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| - Went there this past Friday. At this point they've been open about three weeks. The renovation is pretty phenomenal, it's a gorgeous space with huge windows looking out onto North Avenue and the park across the street.
We didn't have a reservation, but the staff took it in stride and put us in the soft seating area for cocktails for what turned out to be a very short wait for a table (less than 5minutes). You could tell by the staff's behavior that they're feeling their way, but everyone we came into contact with was friendly and accommodating, and seemed to know their shit. No one was frantic as they moved tables around to accommodate groups of various sizes, etc.
We started with the marinated olives and the peppadews, which were stuffed with mozzarella and wrapped in speck. I was expecting them to be a cold hors d'oeuvre but they were served hot, and they were delicious.
Instead of the bigger plates, we next opted for the shared tapas-style plates: terrine, artichokes, greens and octopus. The terrine was a very fine pâté indeed. The artichoke hearts were lightly dredged and fried and served with a nice romesco. We were both expecting the greens to be cooked, for some reason (like, we didn't read the description!) but it turned out to be a salad of greens with shaved fennel and a little red onion and a perfect dill vinaigrette. The octopus was one nice-size tentacle char grilled, on a bed of white bean purée. I can take or leave octopus, but this was cooked just right, not chewy at all, but moist and meaty, combining well with the purée.
Next we went for the mixed cured meats to go with our cheese course. Each of the five cheeses we chose was served with an accompaniment. There was only one we thought mismatched: a soft ripened cheese with a tomato jam side. Both were delicious, but to us, the jam was too powerful for the funky cheese. Other pairings were a bleu d'Auvergne with chunks of brown sugar fudge. We were reticent, but it was actually quite a nice combo.
Prices did seem a little high for the alcohol--$8 for a draft... but otherwise, for a non-gratuity establishment, the prices for the food seemed appropriate.
The North Side needs places like Casellula. I hope they succeed and bring in other businesses, of all price points, to the area. They should definitely expand to offering lunch and brunch! The space is beautiful, sophisticated and not overly pretentious. The staff were friendly and attentive, almost to a fault. We will be back!
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