was very quiet and seemed uncomfortable behind the bar. My friend had to kill a bug crawling across the bar and when she asked Heather to remove it Heather seemed a little put out by the request.

This Saturday when we stopped a gentleman was tending bar. He asked us what we were drinking and after telling him three different times he finally wrote it down. Fifteen minutes (I am not kidding) he got our wine for us. He left a check and when I went to pay it it was gone. Ten minutes later I asked him for the check and he had to get someone to help him. I understand being unfamiliar with a bar and register/computer but he seemed to be totally unfamiliar with a bar period. Both times myself and guest were served exactly three ounces of wine at $12 a glass. We could have had something for eight dollars but even at eight dollars 3 ounces is not good.

Because I live very close to Farrah Olivia and have been waiting for it to open I hope it suceeds but I am very concerned. It is lovely inside and the renovations are nice but it just seems too far reaching for the what is a neighborhood restaurant inside a grocery store.

[mdt]

Because I live very close to Farrah Olivia and have been waiting for it to open I hope it suceeds but I am very concerned. It is lovely inside and the renovations are nice but it just seems too far reaching for the what is a neighborhood restaurant inside a grocery store.

Too bad to hear about the inadequate service. Are they really striving to be a 'normal' neighborhood restaurant? I don't see that when I read over the menu and Balducci's is certainly not a normal neighborhood grocery store.

[jparrott]

Blue Point Grill didn't want to be a neighborhood restaurant either, and they were there forever.

[cheezepowder]

It seemed more upscale to me than a neighborhood restaurant, but I guess it all depends on what your definition of a neighborhood restaurant is.

[christopherc]

I do not think Farrah Olivia wants to be or planned on being a neighborhood restaurant but most of the neighborhood folks had hoped it would be a little above Southside and a little less Restaurant Eve. Farrah Olivia has a very formal feel that comes from the personnel, the upscale food, and, of course, the prices. As I said before I am hoping they do well but knowing the area I am doubtful.

Blue Point Grill went through many chefs, some good and some not so good. The prices were average to high, the food was only passable most of the time, management wasn't up to par, in particular from the corporate end but staff made the place enjoyable and it didn't have a formal feel to it. Shoppers and neighbors dropped in for a drink, appetizer, coffee and desert, or a meal, as well as those making reservations. Farrah Olivia just doesn't have the feel of "we can just drop in." I suppose Farrah Olivia really don't want that to begin with but I think they will need the neighborhood support and those that just drop in for a glass of wine or appetizer. Unlike Restaurant Eve they are not off to a "bang" of a start. Their web site doesn't mention the fact that they are now open and there has been little or no advertising since the opening.

[MeMc]

Went to Farrah Olivia last night with another couple. I already knew I liked alot of things about it: the size, the decor, the chef and Heather.

For the first course, we had the hangar tartar served with grated radish and egg; the black eyed pea fritters with tail pepper honey and refried tomato; the sourdough flan with sardines, AKA deconstructed caesar. For entrees, two guys had angus strip with diakon cubes and grapes, I had an eggplant casserole with cheddar bread crumbs, and my friend meg ordered lamb with plantain loaf and red palm jus. The presentation was artful. The food was, in many cases, wonderful. I looked forward to seeing Morou's interpretations and interesting combinations--daikon and grapes, for example. But, a couple of things disturbed me:

1) should your table wish to order the tasting menu, there's no choice. When I spoke to the chef last week, I was given the impression that that table could choose from the menu, or a least from a limited menu. Not last night, maybe because it's a busy saturday. We all wanted the five course tasting menu with wine pairings, but why get it if we'd all have to order the same thing?

2) the food and wine don't necessarily match. The chef, his infusion of exotic spices, and an interesting menu make it a destination place for me in some ways, yet the wines are those I can get at any wine shop. Like grenache. Or bonny doon riesling. If I know that I can get for $7.99 and it's marked up to $9 a glass or $40 a bottle, that's a big, big markup beyond some other places. That's their low end riesling. though. The average price is more like $60 and up and in some cases is a 400% markup from retail prices. That doesn't bother me as much for wines I can't get as easily, but it really does if it's a wine I can get at Vermillion or is every day wine at the Dupont Market, where I get breakfast sandwiches and table wine for casual dinner.

