Mother's Day dinner
May. 15th, 2006 01:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
djonnMore than usually interesting Mother's Day dinner this year; for special-occasion dinners, I sometimes pick places we haven't been that look capital-I Interesting (within the limits of my parents' culinary tastes). This time I chose a relatively new establishment in Portland's Western suburbs, Dessert Noir. It was in many respects an excellent meal, but I find myself more than usually conflicted about the experience.
Ten points off: The Web site mentions/mentioned special dishes featured for Mother's Day, but neither it nor the person who took my telephoned dinner reservation made clear that they were running a limited prix fixe menu (five course meal including soup, salad, appetizer, one of two main courses, one of three desserts, non-alcoholic beverages). This was somewhat pricier than I'd anticipated, as we rarely order appetizers (or both soup and salad courses, for that matter).
Five points on: The server, on being asked, indicated that we were welcome to order off the regular menu as well ("since it's early and we're not busy yet"), although she noted that the kitchen was out of several ingredients (spinach, mozzarella) used in multiple dishes. I noted that she gave that choice to a party seated at the next table as well. As it turned out, we all opted for the prix fixe dinner after all -- the choices looked tasty, and the overall price was actually very reasonable compared to an equivalent choice from the regular menu.
Soup course: Creamy tomato with fresh spinach [yes, she'd said they were out; I assume what they had was being reserved for the special-menu dishes], basil, and fresh parmesan. Mother declined this (an ingredient issue). Now, I am not normally much on tomato soup. This, however, was excellent -- essentially, a tomato bisque, with spinach and fresh diced tomato added and cooked just through, with parmesan and basil sprinkled over the top. Twenty points for preparation, two points off for the bisque being just slightly too hot, two points off for the omission of soup spoons. Very, very good.
Salad course: fresh pear, mixed fresh greens, and bleu cheese, with bleu cheese dressing (also available on the regular menu). Mother asked for and received her dressing on the side; Father's and mine came with dressing added per usual. This was a strong presentation -- large triangular plate, a thin pear slice at each corner. As with the soup, this isn't something I'd ordinarily order -- but the blend of flavors and ingredients was very tasty and the salad was not over-dressed. Some of the diced pears in the salad proper were very slightly under-ripe, but overall very good indeed. Eighteen points (out of twenty) for preparation and presentation; two points deducted for just missing on the pears.
Appetizer course: grilled jumbo shrimp with a chocolate rub/glaze, first of the specialty-chocolate dishes offered on the prix fixe menu. I like grilled shrimp, and these were technically well-prepared -- just done, warm but not too hot, and attractively presented (we each got three shrimp on an individual plate on a bed of spinach leaves, sprinkled with tiny chocolate shavings and an orange-slice garnish). The shrimp per se were excellent, but I wasn't personally fond of the chocolate/shrimp flavor blend -- a little too sweet/sharp, I thought. I give this one thirteen points -- well prepared, but I don't think the recipe quite balances its flavor elements effectively. (To be fair, Father liked these better than I did; Mother didn't comment one way or the other.)
Main course, part one: Mother had chicken breast glazed with a blend of orange marmalade and one of the specialty cocoa/chocolate rubs; the server presented us with sample packets of each of three different rubs in the line being featured. I didn't taste it, but she counted it very well prepared and flavorful, perhaps a little spicier than she'd expected but not too sweet. The portion was large enough that she didn't finish, and asked for and got a box for the leftovers.
Father and I chose beef tenderloin grilled with a peppercorn/cocoa rub; I ordered medium well while he asked for well-done. The meat was clearly a high-quality cut -- tender, flavorful, and rich -- and the peppercorn/cocoa rub provided a very good balance of flavor accents, but both portions arrived at essentially "medium". This didn't bother me at all; I actually like my steaks/etc. just about anywhere in the medium/medium well range, and I tend to order "medium well" in restaurants on the theory that I'm likely to get at least "medium". (I also find that my tolerance for pink goes up in direct proportion to the quality of the beef, and this was an excellent cut.) Father is pickier -- he really does prefer his meat well done; if he orders prime rib somewhere, he asks for end cuts when he can get them. He is also, however, perfectly willing to suffer in silence, didn't draw the server's attention to the matter until we'd been eating for some time, and declined the server's offer to take the entree back for adjustment. (She readily acknowledged that "wow, that really IS pink").
