Banco

"Thanks for letting me vent, Tom. You are the best. Signed, A Typical Chatter " Our fearless host...?

Just came back from a languorous lunch at Montmartre, where I hadn't been in almost a year. The service was welcoming despite the lunch crowd and the fact that I was alone. I was offered a table either outside or in. I chose outside, but after being seated was told I couldn't have wine owing to the proximity of the school (I had known this but forgotten). There was no problem seating me back inside, which was done without any fuss. The whole way this was handled really impressed me. (The thoughtfulness shown to a solitary diner is, I think, a good test of a restaurant's hospitality.) I had two specials. Gazpacho flavored with tapenade oil had just the right bitter tang and a creamy consistency (it was so creamy it may have even been lightly bound with cream, but that would surprise me). The other special was flounder in beurre blanc with braised spinach and salsify. The sweetness of the salsify, mellow garlic overtones of the spinach, and the buttery flounder were well harmonized, though the fish I thought was a tad overcooked. Overall a very tasty dish. The Sancerre by the glass had been carefully kept and was too quaffable for one's own good. It helped with the overall illusion of being in a little bistro somewhere in France. Very nice to have Montmartre on the Hill.

I think they're letting people in depending on the work. I tried to go for lunch yesterday, but there was a scaffold in front and it looked pretty closed (though I could see Drew through the window). In any case, I felt I would have been imposing if I had knocked...Anyone know anything about a possible EG/DR event?

I agree. By the way, Tacoma's my home town. Engine House No. 9 is a great place. BUt things like that are easier to do in the Northwest because so few people smoke there anyway.

Inspired by Al Dente's recent visit and commentary, I wandered by Sonoma today on my lunch hour and took a peak in, which became a four course lunch with two colleagues who had happened to have the same idea. First off, a big thank you to Jared, Drew and the rest of the Sonoma team, who welcomed us so warmly and took the time to describe their vision of the restaurant. It is difficult to convey to non-Hillbillies, who are fortunate to have their Palenas and Fireflies (and Mendocinos!), what a restaurant opening like this means for such a culinarily starved neighborhood as the Hill. As Signor Dente has mentioned, the space is still a bit raw and in its pre-opening phases, but the choice of colors and materials already shows that it will be wonderful space. Salad 1: Arugula, fennel, Pecorino, with lemon and Apulian olive oil: This was a simple and wholesome starter, and the ingredients say it all: what you see is what you get. Everything was tip-top fresh and crisp. One of my colleagues raved about the fine balance of acidity in the dressing and the quality of the oil. I would have liked a bit more character in this dish--not fussiness, but something that would show me the craft and creativity of the chef. Salad 2: wood grilled local apples, watercress, toasted pistachios, gorgonzola, red wine vinaigrette: A savory blend of smoky, peppery, sweet, and tart flavors. It was obvious that the greens were of first-rate quality, and the pistachios had a fresh, toasty crunch. We emphatically told Drew, "Don't change a thing in this dish!" First: homemade wild-boar sausage, bucatini, spaghetti squash, arugula pesto: This dish transported me to the Tuscan countryside. The sausage was perfectly seasoned (with perhaps a bit of fennel?) and its texture was addictive. The only fault was some occasional grittiness, which I suspect came from the arugula in the pesto not having been thoroughly cleaned. Second: Grilled wild King Salmon, pancetta-leek compote, baby spinach: The salmon was a medium rare, delicately grilled morsel that showed off the beauty and quality of the fish. I'm from the Pacific Northwest, but I haven't had salmon that good in a long time. All the better that it was left very natural. The compote added interest, with chunks of crisp but chewy pancetta that really came through to accent the overall dish. The spinach was fresh and high-quality, like all the ingredients at Sonoma, but struck me as an ornamental afterthought. Cheeses: Drew told us he gets his cheeses from Artisanal in New York. They were all perfectly kept and simply presented, with a little pot of varietal jellies. Wines: We stuck with a Montepulciano that just begged to be quaffed with the wild boar, and a Napa Pinot turned out to be surprisingly fragrant and went well with the salmon. Jared told me a bit about the upstairs, and I think they are still feeling their way around how best to configure it. He mentioned the idea of a tasting room with a five course pris-fix, which would be a fantastic thing to see on the Hill. All the more reason to wish the Sonoma team well and hope they get the patronage they clearly deserve.

I just got a preview invitation, which unfortunately I can't accept because I'm gone this weekend.

"Saturday Night Live" did a skit on that topic years ago: "The Trough and Brew." Every hour or so it would close for a "15-minute hosedown." Given the direction some of these TGIF-like places are going, it's only a matter of time before life begins to imitate art.

Yes!

Got to this late... I've never been and would love to go. Count me in if you don't have too many carniverous friends (fiends?) already.

I filled out the form too (as did my wife, independently of me). I guess that shows how eager we are to see and taste this place. We had a fire drill at work about an hour ago and I walked by the space. For the first time I actually noticed some construction going on. The door was partly open and there was some serious toolbelt action.