3) though i didn't notice this, the men at our table thought the servings were a little small. Maybe it's the big plate, creative presentation thing, but we've been to enough of those-- City Zen or Komi or Corduroy--where they were satiated afterwards. Maybe we should have front loaded moreso on appetizers, since the people I'm with aren't really dessert people. Not sure.

In any event, it's a new place, and like all of the new places, is working out kinks. Anyone else go yet?

[mdt]

Went to Farrah Olivia last night with another couple. I already knew I liked alot of things about it: the size, the decor, the chef and Heather.

1) should your table wish to order the tasting menu, there's no choice. When I spoke to the chef last week, I was given the impression that that table could choose from the menu, or a least from a limited menu. Not last night, maybe because it's a busy saturday. We all wanted the five course tasting menu with wine pairings, but why get it if we'd all have to order the same thing?

Other restaurants (CityZen, Citronelle, Lab at Galileo) do the same thing if you order tasting menus. The entire table gets the same dishes, unless someone gets the veggie option.

[MeMc]

Other restaurants (CityZen, Citronelle, Lab at Galileo) do the same thing if you order tasting menus. The entire table gets the same dishes, unless someone gets the veggie option.

Oh, I was thinking of the bar at CZ. Thanks.

[christopherc]

Happened to notice on our way into Balducci's that Farrah Olivia is now open for Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch. We decided to give the bar another try. I had a very good Bloody Mary and my companion had the $12 chardonnay. The pour on the wine has improved, at least for this visit. The bartender/waitress seemed more personable than others I have encountered at the bar and seemed to know what she was doing. We decided we will go for dinner and try brunch soon.

[goldenticket]

[don’t you hate it when you have just finished a post and the server crashes when you are trying to post it… ]

Perhaps demvtr and I were posting at the same time (and may have been seated next to each other too). I also had a very positive experience at Farrah Olivia. I wasn’t sure what to expect based on previous posts, but maybe the early reservation (5:45) made a difference in service. I did find it slightly annoying that all of the dishes the waiter recommended were ones with upcharges. Nevertheless, I manage to have a very enjoyable meal while sticking with items that were included in the regular menu price (with the exception of the $2 upcharge for our dessert choices.) We didn't experience any delays in service and I found the pauses between courses to be just right.

While I also enjoyed the curried pear soup amuse, I did find it a bit rich and almost whipping cream heavy. I thought the half demitasse portion was just the right size. A full portion might be a bit too much – the pear flavor was subtle but the curry was very nice, not overpowering, and very pleasant. DV is right – the bok choi was the best of the spreads! In lieu of the olive spread, we were presented with a very nice lavender honey butter.

In addition to the $30.07 3-course meal, a $40.07 4-course option was available (both essentially amounting to a free dessert). My friend and I decided to try the 4-course meal. We also started with the black eyed pea fritters. I enjoyed them, but didn’t find them to be spectacular. I did like the tailpepper honey the fritters were served with – this element made the dish reminiscent of hushpuppies from my childhood. My second course was the sourdough flan which is essentially a variation on the deconstructed Caesar salad that is so popular of late. The dish was beautifully presented with an emerald green half head of baby romaine atop the flan (filling in for croutons I presume) and drizzled with Caesar dressing. The plate also included fresh sardines, more dressing, and crispy sardine bits. Flavors were good and the romaine was fresh and the highlight of the dish, from both a visual and a taste perspective. My friend ordered and enjoyed the cream of Parmesan soup.

For mains, we went with the Cured Quail* and the previously described Eggplant Casserole. It was a small quail, which made the portion appear to be on the smallish side. However, with the lovely root vegetable dice around the bowl and the hearty stuffing that included golden raisins, the dish was quite filling. The quail may have been slightly overcooked, but it was well seasoned and the accompaniments complemented it nicely. It was a hearty seasonal dish. My friend also enjoyed the eggplant casserole, as I did my small bite .