Both entrees came with roasted spiced potato wedges, cooked exactly to the right degree of tender/firmness. Mother and I thought they were a bit too peppery, however.
Entree scoring: Chicken: 20 points for preparation/presentation. Beef: 20 of 20 for concept and presentation, less four points off mine and ten points off Father's for undercooking. Add five points back to Father's (since it's not entirely fair to blame the kitchen for a problem you don't mention and don't let them fix). Two points off all three entrees for the overspiced potatoes. Adding and averaging, net score ends up at 15 of 20.
Dessert: This is slightly complicated, as none of us tasted each other's dessserts, though between us we each took one of the three choices offered. Mother had strawberry-lemon poppy seed cake, Father had orange cheesecake, and I chose coffee cake. Mother's cake looked more like a wedge from a flat tart, but she pronounced it excellent; Father reported that his cheesecake -- a small round individual cake rather than a wedge -- was very good as well. Given that fancy desserts are the restaurant's signature offering, I was a bit surprised at the coffee cake. It was, in fact, exactly that: two squares of a very straightforward coffee cake accompanied by vanilla ice cream (the latter in a small ramekin on the dessert plate). It did have a fine thread of chocolate swirled through the cake, and cocoa or powdered chocolate in the dusted-on sugar topping, and was certainly a very well made cake (neither too heavy nor too sweet), but nonetheless a surprise on the otherwise ambitious menu. Scoring? I'm going to grant 17 of 20 points, mostly because the server had to be reminded to supply fresh forks for the desserts.
Additional food note: Mother had tea with her dessert, which proved more than usually interesting -- the server brought out a carved wood "tea box" with about a dozen blends of loose-leaf tea for her to choose from, as well as a special offering of a chocolate-mint blend. Mother dithered briefly but picked the chocolate mint, and pronounced herself pleasantly surprised. The tea was served in an individual teapot filled with piping hot water out of the espresso steamer.
Now I said above that I'm conflicted about the meal, and here's why. The food, barring the marked misstep with the tenderloins, was really quite good -- and fairly ambitious into the bargain. They're using high quality ingredients and have gone in for sophisticated presentations (remember the triangular plate for the salad, the ramekin for the ice cream). But the service, despite being well-intentioned, friendly, and motivated to please, was decidedly unpolished. In particular, pacing was slightly rushed, with several courses appearing before we were finished with the preceding item, and details -- especially the missing soup spoons and the forgotten forks -- tended to be handled carelessly. The prix fixe menu was not well or clearly promoted. And being out of multiple key ingredients seems odd, even given the evening's limited menu.
I really wanted to like Dessert Noir; there are not enough places with its degree of culinary ambition out here in Portland's western suburbs, and the chef is clearly a solid hand in the kitchen. But the service issues, particularly at its price point, are awfully troubling, and leave me wondering about the business's financial stability for the long haul (if memory serves, it's been open for right around a year now).
Ten points off: The Web site mentions/mentioned special dishes featured for Mother's Day, but neither it nor the person who took my telephoned dinner reservation made clear that they were running a limited prix fixe menu (five course meal including soup, salad, appetizer, one of two main courses, one of three desserts, non-alcoholic beverages). This was somewhat pricier than I'd anticipated, as we rarely order appetizers (or both soup and salad courses, for that matter).
Five points on: The server, on being asked, indicated that we were welcome to order off the regular menu as well ("since it's early and we're not busy yet"), although she noted that the kitchen was out of several ingredients (spinach, mozzarella) used in multiple dishes. I noted that she gave that choice to a party seated at the next table as well. As it turned out, we all opted for the prix fixe dinner after all -- the choices looked tasty, and the overall price was actually very reasonable compared to an equivalent choice from the regular menu.
