risuttons

Wife and I stopped by for an early dinner (5:30) with no reservation. From the website I determined that there was a bar and we figured we could eat there. Although we ended up eating at the bar, it worked out very nicely. Presumably because noone just drops by 2941 for a drink or dinner, the bar is fairly quiet. We sat in comfortable chairs in the farthest corner of the bar and enjoyed one of the more private meals we've had in recent memory. The decor requires some comment. It is a really lovely place to sit and eat a meal. The dining room is large and well-structured. Although the view out the large windows is somewhat composed/contrived, it is also soothing. In addition to not making a reservation, I ended up parking in the wrong place. No worries, we got the chance to walk the grounds a bit. It is a nice place to walk. Food: Black truffle popcorn: Eh. It had received so much butter/truffle oil that it felt chewy/soggy. IMO, popcorn should be fresh, airy and salty. The butter should be a flavor, not a texture. First course: Me: Lobster roll. This was an asian-themed dish: a spring roll (rice paper) with chucks of lobster meat, fresh basil leaves, perhaps a dolop of plum sauce (or something similar) and a second fruit puree with a subtle heat on the plate. There were 4-5 slices of roll, just right. I was left craving more. (I am not a big fish eater). Wife: Local beet salad. Goat cheese, cherry vinagrette. it worked well. I am just not a huge fan of beets. Wife loved them. Advantage: Me. Second course: Me: Burrata ravioli. Flavor of Burrata cheese (inside ravioli) and fontina (both/sauce) complemented each other well. The ravioli were served in what was a small bowl with seemed like a mushroomy broth containing both fontina and morels. The excess liquid in the bowl detracted from the structure and texture of the ravioli. Although I ended up requesting additional bread to sop up the cheese/mushroom mix, it detracted from the texture of the pasta, causing them to fall apart. Wife: Ginger sea bass. This was complex, balanced and lovely. Cardamom and ginger worked well together. The hunk of sea bass was ginormous. It's size reminded me of an eight ounce filet mignon. Huge! This dish was served in a large bowl with various asian-ish vegetables and a healthy serving of broth. In this case the broth worked very well. I believe there was some rice, although I did not get a taste. Advantage: Wife. Dessert: Me: Polenta cake with berry jelly, phyllo, pistachio ice cream. Delicious. This was a round ramekin sized polenta cake with with seemed like a slightly smaller circle of jelly on top. The dish was rich and delicious. Although most bites were well-balanced, at times the jelly circle felt a little too thick and took control of the dessert. Advantage: Wife. She shared in my dessert. Beverages I had two glasses of Gruner and a Malbec by the glass. Wife had a Chinon Rose that seemed right on target for the summer. Bartender waiting on us was eager to please and knew the wines by the glass well enough to be helpful. Service was attentive and helpful. Verdict: We will return with friends and a reservation. Cost: $200 with tax and tip.

Enjoyed dinner with wife and friends on Saturday evening. I was thoroughly impressed by the cooking. In particular, the quality of composition and the balance in each dish was a pleasant surprise for such a recent opening. Perhaps because it was a Saturday night, the entry and bar area felt particularly loud and crowded. It is noteworthy that once we were at our table, we had no problem hearing one another. As with all restaurants, two-tops will be closer together and probably end up hearing more of others' conversations. We arrived early and enjoyed a glass of wine at the bar. As was the case throughout the night, I found the reds to be every so slightly warmer than I would prefer. The wine temp was certainly within an acceptable range. This is more of a personal preference. The decor is fine, but not as composed as the prior tenant. To my mind, it neither enhanced nor detraced from the meal. The leather menus felt floppy and out of place. At point point, I would prefer they transition to something more rigid. FURTHER WINE We made noise about ordering wine by the glass by course and asked if someone could over to help. Our waiter insisted he could help. We asked him to pair wine glasses to the food, focusing on food/wine, rather than our tastes. After a frustrating minute or two, we decided to go light on wine and went with a bottle of Dolcetto D'Alba. Next time, I will go at a less busy time and layer up the wines with a little more help. Dinner was delicious. APPS I ordered risotto special as appetizer. Risotto special was gorgonzola with pistachios, drizzled with balsamic. This dish was fantastic and really hit the spot on a rainy evening. Each grain was firm to the bite, but engulfed in the creaminess of the gorgonzola and starch. The pistachios added a subtle sweetness and nutiness to the dish and the balsamic on top contrasted with the creaminess. The dish was well-conceived, well-balanced and perfectly executed. The portion was large and I enjoyed each bite. My three dining compansions ordered one of two salads which they described as fine or good. I was too busy with the risotto to steal a taste from my wife. I generally refrain from ordering salad when so much else is available. To each their own. After Apps, we were each presented a small bowl of creamy cheese (mozzarela?) with crushed tomato and pesto. The tomato flavor was strong and held its own against the creaminess of the cheese. The 4-5 bites were a thoughtful composition: bright tomato flavor, rich creamy cheese, salty richness of the pesto. MAIN COURSE I ordered the lasagna, remembering Maestro's fantastic lasagna. It was delicious, but did not quite meaure up to the memory. The accompanying foam was unnecessary and probably distracted from the dish. This dish is made with finely diced meat, rather than ground. This concentrates the meat flavor in the diced pieces to wonderful effect. Wife ordered the dover sole special ($56!). Whole dover sole served table side, served with distinctive lemon butter sauce and some sort of vegetable garnish in a pot. Carefully cooked and delicious, particularly with the lemon butter sauce. The sauce highlighted, but did not overpower the fish. Companions ordered a pasta dish and veal chop. I did not try either. Veal chop was represented to be delicious. Veal chops are big, so the portion was equally big. Having doubled up on carbs at dinner. I enjoyed a very satisying espresso in lieu of dessert. I tasted the Suppa Inglese and Cioccolato, both of which were delicious. Total meal: Under $200 before tip, would have been less without the dover sole. Service was very good, but yet polished.