For dessert we shared the Tart and Chocolate. This was a good pairing as the lemony panna cotta cut through the richness of the chocolate mousse. The meal ended with the presentation of 3 mignardises - two pate de fruits and a pistachio meringue/chocolate sandwich cookie.

The setting was very serene, but lively once all the tables were filled. I liked the contrast of the mint green against the darker (plum? brown?) walls as well as the stained wood rings suspended in the recessed area in the center of the dining room ceiling.

(they do need to do something about the leaky toilet in the ladies’ room )

Overall, a pleasant experience – perhaps a bit pricey for regular dining, but they do offer brunch and a $35 3-course early dining menu. I would go back, although not necessarily with any urgency.

*FYI CF – the server –unprompted- made a comment along the lines of “where’s the hospital” (cured in this case was just another way of saying brined)

[dcdavidm]

Had a good RW lunch at Farah Olivia on Saturday, and it was certainly a decent value at $20.07. First time we were been there. I could have easily popped a bag of the fritters on the way home. They were far better than my goat cheese potstickers, which were overwhelmed by the salty saucing. In contrast, my pork tenderloin was exquisite and done perfectly, as was mrs. dcdavidm's scallops. Desserts were a good finish, and we had several wines by the glass that complemented the food. Our server was truly wonderful, but we were really turned off by the mercenary server covering nearby tables. When we were seated, our server said, "Can I bring you ice water? Or, if you prefer, we have bottled sparkling and still water." That struck us as a polite, professional offer. The adjoining server, however, told each of his tables (on three occasions that we overheard), "Would you like sparkling or still water?" without ever offering the third choice of just a normal glass of water. Disgusting.

[dmwine]

Had a good RW lunch at Farah Olivia on Saturday, and it was certainly a decent value at $20.07. First time we were been there. I could have easily popped a bag of the fritters on the way home. They were far better than my goat cheese potstickers, which were overwhelmed by the salty saucing. In contrast, my pork tenderloin was exquisite and done perfectly, as was mrs. dcdavidm's scallops. Desserts were a good finish, and we had several wines by the glass that complemented the food. Our server was truly wonderful, but we were really turned off by the mercenary server covering nearby tables. When we were seated, our server said, "Can I bring you ice water? Or, if you prefer, we have bottled sparkling and still water." That struck us as a polite, professional offer. The adjoining server, however, told each of his tables (on three occasions that we overheard), "Would you like sparkling or still water?" without ever offering the third choice of just a normal glass of water. Disgusting.

Disgusting? Grow up. This is how any server in any restaurant typically presents the choice, even if your server hit upon an excellent variation. Now, if he refused to bring regular ice water when requested, that would be improper.

Was your pork with the "chocolate merlot"?

[dcdavidm]

Disgusting? Grow up. This is how any server in any restaurant typically presents the choice, even if your server hit upon an excellent variation. Now, if he refused to bring regular ice water when requested, that would be improper.

Was your pork with the "chocolate merlot"?

"Grow up?" Thanks for the polite ad hominum attack. That's what makes dialog so fruitful. Always a pleasure hearing from "adults."

[christopherc]

christopher said:

Happened to notice on our way into Balducci's that Farrah Olivia is now open for Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch. We decided to give the bar another try. I had a very good Bloody Mary and my companion had the $12 chardonnay. The pour on the wine has improved, at least for this visit. The bartender/waitress seemed more personable than others I have encountered at the bar and seemed to know what she was doing. We decided we will go for dinner and try brunch 

We finally made brunch at Farrah Olivia yesterday. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. They were still doing Restaurant Week and offered a three course brunch. Some items had additional charges but were well worth the extra cost.

We started out with Bloody Marys which were excellent. I had the smoked salmon with corn cakes and my fiancée had the smoked trout with grapefruit slices and chorizo. I could not make up my mine which was better. The breads that are served before anything else were also so good that I ate one and wanted more even though I try to limit my bread intake. The spreads were lavender honey butter, a strawberry cream cheese, chili-pepper spread, and one made of cranberry. I like them all and loved the butter and cranberry spreads.

