Ritodhi C.
Yelp
Probably the best and most gourmet spot you'll found around these parts. The food is well prepared with high-quality ingredients, artfully plated, and I think could hold its own even in larger, more foodie-centric markets. The venue is small, but we felt appropriately distanced since there were only a handful of other diners when we arrived for our dinner reservation. Our waiter was excellent, masked up at all times, attentive to our drink/food needs, and pleasant to chat with.
We first shared the House Pierogi and Forage Dip Trio. The former, which consisted of little doughy pockets stuffed with local potato and served with these incredible sauteed shiitake mushrooms, green onions, sour cream, and dill was probably our favorite dish of the entire meal. Just a perfect combination of flavors and textures. The Dips were hit-or-miss. The Roasted Beet dip served with crunchy cucumbers was nice but fairly standard. The Miso Yam dip was more adventurous, sweet, salty, and rather bitter on the back end. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The Eggplant dip wasn't especially memorable but came with the best toasted sesame chips.
In terms of main course, I went with the Paella-stuffed Calamari. If I had known how olive-forward the dish would be, I would have chosen something else, since I am not a fan of the briny abominations. But that's on me. The squid itself was a touch overcooked as well, and I would only recommend going for this dish if you have a high tolerance for a sour flavor profile. I did try a bite from the other dishes on the table, and they were darn good, particularly the Pan-seared Ribeye, which proved me wrong in thinking that there's no way it was worth paying $36 for steak at a restaurant. The Quail & Waffle was a peculiar dish that plays with sweet and savory, breakfast-like flavors, but it ultimately works and the meat was nice and crispy.
I respect that Forage pushes itself into a creative, non-traditional space rather than spitting out pedestrian fare that caters to the least common denominator. Some dishes worked well, others less so, but it was a solid restaurant experience that paired exceptionally well with some local beer.