St. Genevieve - February 1, 2016
Whenever an established local chef announces they’re going to open up a new restaurant a susurration begins among diners in town. What will it be? Will it be anything like their current restaurant(s)? Where will they find staff? Will it live up to the hype?
Sometimes it’s a surprise birth announcement, when things are already moving along behind the scenes, and it just opens. Others take longer to gestate, waiting until the time is right, or suffering the pitfalls of going into a space with really old, brittle bones. There’s common knowledge in town that most restaurant dates are terribly optimistic, being from another industry where that’s common, I fully understand.
Aware of the respect that a lot of chefs in town have for Chef Steven Brown, I figured there had to be more to it than the little hors d’oeuvres I’d sampled at a few charitable functions. I’d still not been to Tilia, so this was my first chance to try and figure it out for myself.
*Disclaimer: The menu has changed with the seasons, this is just a recollection.
Croquette de Brandade with Sauce Gribiche - An imaginative, and tasty, usage of brandade. The combination of fish and potato fried, then served with the mayo-like gribiche made me think of the better fish and chips I’ve had. The sour note of the caper berry did an excellent stand-in for the vinegar note.
Tete de Cochon; Crispy Pig’s Head, Fig Moutarde, and Pickled Cabbage - If there’s pig head on the menu, I’m probably going to order it. This one had a bit more chew than I prefer, but the flavors were all on point. The fruit mustard complemented the pickled cabbage very well. I’ll probably give this another try next winter.
Navarin d'Agneau; Lamb Roulade, Lamb Jus, Turnips, Carrots, and Charred Pearl Onions - I’m a sucker for a good lamb dish, and this was a good one, nice ratio of meat to veg. Interior of the roulade was a good mince, exterior was belly I believe. Nice combination of textures and flavors.
Brown Sugar Date Cake with Cheesecake Ice Cream, Curry-Spiced Caramel, Pepita Brittle, and Candied Carrots - Moist, dense, good textures and flavors. Very enjoyable.
Vietnamese Coffee Panna Cotta with Sweetened Condensed Milk Ice Cream, Pretzel Crunch, and Cacao/Coffee Brittle - Solid. Very evocative of its namesake. If you see this on the menu, order it.
I have a lot more to write about St. Genevieve, but I’ll save it for other times I’ve dined there. One thing I will say is that I really enjoy that they offer still and sparkling water complimentary. Not a huge deal, but for someone that enjoys the effervescence, greatly appreciated. Another thing is that they have a pastry chef. I’ve said it before, if they have a dedicated pastry chef, always save room for dessert, St. Genevieve is definitely no exception.