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| - Last night was my third visit to Altius--I had been previously for Restaurant Week and a fantastic brunch (which is unfortunately no longer available). The prices are high, which are substantiated by the excellent view, capable staff, and several surprise inclusions. We started off with house-seasoned popcorn (flavor of the day was bacon horseradish), and then were offered some breads and spreads. We had ordered the charcuterie platter to split among the 5 of us, but probably could have skipped it given that we were also treated to a delicious artichoke amuse bouche. The sundried tomato pesto accompanying the breads was phenomenal, and the herb focaccia was quite tasty.
The charcuterie platter was nice, but not standout. The pork chop, which is apparently a specialty of the house, was wonderfully tender and flavorful...and I don't like pork chops. Unfortunately for me, that was my husband's order, and I got the duck. While the skin was nicely crisp, the duck was medium well, and served with a very sweet orange sauce. The "dirty rice" accompanying it cut through some of the sweetness with its porky flavor, but I was giving the husband puppy dog eyes for more of his dish. Those who ordered seafood seemed pleased with their dishes; the sea bass in particular was cooked beautifully.
I've really enjoyed the desserts I've had previously at Altius, but we were too stuffed to indulge (the amuse bouche and bread courses were not featured on the RW menu). One nice feature about Altius is their "horseshoe" tables that can seat larger groups (5-8 people) without isolating anyone. Bottom line--a great place to go to impress a date or a group of out-of-towners, but a bit too spendy to be a regular haunt.
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