Vinci T.
Yelp
I had the chance to eat here recently. First off, the ambiance, decor, and service of this place is excellent! They really elevated the space and I was very excited to try the new menu.
I was able to try several dishes: the chili glazed pork belly, fried artichokes, maitake, fennel, duck, tenderloin, salmon, and panna cotta. This is where I think things fell off.
Appetizers: the pork belly had only two skewers, and these were tiny. The flavor profile of this was mainly just sweet and could have done more to highlight the ingredients. I would have much preferred a large chunk of pork belly and additional components to elevate it. The artichokes were the best thing I ate, but could have used more brightness and a little more acidity from the lemons.
Veggies: The fennel dish was very one-note. The bread with the harissa spread should have been toasted and there could have been more color on the plate. I loved the concept of the maitake mushrooms with the flavor profile of the cocoa nibs, but the large chunks of the tuile made the bitterness way too overpowering. The flavors of the maitake, puree, and pie crust were mellow, leaving this large dichotomy in flavors between the nibs and reset of the ingredients. I feel as though another component could have been added, or the pie crust (which I didn't feel like it added much) could have been prepared another way (maybe by adding some herbs) to bridge the flavors of the dish. The maitake itself could have used more caramelization.
Mains: From the mains, I could tell the technique was there. The salmon and duck were cooked very nicely, but there were some details that were lacking. In the duck dish, the kale was very salty and just soaked up the oil of the duck, making the whole dish way to fatty. Something like a berry sauce could have made it more balanced. In addition to this, the components of the tenderloin didn't tie in together very well. The apple preparation didn't mesh well with the pork (maybe doing more besides just grilling the apple would have been better), and the corn puree was way to loose and bland.
Dessert: The panna cotta was good. The strawberry limoncello sauce was very enjoyable, but the tartness of the lemon curd overpowered the subtle limoncello flavor in my opinion.
Overall, for the price point and overall ambiance of the place, the food currently doesn't seem to live up to the same standards. Every dish tries to elevate the ingredients, but all the dishes for me only went halfway in terms of execution. I think a lot of dishes needed additional flavors like acids to balance and make them more cohesive. I'm definitely rooting for this place and really hope they improve!!! I think this was a good starting point.