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.