For entrees we both had the salmon and mushroom omelets which again were excellent. We finished with coffee and two of the chocolate mousse which were don’t with the mousse covered in something crunchy (could not figure out what) and topped with a dark chocolate sauce. We could eat half and should have shared like we usually do.

With the additional charges for the drinks, $2 for the smoke salmon, $2 each for the desert and tax our check was $73 before tip. High for brunch but I have had horrible dinners and spent that much. We can’t wait to try Farrah for dinner.

[RaisaB]

A few of us went to Farrah Olivia this past Friday. Yes, they still have the RW menu.but not! Most items seemed to have an up charge! I originally thought I wouldn't go that route, but since nothing appealed to me I chose the scallops which had an $8 up charge. They were seared with a slight bit of peanut sauce on top. It also included powdered peanuts and sodium bicarbonate!? on the side. I should have taken that as a sign. My next course was the cream of parmesan soup. There was nothing distinguishable about this soup, not even the nice tang of parmesan. My husband had the deconstructed Caesar salad. It was a sourdough flan, accompanied by a few romaine leaves, a canned tasting sardine, and a dehydrated anchovy crumble. The powder tasted of freezer burn! It was simply awful. Apparently this is what the bicarbonate was for! I followed this with a salmon roll. At this point I cannot tell you what was in it as it was indistinguishable. The fish tasted fishy and was overcooked! My husband had the quail which was also overcooked, but I liked the chorizo stuffing and sauces. It may have been too many tastes for one plate though. At this point I was still hungry so I ordered the lemon tart dessert even though I had only ordered the three course menu. It was actually a lemon pannacotta which was surprisingly light and tangy. I was only charged $7 for the dessert, so the RW 40.07 menu for 4 courses was no deal!

As a side note, the waiter told us not to order the wine tasting as you only got 3 2-oz pours for $15 and certainly not worth it.

There were comments at the table that this restaurant will probably not be around too long. It tries to be precious and cutting edge but comes out boring and flat. Maybe the chef should stick to food he is good at and not something conceived by a marketing group?

[dmwine]

"Grow up?" Thanks for the polite ad hominum attack. That's what makes dialog so fruitful. Always a pleasure hearing from "adults."

What's "ad hominum" [sic] about suggesting that you over-reacted to a server asking the same question that any server in any restaurant in town will ask - essentially, offering you water?

I ask this, violating my new resolution to post here no more, because this Hobbesian "community" is too prone to vituperation and ... er, ... well ... ad hominem attacks ....

(Though I am curious to ask RaisaB what marketing group she thinks would advise any chef to use anything powdered, much less bicarbonate of soda, and put it on the menu ... not meaning that question as an "attack", ad hominem or otherwise, just an innocent question because my experience at Farrah Olivia did not match hers ... )

[RaisaB]

dmwine said:

What's "ad hominum" [sic] about suggesting that you over-reacted to a server asking the same question that any server in any restaurant in town will ask - essentially, offering you water?

I ask this, violating my new resolution to post here no more, because this Hobbesian "community" is too prone to vituperation and ... er, ... well ... ad hominem attacks ....

(Though I am curious to ask RaisaB what marketing group she thinks would advise any chef to use anything powdered, much less bicarbonate of soda, and put it on the menu ... not meaning that question as an "attack", ad hominem or otherwise, just an innocent question because my experience at Farrah Olivia did not match hers ... )

The name of the company is FoKitchen Concepts, but apparently this is pseudonym for Farrah Olivia itself. They advertise on the restaurant website as a "separate company" of sorts.FOKitchen Concepts

My apologies to the chef, I am sure he is capable of much greater things than I experienced.

[dmwine]

The name of the company is FoKitchen Concepts, but apparently this is psuedoname for Farrah Olivia itself. They advertise on the restaurant website as a "separate company" of sorts.FoKitchen Concepts

You're probably right about the origin of the name, but it risks being read as "Faux" kitchen concepts!

