Restaurant Week Reviews 09

Taberna del Alabardero

Went here for the Restaurant Lunch deal on Tuesday... btw I have to start doing RW lunches more often than dinner, the lower price point to start combined with the lack of alcohol makes this so much cheaper than dinner, but I digress...

For those that haven't been, Taberna looks a bit like an old European hotels. Old style lamps, deep red walls, very bright during the day but I could see it being darker and more romantic at night.

Started with the crepes topped with mushroom sauce... These were well-cooked crepes filled with a pesto paste, and topped with a mushroom sauce. The mushroom sauce was a bit muddled and plain, but overall it wasn't a bad dish. My biggest complaint, common with TdA, was the total lack of presentation. Imagine brownish yellow crepes filled w green, topped w a chunky brown sauce... just thrown on the plate. It was NOT appetizing.

Next was a nicely cooked, pretty decent size portion of Mahi Mahi on "crispy vegetables" (I would call them tempura style), on top of a rich pepper sauce. The +1 had red snapper with legumes, and did not finish the dish, but mine was good. For dessert I had goat cheese square on top of apple mousse with candied walnuts. The mousse was a bit odd; all of the components individually were fine but this just didn't work that well for me. Additionally, service was fine when we arrived shortly before noon, but abandoned us quickly.

Overall, TdA was fine for restaurant week, but didn't strike me as a place I'd go back to at full price.

Oval Room

The Oval Room had a pretty cozy dining room, it was white and stark while still being warm, if that is possible... Service all night was professional and attentive - each dish was described in detail as it was presented, and we were never left wanting for anything.

I started with a beet salad that came with blue cheese mousse, walnut crumble, and a walnut dressing. In the center of the plate was an exotic fruit compote, which balanced nicely with the flat beats and creamy mousse.

Next I had a sirloin with salsify and a type of mushroom... The portion of steak was twice what I expected, especially during Restaurant Week. However, the meat was over-salted and we were not given a steak knife. The salsify was fine if unremarkable, but mushroom was the real low point - completely raw and cold, it didn't meld well with the dish.

For dessert I had a passion fruit tart with a goat cheese gelee. This was fine, if a bit average. Overall, some small gripes due to a limited menu didn't keep me from wanting to go back to the Oval Room again for regular service.

Note: only the restaurant week menu was presentated at both restaurants.