Soup course: Creamy tomato with fresh spinach [yes, she'd said they were out; I assume what they had was being reserved for the special-menu dishes], basil, and fresh parmesan. Mother declined this (an ingredient issue). Now, I am not normally much on tomato soup. This, however, was excellent -- essentially, a tomato bisque, with spinach and fresh diced tomato added and cooked just through, with parmesan and basil sprinkled over the top. Twenty points for preparation, two points off for the bisque being just slightly too hot, two points off for the omission of soup spoons. Very, very good.
Salad course: fresh pear, mixed fresh greens, and bleu cheese, with bleu cheese dressing (also available on the regular menu). Mother asked for and received her dressing on the side; Father's and mine came with dressing added per usual. This was a strong presentation -- large triangular plate, a thin pear slice at each corner. As with the soup, this isn't something I'd ordinarily order -- but the blend of flavors and ingredients was very tasty and the salad was not over-dressed. Some of the diced pears in the salad proper were very slightly under-ripe, but overall very good indeed. Eighteen points (out of twenty) for preparation and presentation; two points deducted for just missing on the pears.
Appetizer course: grilled jumbo shrimp with a chocolate rub/glaze, first of the specialty-chocolate dishes offered on the prix fixe menu. I like grilled shrimp, and these were technically well-prepared -- just done, warm but not too hot, and attractively presented (we each got three shrimp on an individual plate on a bed of spinach leaves, sprinkled with tiny chocolate shavings and an orange-slice garnish). The shrimp per se were excellent, but I wasn't personally fond of the chocolate/shrimp flavor blend -- a little too sweet/sharp, I thought. I give this one thirteen points -- well prepared, but I don't think the recipe quite balances its flavor elements effectively. (To be fair, Father liked these better than I did; Mother didn't comment one way or the other.)
Main course, part one: Mother had chicken breast glazed with a blend of orange marmalade and one of the specialty cocoa/chocolate rubs; the server presented us with sample packets of each of three different rubs in the line being featured. I didn't taste it, but she counted it very well prepared and flavorful, perhaps a little spicier than she'd expected but not too sweet. The portion was large enough that she didn't finish, and asked for and got a box for the leftovers.
Father and I chose beef tenderloin grilled with a peppercorn/cocoa rub; I ordered medium well while he asked for well-done. The meat was clearly a high-quality cut -- tender, flavorful, and rich -- and the peppercorn/cocoa rub provided a very good balance of flavor accents, but both portions arrived at essentially "medium". This didn't bother me at all; I actually like my steaks/etc. just about anywhere in the medium/medium well range, and I tend to order "medium well" in restaurants on the theory that I'm likely to get at least "medium". (I also find that my tolerance for pink goes up in direct proportion to the quality of the beef, and this was an excellent cut.) Father is pickier -- he really does prefer his meat well done; if he orders prime rib somewhere, he asks for end cuts when he can get them. He is also, however, perfectly willing to suffer in silence, didn't draw the server's attention to the matter until we'd been eating for some time, and declined the server's offer to take the entree back for adjustment. (She readily acknowledged that "wow, that really IS pink").
Both entrees came with roasted spiced potato wedges, cooked exactly to the right degree of tender/firmness. Mother and I thought they were a bit too peppery, however.
Entree scoring: Chicken: 20 points for preparation/presentation. Beef: 20 of 20 for concept and presentation, less four points off mine and ten points off Father's for undercooking. Add five points back to Father's (since it's not entirely fair to blame the kitchen for a problem you don't mention and don't let them fix). Two points off all three entrees for the overspiced potatoes. Adding and averaging, net score ends up at 15 of 20.