[crackers]

I have to say that RaisaB's opinion of her dinner matches pretty closely with my own.

It began with our waiter, knowing we wanted the Restaurant Week menu, immediately launching into a "Let me tell you what I like" schpiel, and pointing to just about every item that had an upcharge, which the large majority had. Except the soups. He told us he thought the soups weren't very good (!) and that the wine pairing was not a very good value. (!!) I ordered straight off the RW menu anyway - no upcharges for me - I'm cheap like that.

Amuse: a wonderful half-demitasse cup of lobster bisque. Off to an excellent start! And I liked the schmears for the two kinds of breads in the basket.

First course: "Shocked Tuna." The waiter described the portion size as "tiny" and he wasn't kidding. The tuna was very fresh tasting, but had a dull, dried surface - not the glistening sheen one would want to see on a piece of fresh fish. It arrived with an equally precious and flavorful mound of shavings of spiced green apple at the other end of the narrow rectangular plate. There was a wasabi sauce decoratively squirted on the plate too, and maybe other crumbles, drizzles or dollops I can't recall. All in all, tasty.

Second course: "Sourdough flan" salad. As noted above, a deconstructed Caesar. Very good baby lettuce squiggled with creamy dressing, a fat naked sardine, some more dressing piped in a strip on the plate, and those "anchovy crumbles." They looked like bacon bits, but oh God, tasted like burnt, rancid oil, or rather, what you'd find at the bottom of a pot of burnt, rancid oil after deep frying dried anchovies. (I love anchovies in all kinds of preparations - this had no discernable anchovy flavor.) Everyone at the table who tasted it made the "ewwww, nasty" face when I had them try it (because I thought maybe my tastebuds were "off" that night). When the waiter asked me if I liked the crumbles (I had asked him what it was) I told him honestly that "actually, no, I did not." He made a small harrumph noise and walked away. And the "flan" was a disk of bland something -not sure what, but it tasted mealy, as though the flour had not been cooked thoroughly. Good lettuce, not much else to recommend it.

Third course: Quail. Goldenticket liked this, but I did not, much. The bird, as others have noted, was dried from overcooking. And the delicious, moist cornbread and chorizo stuffing overpowered its delicate flavor. There was much more going on - swirls of creamy sauce, an outer ring of clear, bright orange chorizo oil, cubes of root vegetables, sprinkles of an interesting white power, some small white grapes. I liked the stuffing and the miniscule breaded, deep fried legs - two crunchy morsels that were probably meant as a decoration. Overall, a mess of a dish.

In the interest of getting fit for summer, I passed on dessert and wine, so can't comment on those very important elements.

One final, and hopefully constructive criticism: when presenting mignardises at the end of the meal, please provide enough so that each person can have one of each. Deliberately putting three cookies on a plate for four people is very awkward.

Obviously, this is a new place and needs time to settle in and adjust the menu. But unless or until that happens, I'm sorry to say that my first visit to Farrah Olivia will likely be my last.

[if you go to the website's menu page, you will see a looping slideshow of some of the "concept" dishes. Note well the spermatazoids streaking across so many of the plates! Potent stuff.].

[cjsadler]

We were there the same night as Crackers and RaisaB (though at a different table)...

