Gazpacho, a cold and very flavorful soup, was our first item to be prepared. Not only is this a healthy soup for the new year, but the color and nuances of different vegetables along with the garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar, made this a delicious and light first course.
The menu is extensive with all sorts of comfort food from build-you-own burgers, to salads, to pizza and flat bread and more. The decor is cozy and modern and the staff is top-notch.
Clearly I needed more French fries, so chef promptly sent out an order of truffle fries ($6.50). The first thing to hit you is the aroma of truffles. They, too, were cooked to perfection and served piping hot.
For entrées we opted for the Argentinian style Gaucho steak and pan seared local white sea bass. Each carries a $10 up charge to the $30 restaurant week menu, but they were divine and easily worth the extra money. I challenge you to find a better $40 dinner.
If you feel like splurging, check out the chilled Grand Seafood with a whole Maine lobster, shrimp, oysters and king crab legs for $80. Appetizers range from $9 to $16 and entrees run from $25 to $59.
While the Mickey Arnett Duo provided the musical backdrop, Chef Marty and his able team began wowing the guests with his garlic pineapple ginger glazed tropical shrimp skewers paired with the 2012 Vienza Pinot Grigio from Europa Village.
"The farmers come in the back door with dirt still on their hands." It just doesn't get any fresher. The culinary team takes field trips to farms, not just locally, but around the country.
Wherever they wind up, they will have their hands full with renovations and rehab, adding an entire stage to a restaurant. Investment opportunities are still available. I for one am excited to see this vision become a reality.
Cara Cara oranges are also known as pink navels and are delightfully sweet. Blood oranges are the common orange in Sicily, much like navels and Valencias are here. We sampled four different members of the grapefruit family: Oro Blanco, Pummelo, cocktail grapefruit and Melo Gold, all sublimely sweet, and learned that skin color has nothing to do with sweetness.