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| - Legume: Taking the Industry Out of Food
So, here's a lil' secret for you. I avoided dining at Legume for quite some time. Why? It's simple really. You see I am a carnivore at heart and the namesake of this eatery led me astray. Silly little me assumed that a place named Legume (defined as the fruit or seed of plants...think beans for example) was a sole provider of vegetarian delights. After stumbling upon their website, I realized I was wr...wr...wrong. It turns out that Legume does plate up some tasty greens, but it's also one of the best places in the 'Burgh to savor just about anything.
Legume is an upscale restaurant in the Oakland area that sources as many of its ingredients from local farms and artisans as possible. Once those items are procured, the magic begins in their spacious kitchen. Executive chef, Trevett Hooper, and his team take pride in preparing each dish by hand. These folks are no strangers to butchering whole animals fresh from the farm or rolling out fresh pasta. It's commonplace to witness the grinding of grains to make polenta or to see all hands on deck when pitting bushels of sour cherries. You can literally taste the time and the love that goes into every thoughtfully prepared dish.
On our latest visit to Legume, my in-laws (visiting from NY) were willing participants in trying one of my favorite dining spots. As they perused the menu, they asked if we'd ever tried this (Blue Fish with Carolina Gold Rice and Chive Butter), that (Short Rib Ravioli), or the other thing (Lamb and Mashed Pototes). The answer each time was, "Nope." That's one the qualities I admire most about Legume. The menu constantly changes because Chef Trevett only uses what's fresh and in-season. So if you're the kind of person who orders the same dish each time you eat at a particular restaurant, you might be saddened by Legume...but only for a moment. Your frown will be turned upside-down because the daily menu (released each day by 5pm) is so masterfully constructed that you won't be disappointed in trying the latest masterpieces. (Okay, okay, one time I was looking pitiful because the Cherry Pie for Two they had earlier that week was all gone.)
To read my full review, including photos, please go to: http://fork2mouth.blogspot.com/2013/07/legume-taking-industry-out-of-food.html
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