In Season

We tried the new restaurant, In Season, the other night.  The concept is unique and well done.  The menu revolves around what is "in season" at that particular time.  The winter inspiration included such items as butternut squash, clementines, grapefruit, root vegetables, monkfish, oxtail, sunchokes (which is another name for Jerusalem artichokes), and sweet potato. 

Due to the popularity of the restaurant, getting a reservation was a bit of a challenge.  We ended up with a late reservation, so we were definitely hungry when we arrived.  We were seated near the front of the restaurant.  I was concerned at first that we would be cold where we were seated.  However, a nice, heavy tapestry blocked the diners from the opening front door.  The restaurant was decorated with artwork on the walls and small votive candles on the tables.  The table was a nice dark wood and the chairs were very comfortable with a soft cushion seat. 

I ordered a glass of Malbec to start.  We were brought a basket of tasty bread from Rustica Bakery.  The butter stole the show with the honey, lemon, sea salt combination.  Nothing super powerful, but just nicely done and paired well with the crispy bread from Rustica. 

I started with a Butternut Squash soup with Manchego Cheese and Pumpkinseed Oil.  The soup was as I expected...excellent!  The Manchego Cheese added a nice smooth melty center.  Mmmm....  The hubby started with a mixed micro greens salad with olive oil, sherry vinegar, and Parmesan.  He enjoyed the salad as well - the micro greens provided a nice peppery taste to the salad.

My main entree was the Amish Chicken Breast with risotto, sunchokes, and mushrooms.  The sunchokes were a nice semi-sweet crunch.  The risotto was not as creamy as I typically like, but then again it did not seem as heavy either.  The chicken was fall of the bone tender.  Unfortunately I did not get a lot of taste from the chicken.  I think it could have used a little salt.  The hubby went with the Spiced Oxtail wit Creamy Polenta, Kale, and Crisp Serrano.  He seemed to really enjoy the combination.  The oxtail was very tender and had a bit of a kick to it. 

We finished off the evening with dessert.  The hubby went with the small cheese plate.  This was served with 4 different types of cheeses.  The servings were very generous and we wondered what the large plate would have been  like.  I chose to go with the Espresso Semi-Freddo Terrine with "Toblerone" Sauce.  It was topped with cocoa nibs that gave a crunch with each bite.  The Toblerone Sauce was a great tasting chocolate sauce - definitely the highlight of the dish.

We both enjoyed the evening and the restaurant.  While the emphasis on using what's in season is admirable and makes sense, it also makes for a rather limited menu.  This might be a restaurant that is good to get to 4 times a year.  Next up...Spring!

Happy Eating!