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| - Another tough one that will require revisiting and re-scoring in a few to several months, if things change. Had a few visits so far, with generally good but mixed results.
THE CONCEPT - 4 Stars
I'm no Weil disciple who drops to their knees and goes all agape for his every utterance. But I think he is the perfect partner for a Fox concept, as long as the fresh, fresh, fresh motto is adhered to over the long term. I like some of the Fox places (okay one, Greene House) and it's the same chef that opened True Food.
My Dad was recently diagnosed with Seliac Disease and seeing more and more restaurants acknowledge that dietary restriction on gluten is important to a growing segment of people is refreshing. The menu makes it easy to distinguish between various dietary regimens and other considerations, in both food and drink. I eat anything, but it sure makes it easier to eat with those who are justifiably (and sometimes unjustifiably) conscious of what they put in their bodies.
Everything from the mixed drinks to the food items seems to be VERY fresh, or at least sourced very well.
THE SPACE - 4 Stars
Simple, modern, open California kitchen appeal. I like how they raised the ceiling of the old Coffee Plantation shithole. The mural wall and the over-sized lamps are fun. Open kitchens are always a little more fun and give you something to talk about if your date is lacking in conversational acumen.
THE EXECUTION (for now) - 3 Stars
Service
They're trying. Things still seem jittery with some of the servers. Have seen a lot of food go to the wrong tables and places. I'm sure they'll work through that. Everyone is friendly, but not necessarily knowledgable about the food. Sure they've memorized the spiel, but these aren't foodie servers. They're young, friendly folks working at a hip spot.
Food
Have tried several things that were tasty and fresh, if not particularly interesting. They just kind of show you that you can eat stuff that is relatively healthy and not have it taste like nothing. A few things so far have shined: the spelt pizzas have a unique, chewy crust and nice toppings. The Kale Salad is unique and delicious. Nice textures. The Shrimp Dumplings are nice, but make you yearn to eat real chinese, or make your own like you like 'em. Steak Tacos are of the Fresh Mex variety but have a great char.
On the downside...
I had the Turkey Bolognese Penne. To me, there is never an excuse for overcooked pasta. If you cook it, and it's overdone, throw it away and cook it again. Check your pasta, it's the heart of the dish. I neglected to order "al dente" because so many places give you that look like "But of course, signore!" And you shouldn't have to ask for pasta to be done that way. That's the only way it should be done, unless you're eating Spaghettios. As for the sauce, it tasted like diced San Marzano's which is great! But if you use the canned San Marzano's omit the little pieces with the unchewable stem base. Cut that part out or pitch the piece. I added shrimp to the dish at the server's suggestions, despite my past history of NOT combining shrimp and turkey. Call me crazy, but that's just not a combo I yearn for. Would have been fine though, except that the shrimp were completely undercooked. I eat shrimp raw, when I intend to, but that clear uncooked shrimp is not the texture you want in a cooked dish. At sashimi/sushi, yes. Pasta, no. Seems to happen a lot though. And no discernible seasoning or flavor to them either.
My wife's salmon was largely flavorless, and very rare. Fine for us as we love raw salmon. But at a certain point, she just would have preferred sashimi and the accompanying soy sauce. I'm sure the amount or rareness would have been a problem for many diners. Especially when combined with almost no salt. On that note, the fresh fish crudo of the day was a nice hamachi with an excellent yuzu/miso (? - that's what it tasted like) sauce.
BOTTOM LINE - 3 Stars for now
I could see this going either way in the future, but if they stay fresh and improve on the execution, it's a no-brainer that they will end up a 4 star. I don't think they'll ever hit 5 stars, just because their commitment to the healthy stuff and a very broad appeal will keep them from really being able to push it from a culinary standpoint.
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