| rev:text
| - Superior Motors is obviously an awesome addition to the Mon valley. And, considering the lack of options in the area, those of us who live or work in the region have been awaiting this newcomer for a while. So, in that context I have nothing critical to say of the venture and wish them the best of successes.
However, my review of the food must proceed as unbiased and frank as possible.
First off, the ambiance and decor made for a very inviting scene from the outside in the evenings. And upon entering, the energy and liveliness of the open kitchen contributed to an enticing atmosphere.
The front of the house was friendly and professional, if not a bit "chilly" in their reception. This contrasted with the warmth of the decor and open fire behind the bar that serves as the grill station for the kitchen.
We began with drinks at the bar which were expertly prepared, and which the bar staff were happy to describe as well as forthcoming in their recommendations. I always enjoy a bartender who's willing to guide a decision.
Once our table was ready we were brought into the side dining room which, because of the hard brick walls, was quite loud and lacked the warmth of the open dining area. Nonetheless, it had energy and was not completely cut off from the vibe of the rest of the joint.
Our server was professional, but was not patient enough for us to discuss the menu options with her and just suggested that she come back after we had decided. In a restaurant of this caliber I expect a bit more from a server. The chilly reception by the front of the house and our server's engagement seemed to at least be internally consistent, although probably not what they're going for.
We each had an appetizer and an entree along with a dessert we shared. We chose the octopus, and the foie for our appetizers. For our entrees, we chose the lamb and the beef.
While the grilled octopus itself was excellent, the dish as a whole lacked a coherent idea. Individual elements were well executed, but the dish failed to communicate a clear direction to me. It had some unique elements (huitlacoche, for example) but gave the impression that it was simultaneously reaching out for something new, while at the same time holding back. This curious contrast was also evident in the bright bold acidic flavors coming up against the more traditionally rich ingredients in the dishes. This is probably intentional, but perhaps I just didn't get it to fully enjoy it.
The common thread of slightly dissonant culinary "notes" was reflected in each of the remaining dishes, except the dessert, surprising because desserts often are the least imaginative components of a restaurant's vision.
The other appetizer, the foie terrine was the least effective of the 5 dishes we tried. While the foie was succulent and buttery, it was entirely overwhelmed by the cherries and chocolate crumble underneath. This would actually have been an excellent dessert. It was sweet enough for it, and the foie could just as well have been a butter cream.
Our entrees fared better than the apps. The beef dish was quite excellent, it was executed perfectly and the mushroom and kale, and goat cheese sides were perfect. This dish was the best of them all and my guess is, it's representative of what the rest of the menu is going for.
The lamb entree was good as well, with the protein excellently prepared. Again, we had curious dissonant acid notes laid up against traditionally rich items. In theory this should work, all dishes, especially rich ones, need acid, but for some reason the individual components just never meshed for me.
Finally, we finished with the dessert. It was a pavlova, meringue over custard, and finally the sour notes that had been attempting to make it to the forefront of the previous dishes without distracting from the main profile were able to shine. The meringue was beautifully plated and had a subtle chewy texture to it that made it quite enjoyable.
Overall, this was a very strong four star effort, and we're looking forward to coming back. Hopefully by then the service will have risen to the level of what's expected at a place like this. And, hopefully the dishes and the menu will have gelled into a coherent vision. After such a long and arduous road in making this place actually come to fruition, I have no doubt that these final kinks will be overcome as well. And for that, we and the Mon valley can be grateful to see what's in store for us!
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)