Dessert: This is slightly complicated, as none of us tasted each other's dessserts, though between us we each took one of the three choices offered. Mother had strawberry-lemon poppy seed cake, Father had orange cheesecake, and I chose coffee cake. Mother's cake looked more like a wedge from a flat tart, but she pronounced it excellent; Father reported that his cheesecake -- a small round individual cake rather than a wedge -- was very good as well. Given that fancy desserts are the restaurant's signature offering, I was a bit surprised at the coffee cake. It was, in fact, exactly that: two squares of a very straightforward coffee cake accompanied by vanilla ice cream (the latter in a small ramekin on the dessert plate). It did have a fine thread of chocolate swirled through the cake, and cocoa or powdered chocolate in the dusted-on sugar topping, and was certainly a very well made cake (neither too heavy nor too sweet), but nonetheless a surprise on the otherwise ambitious menu. Scoring? I'm going to grant 17 of 20 points, mostly because the server had to be reminded to supply fresh forks for the desserts.
Additional food note: Mother had tea with her dessert, which proved more than usually interesting -- the server brought out a carved wood "tea box" with about a dozen blends of loose-leaf tea for her to choose from, as well as a special offering of a chocolate-mint blend. Mother dithered briefly but picked the chocolate mint, and pronounced herself pleasantly surprised. The tea was served in an individual teapot filled with piping hot water out of the espresso steamer.
Now I said above that I'm conflicted about the meal, and here's why. The food, barring the marked misstep with the tenderloins, was really quite good -- and fairly ambitious into the bargain. They're using high quality ingredients and have gone in for sophisticated presentations (remember the triangular plate for the salad, the ramekin for the ice cream). But the service, despite being well-intentioned, friendly, and motivated to please, was decidedly unpolished. In particular, pacing was slightly rushed, with several courses appearing before we were finished with the preceding item, and details -- especially the missing soup spoons and the forgotten forks -- tended to be handled carelessly. The prix fixe menu was not well or clearly promoted. And being out of multiple key ingredients seems odd, even given the evening's limited menu.
I really wanted to like Dessert Noir; there are not enough places with its degree of culinary ambition out here in Portland's western suburbs, and the chef is clearly a solid hand in the kitchen. But the service issues, particularly at its price point, are awfully troubling, and leave me wondering about the business's financial stability for the long haul (if memory serves, it's been open for right around a year now).
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-15 08:46 am (UTC)Weird that the desserts seem so commonplace. I'd have expected something that was snazzier, somehow. Still, it sounds like they're trying hard and might be a good place to explore. You've certainly got me interested!
Thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-15 09:57 am (UTC)Also, about the steaks: I have to say, being married to a chef and knowing a few, that many chefs are borderline horrified when a patron orders steak anywhere more done than medium-rare. So, many chefs will be hesitant -- consciously or subconsciously -- about cooking a steak to well done or even to medium. Those who do it consciously think of it as training the untrained palate to like a steak the way it should be cooked. Subconsciously, well, pretty much the same reason, though in this particular case, it could have also been due to point #1: an overbooked restaurant.
Lastly: a restaurant not being explicit about a prix fixe menu? That's just tacky and wrong.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-15 10:26 am (UTC)And the point about the steaks is well-taken (as Father will point out, it's a lot easier for a chef to cook a steak a little longer if it's tagged as underdone than to uncook it if it's not pink enough).
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-15 01:41 pm (UTC)But you're right. There aren't many areas in Portland where you can find truly good food with truly good service.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-15 08:28 pm (UTC)I would like to eat all of that food. Right now.
Service
Date: 2006-05-15 09:29 pm (UTC)I'm shocked
Date: 2006-05-16 02:07 pm (UTC)Highly skeptical
Date: 2006-05-16 02:51 pm (UTC)From the sounds of your review, most of the issues you had with the food were matters of personal taste and not of poor preparation. You yourself stated that the presentation was creative and attractive. I agree with your statement that the staff is "well-intentioned, friendly, and motivated to please"; the polish comes with time and practice. It sounds to me like your overall experience was a positive one - you are just choosing to focus on the less positive aspects.