The best Restaurant Week meal I had was a couple of years ago at Signatures when Morou was there. I still remember most of the dishes we had that night (they were that good), and I don't remember there being many upcharges. Our dinner at Farrah Olivia on Saturday was probably the worst RW meal I've had. The conception and execution of nearly everything we had was pretty awful. The night did start off nicely, though, with an amuse of lobster bisque and that votive holder of spreads. The bok choy pesto spread was great, but I didn't care much for the 'tomato paste' or whatever it was. Things went downhill from there... A first course of duck confit and monkfish liver was an unappetizing dish. Served very cold, a bit of lukewarm "tea" broth was then poured over it. There wasn't enough broth for this to be a soup (no spoon was given) and the total effect of the dish was just... odd. Tomato paste seemed to be a recurring theme, as variations of things tasting exactly like it showed up in at least two other dishes that night. With the salmon entree I had, the tomato-paste-like-substance was a seperate quenelle on one quadrant of the plate, which points to a problem with the dishes in general. There were so many sauces, powders, squiggles, fluids (this was an actual term from the menu) and other things on most of the plates that it was hard to tell what to do with them (not that I wanted to eat them anyway, as they weren't very tasty). The presentations were supposed to be artful, but were instead odd and unwieldy to eat. The most amusing was the pork "stonehenge" (porkhenge?), a rectangular loin cut standing on its short edge at one side of the plate with the chocolate merlot sauce acting as a (spermatazoid shaped) shadow. To make matters worse, there was a strange system of upcharges for most items. A $2 upcharge for panna cotta? I could see it for a more complex or expensive ingredient dessert, but for panna cotta? I'm not even sure why I decided to order it, but mine even turned out to be pretty bad-- there was far too much gelatin in it.

I know Mourou is a great chef, and was glad he got away from the Abramoff mess of Signatures to open his own place. I hope FO will eventually find its footing and one day be a great restaurant. But it definitely isn't yet.

[Tujague]

Two and a half stars from Sietsema. ("Within mere points away of being a three star experience" he says.) Is that the phrase that will drive Rockwellians to distraction this week?

[happystomach]

("Within mere points away of being a three star experience" he says.) Is that the phrase that will drive Rockwellians to distraction this week?

That's not the quote. I read: "Within mere points of a three-star experience."

Sorry to be snooty, but I didn't know if you were critiquing phrasing or the idea behind the statement.

[jm chen]

Is that the phrase that will drive Rockwellians to distraction this week?

Can't speak for others, but I'm more driven by the second week in a row where he mentions a lack of dining instructions from the waitstaff, with the line "The first course doesn't come with instructions for eating..."

Of course I understand that sometimes chefs want things eaten in a certain order/way to enhance the experience, or complex plating might make things awkward to tackle. But in this context it just makes me want to say, I think we've all been eating long enough to know how it's done.

[Tujague]

happystomach said:

That's not the quote. I read: "Within mere points of a three-star experience."

Sorry to be snooty, but I didn't know if you were critiquing phrasing or the idea behind the statement.

Neither. (And sorry for the error, I was quoting from memory.) jm chen makes my point perfectly in his comment on the line "The first course doesn't come with instructions for eating."

[cjsadler]

It's all so 2007.

Moderator alert: There's a review of Farrah Olivia in the RW thread that needs to be moved over here:

This place falls too easily into trite gimmickry

[jparrott]

"A few points from..." Now it can be told! An underlying Parkerian, Toulouse-Lautrecois, pointillist underpinning to all of TS's edifice.

[ScotteeM]

Any recent reports on this place?

My husband wants to try it, but based on comments above by people I actually know, I'm reluctant.

Anyone care to persuade me?

[jiveturk21]

Sometimes great expectations can hurt a restaurant (see my post for The Majestic). At the same time, sometimes low expectations can help a place, a lot.

When I was invited to Farrah Olivia on Friday, I was a bit reluctant. I hadn't read good things on this board, hadn't heard any buzz, it was Restaurant Week and one of my worst restaurant experiences ever was at Signatures. Granted, I was hesitant to go, but I went and I am glad that I did.

The space is small and a bit of a hike from King Street, but we sat outside, so I won't comment too much on the space itself. It seemed fine by me, big difference from Morou's last restaurant (Signatures). The service was attentive, but a bit off, not bad, just not good. The food, however, made up for it in a big way.

The choices were limited, four or five for each course, but everything that I had was exceptional, so was pretty much everything else around the table. I started with the shocked escolar, kind of like a sashimi, with wasabi pearls and a pickled watermelon rind. The flavors were perfect together, good portion of food and a beautiful plate, not one single complaint about the dish at all. My entree was the tandoori spiced salmon with yuca couscous and black yogurt. The salmon was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful, but the highlight of the dish was the yuca couscous. It was more than interesting, it actually tasted great, something you don't always get when chefs try to go above and beyond. For dessert I had a cup with a spice cake on the bottom, a fig compote in the middle, a mascarpone cream on the top and some sort of crunchy things sprinkled throughout. It was the perfect combination of sweetness, complexity and texture, everything that I want in a dessert, just a great dish.

