masterful. i can be quite the contrarian with my reviews, so you can imagine i relished the opportunity to take this highly-decorated local fixture to task. well...i had the opportunity, but that was not something i could do. it is 100% deserving of its praise.
interior is dark (like so many nouveau bistros), but not at all intrusive or unwelcoming. great service. i cannot say enough about the menu or the food. simple, delicious and gorgeously presented without being over-embellished. the chef has a keen eye for choice ingredients. the fact that i thought i should have paid more for our dinner for 4 further sweetened my opinion.
oh, but i dither from the food--complimentary popovers had a crispy crust and a rich, eggy center fully worthy of new york. the wedge salad i ordered looked popular, as i observed it flying out of the kitchen. for good reason--the pungent, aged blue cheese was the perfect compliment to the smoked bacon and the sweet half-head of iceberg. barely even saw my husband's app; it was gone like that. then the main courses...dear sweet doge. full rack of young st. louis ribs needed little more than a lick to free the meat from their bones. bbq sauce competed with my father's for my all-time favorite. white truffle mac and cheese with ham is a necessary culinary indulgence. grilled asparagus maintained every bit of the integrity of the wood it was flamed over--beautiful. other entrees matched this near-perfection. the ghirardelli brownie was spot-on and could easily satisfy 2-4 people.
two criticisms--a companion remarked the fries were not up to par, and the alcohol selection could be better (especially on the top shelf). this is really scraping, though. if you want what a modern american steak and sea bistro should be, you will want to make reservations immediately.