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| - I finished my 2013 Winter Restaurant Week at Willow, and I have to say, it was a surprisingly wonderful capstone. Not that I expected it to be bad or anything, but I ate a lot of great food that set the bar quite high all through the week. That Willow managed to top that bar is really saying something.
Willow is definitely a place you dress up to go -- it's elegant, with light that's low but does not challenge the eyes, and sturdy, dark hardwood floors.
I warmed up with a tasty gin drink called "Heaven's Punch" -- followed shortly thereafter by another. I wanted to try other drinks, because there were about half a dozen that spoke to me, but the Heaven's Punch was just so tasty that I decided to keep things consistent.
My first course was a delicious Kobe Beef tartar on crispy wonton wrappers with a miso vinaigrette and avocado puree. It was a fantastic blend of textures and flavors that totally satisfied.
I followed this up with shrimp drizzled in a miso caramel, with grilled scallions and a chilled noodle salad. Originally, this was going to come with braised pork belly instead of shrimp, but I think the shrimp actually works better with the drizzle they provided. The sweet-and-salty miso caramel might have been too much with the fatty richness of a pork belly, but with shrimp it was a great compliment.
For my entree, I had a thick sirloin steak, grilled to a perfect medium-rare. It was paired with wild rice and okra, as well as a lobster sauce with meaty succulent chunks of lobster tail in it.
Every course was served with perfect timing; our server did a great job being nearby, but still out of the way -- and he never did the "I'm going to check in just as you've taken a big sloppy bite of something" trick, which I'll admit, in my earlier life as a waiter, I performed with glee.
We wrapped up with coffee and dessert -- also excellent. My dessert was called "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie," the highlight of which was a pumpkin pie mousse with Kahlua-infused whipped cream and candied pumpkin seeds.
Yes, Willow is a bit pricey, but it would be a terrific place for a special occasion or "date night." I enjoyed every minute of my time there.
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