Overall, the food was wonderful and I don't use the word "wonderful" very often. And, I ate at Bouchon, B&B Ristorante and N9NE earlier in the week, so I had a lot of good, recent memories to compare it to. As I said before, my expectations were low, but the food was damn good on Friday night. If you have tossed around the idea of going, but haven't for whatever reason, you should reconsider it, it was well worth it.

[agm]

NQD and I went to Farrah Olivia on Friday night with two friends, taking advantage of their extended Restaurant Week offerings. I don't really have time for a full write-up, but before I forget completely, I just wanted to say that our experience was similar to jiveturk21's. Very good to excellent food, pretty much all-around. The two people who were not thrilled by their entrees (neither disliked their dish, they just found them somewhat lacking) each thought the other's entree was excellent. Everything was well-conceived and well-executed. Yes, there were powders and oils and liquid spheres everywhere, but all of it seemed to work quite well to support and enhance the base dish rather than distract from it. Service was friendly and enthusiastic, but not polished. The bartender makes a very good mojito.

If I get a chance I'll edit this post with specifics; for now I just wanted to say that the problems and the inconsistency that were talked about here in January seem to have been worked out (as far as I can tell from a single visit). Well worth a visit; we'll be back.

[TomA]

My wife and I went to Farrah Olivia this past Saturday for their fixed price brunch. At $20.07 it is a superb value, with well executed and very fresh apps and entrees. The highlight was the simplest dish...a wonderful roast white meat chicken breast that was moist, flavorful with sinfully crisp skin. It was served with a wonderfully homey porcini mac-n-cheese side. This was not a typical dish in a place known for it's "deconstructing". My Salmon with beet risotto and leek cream sauce was also very good, especially for the $$...Salmon was very, very fresh and done medium rare as requested; the rest of the dish neither enhanced nor detracted from the velvety fish. The grilled asparagus and smoked salmon apps were decent as was the dessert of "Spice" and Citrus cheese cake. All in all for 20 bucks ahead, a very, very good quality to price ratio.

[giant shrimp]

Farrah olivia is running restaurant week all month long, and with a little help from upcharges, just about everything on the regular menu is available.

The food here comes pretty close to reigning supreme and looks and tastes upscale, jazzed up with powders, beads and squiggles that suggest more experimentation than actually is happening. The flavors are clean and the juxtapositions of ingredients well chosen, more traditional in approach than I had expected. Date and ginger spike the chopped brussel sprouts accompanying fanned duck breast, sounding just the right notes. Wasabi and soy “caviar” are on hand for shocked (raw) thin flayed pieces of pristine escolar. The novelty bacon powder with the scallops provides the fun of tasting like bacon, but mint pearls are wiped out by a succulent and crusty hunk of roasted lamb.

In effect, you are getting free dessert here during the month-long promotion, which is something, because a light, crackling-topped brulee-style cheesecake is worth paying for, and the meal includes an amuse-bouche and a selection of four savory bread spreads. Service ran efficiently, with a few slightly self-conscious moments, and was well paced. We were there for roughly two hours without a hint of the restaurant wanting to toss us out despite a small, crowded dining room, whose chocolate walls are inscribed with mint green tree limbs.

The tab for two, with two martinis and two glasses of wine, including tax and tip, was about $160.

[Tweaked]

well I would have to rate Farrah Olivia my best RW experience for 2008.

There was the usual game of here's the menu but you can order other stuff with upcharges, some of them reaching $12(!) for an upcharge, so I stayed with the set menu.

Dinner started with a goat cheese flan amuse, creamy goodness, and a basket of bread with four different spreads. Bread was decent and the spreads while somewhat interesting where more flash than substance. My favorite was the butter laced with mango and rosemary(?)

