Archive for March, 2009

Located on Franklin Street in downtown Richmond amid the enclave of VCU, this Mediterranean and Moroccan-inspired restaurant challenges those coming from the ‘burbs with a place to park. Yet, locals might just as well walk up to the dark-interiored eatery, complete with some otherworld decorations, and find a comfortable table in the noisy restaurant. A bar features prominently along the back wall, although the food is likely what you’ll remember.

I am not sure the identity of Cous Cous. They do serve couscous in several tangine-style dishes, but there’s the Spanish tapas thing going on, more continental flavors going on too, and then some more exotic numbers, like the Greek flaming cheese. That’s popular, I saw several going around the evening that I visited.

Both dishes I tasted were good, especially the warm mushroom salad. This is a great place to go with a small group, to enjoy a variety of smaller plates, talk loud, have a relaxing time. It’d be death for a cozy romantic dinner, unless all you wanted to do was to stare into each other’s eyes over flaming cheese and crispy eggplant.

Service was friendly and attentive at Cous Cous. Any restaurant that teases our senses with less familiar flavors and presentations is a good thing, especially when the options are this tasty.

A recent edition of Gourmet magazine featured rolls. I am a sucker for a good roll.

I made their parmesan-cheese “pullapart” rolls. Yeast, honey, and milk make up the base, to which we add copious amounts of parmesan cheese. To the dough, we later beat in eggs and then butter. A rich, fortified dough.

The rolls rise twice before baking at 375 degrees. The recipe is pretty standard after the cheese is introduced, and called for egg-washed tops. Instead, I took the Italian theme further by brushing with EVOO and covering with sea salt. Maldon, to be exact.

The smell is quite a knock-out, and despite their softness and moisture, you’ll love them more mounted with melting butter.

Clio is located in Boston, Massachusetts.

I had high expectations for Clio, being touted as one of the few places in Boston to enjoy the fruits of molecular gastronomy. While tenets of this cooking philosophy were on the menu, the majority of offerings were fresh takes on otherwise French or continental cooking.

I had their appetizer of foie gras, a nice sized lump served with many accoutrements, including honeycomb. Having been salted, the dish was sublime: the richness was offset by the sweet and the salty. A cinnamon component took the dish in an usual direction, but things were off to a good start.

The breads, which never stop arriving, were epi-style rolls and were delicious. We had to ask for more butter.

The entrée seemed experimental (as in, does all of this go together), but nevertheless, was also delicious: a cut of rare hanger steak and beef short rib. Again, foams were a garnish on the plate. I enjoyed the short rib far more than the other cut, but having two to compare both for texture and flavor was nice. Sweet components in the entrée played well with a pinot noir, which I shared with my companion. He opted for the licorice-smoked duck, which he reported was “very good.”

Desserts consisted of a cheese plate (above, at angle) and a deconstructed apple goat cheese dolche de leche complete with sour apple sorbet. Both desserts were appropriately sized. You should not fear ordering dessert at Clio because you’ll be stuffed: they’re nice (small) sizes.

Clio was commanding 5-star reviews from some folks online, yet it seemed the clear winner were its cocktails which I missed. (Upon returning home, I was surprised to read about one of their unusual cocktails in my cooking magazine.) Some folks were less enthusiastic, either because of service or sub-par food for the price.

Clio is expensive. Very expensive. More expensive than its worth, however. I’ve had my share of pricy meals, but never one this good yet overinflated in price. The cheapest wine to my memory on the list was $60, and for “mini desserts” should you be paying in the $teens?

The other thing that started things off funny was our wait for the table. They confirmed reservations online and over the phone to ensure I’d be there at the agreed-upon time, but we had a 15 minute wait for our table. We were repeated requested to sit at the bar. Then, being set in a hotel, to use the restroom, you have to walk through their adjacent sushi bar, squeeze past a table, then into the lobby, down stairs, and then you’ll find the toilets.

This doesn’t mean Clio can’t serve the finest food. Their food was darn good, but not among the very best I’ve had. Where things lost luster was when the check came: ouch. At those prices, the bathroom should be more convenient, the hostesses less pushy about where to wait, and the amuse bouches should appear.

Visit Clio when someone else is treating you; you’ll do fine.

I recently had lunch at a Wagamama for the first time.

I had a cool window overlooking JFK street in Cambridge, just outside Harvard Square. The cuisine at this casual dining establishment is all Asian, with a heavy Japanese influence. You won’t find sushi, but you will find a variety of noodles, rice dishes, and wine, beer, and soft drinks.

I got a delicious plate of “Teppan” noodles, instead of appearing in soup, they were fried together. Think of one of the more flavorful versions of fried rice you’d ever eaten, but here with noodles instead of rice.

It was certainly a colorful plate, full of vegetables and pork. In all, I was happy with the locale, the quality of the food, and the friendly service. I’d go to Wagamama again.

This weekend I had the occasion of dining at Sandrine’s Bistro, an Alsatian/French restaurant at 8 Holyoke Street, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

I like the atmosphere and “feel” of Sandrine’s even before I tasted their good bread, or before I sampled their complimentary glass of wine. They might describe it as “romantic,” but my word choice would be “intimate” or “comfortable.” It feels like a special place you might like to go to often enough when you want to feel like you want to escape to a dark, favorite, good old time.

While Sandrine’s offers a very limited wine list, the menu offered any number of tasty choices. I opted for a special appetizer of lobster on top of an avocado. What I didn’t like was that they included the peel on the avocado; I had expected it to be already peeled (and perhaps presented in a butter lettuce cup). But that little detail aside, it was tasty, both in terms of flavors, texture, and sweetness. A great way to start a meal, for sure.

Our waitress was friendly, comforting, and put us at ease throughout the night.

For my entrée, I had delicious diver’s scallops on top of a bed of bacon-studded brussels sprouts. The combination of the porcine flavor, the sprouts, and the fresh scallops was sublime. This was rather simple, but also very well-done cuisine. Don’t let the moniker “French” scare you away. Lacking were the fancy French sauces and heavy sides. Instead, simple, clean food.

My dining companion had the vegetarian ravioli which looked delicious.

Harvard Square in Cambridge offers a lot of choices for dining, many casual and off-the-cuff. Sandrine’s might not be one of Boston’s very finest houses of haute-cuisine, but it borrow’s the simpler comforts of Harvard Square’s neighbors with the upscale leanings of a good restaurant anywhere.

I liked Sandrine’s and for an expensive city like Boston, it hit the spot.