I started with the white grits, which was sort of a large white grit tater tot shaped thing, lightly breaded and fried, it came sitting on a bed of candied red cabbage and liquid black corn...it was excellent.

Next I had the pork chop, perfectly cooked and moist served on a bed of lentils and spinach which could have used a tad bit more salt for my taste.

Dessert I had the lemon cheesecake which was light, fluffy, and lemony.

Dinner ended with a selection of petit fours.

I also sampled the painted soup (one half of the bowl chestnut, the other gingered butternut squash) which overall was tasty, the ginger in the butternut squash was a bit harsh.

The pan roasted chicken breast with banana curry crust was average (but that's what you get for ordering chicken breast IMO), but I liked the quinoa salad

The orange scented salmon fillet was perhaps the best cooked piece of salmon I've ever had...it came with a fermented yucca couscous which kind of tasted and had the texture of grape nuts cereal (it was weird at first but kinda addictive by the end)...the venison was also very good.

Overall it was a positive RW experience and I would definitely return.

[Dave Pressley]

As I have disclosed before, Morou is a good friend of mine that I have had the pleasure of knowing for over 12 years now. For that reason, I won't post about the specifics of my meal this evening--only that it was absolutely fantastic. The plates are stunning visually and they don't cease to amaze when the food hits the palate. If you haven't been yet, give it a shot. Morou is doing some of the best food in the area right now in my extremely biased opinion.

[DCDeac]

Made it to Farrah last night for a late dinner... Quick impressions:

Deconstructed Caesar was a nice idea that just lacked a little something. Other appetizer was a scallop with bacon crumbles on one side and bacon powder on the other. Much better, perfectly seared, very good.

Ah, but then there were the main courses. Perfectly fried, delicious softshell crab with a great chopped tomato topping, and a melt-in-your-mouth braised duck breast with one of the best sauces for duck that I've ever had. Cherry/plum/chocolate, sweet but not too sweet, and plenty on the plate to perfectly cover each bite. Braising the duck in lemongrass and then adding ginger to the accompanying veggie was a great touch that brought the whole plate together.

Really a great meal, service was still a little off, but nothing serious.

[dlebby]

Four of us dined at Farrah Olivia last night. While we had every intention of ordering the 7 course tasting menu, when push came to shove each of us decided to order off the menu. This allowed us to sample extensively, although mostly from the appetizer section. Here's our report:

The drop-dead, to die for dish was the white grits with liquid black corn and candied red cabbage. The short cylinder of grits was golden crunchy on the outside and melt in the mouth smooth in the center. All four of us wished we'd ordered it. Second place (and no small victory) went to the shocked escolar -- the highest order of sushi. Seven or so thin slices on a plate...pure fish heaven with a light wasabi sauce garnished with a touch of caviar and a hint of pickled ginger. Third place went to the rabbit loin two kinds. One kinda like pulled pork, the second sliced in cylinders. Tied for third place were two succulent divers scallops, perfectly cooked and with mmmm bacon powder on the side. Tender beef tartare was fine but not memorable.

We tried two soups, both of which were excellent. The painted gazpacho, curried eggplant and tomato in a yin-yang design with cucumber jelly insets was lush. The Manhattan Clam Chowder studded with mmmm Bacon was way above standard. Did I mention the mmmm bacon?

On to entrees, one of which, the least appealing by description was knockout, while the second, ordered by two of us was somewhat disappointing. Chicken breast (can you believe it?) with curry banana crust was outrageous, while lemongrass duck breast showed nary a hint of lemongrass and was tender but boring and was only saved by the brussel spouts with carmelized dates.

And by the way, we could have had a full portion of the amuse bouche, honeydew soup with saracha sugar.

We sampled two desserts, coconut panacotta and a peanutbutter chocolate tart which were both well worth worth the calories.

And, contrary to a previous review, there were enough the bill softening cookies and candies for each of us to sample each kind.

All in all, the chef has a majority of brilliant moments but hasn't achieve total consistency across the entire menu.