Restaurant Week – a.k.a. two weeks of expensive food made accessible to general populace - can really be a hit or miss thing. Only a handful of the participating restaurants are truly worth dining at during this biannual event, and some of these don’t put their signature dishes on their Restaurant Week menu. Still, it’s one of my favorite events in the city, because sometimes, (pending a few informed choices about where to dine and what to order), you can actually get a high quality three course meal at a very affordable price.
Unfortunately, this was not the case for our experience at One if By Land, Two if By Sea (OIBLTIBS) (17 Barrow St.).
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The interior of OIBLTIBS. (From wheretodineonline.com.)
Se̱or Habanero and I had dinner there with two of our friends, and upon entering the converted carriage house that comprises the restaurant, we were immediately taken in by the warm, glowing ambiance. Melodies wafted softly through the dining room from a baby grand by the entrance, while multiple fireplaces, original brick walls dating back to the 18th century, and paintings appearing to be from the same period Рall bathed in lush candlelight Рmade it easy to see why this place has long held a reputation as a romantic dining destination.
Our evening got off to a slightly rocky start with our server. We were not aware that we had to select our dessert with our appetizer and entrée, and this error was communicated to us in an openly haughty manner. That, and a few other not-so-subtle subtleties, sent the message that either Restaurant Week diners were not welcome at OIBLTIBS, or perhaps all patrons were subject to this supercilious treatment. (Or, maybe this particular server was just having a bad day, and took it out on us.)
My meal began with the diver sea scallop carpaccio. Smooth slices of fresh scallops were laced with chipotle oil, dotted with basil puree, and finished with a sprinkle of diced mango and a spoonful of basil seeds. Pristine, balanced flavors made this appetizer a standout. (If only we could have said the same thing about the courses to follow.)
The Señor chose to start with the sautéed rock shrimp, which came on a bed of linguini, snap peas, and mint – a seemingly standard execution that, sadly, didn’t make much of am impression. Even though the Señor didn’t care for the mint, I think the overall dish would have made even less of an impression without that hint of coolness.
My main course, the tamarind laquered pork filet, was a total disappointment. Though a handful of buttery toasted cashews rounded out the sweet and sour of the plum chutney and the (barely noticeable) tamarind, the pork itself was flat and tasteless. Neither the tatsoi leaves nor the chutney could revive the dry slices on my plate.
It is worth noting that the Señor ordered the same entrée, but his was noticeably juicier than mine.
Our friends chose better in ordering the grilled bavette steak, which the Señor and I felt we couldn’t order (for reasons mentioned here and here). This was another take on the classic steak and potatoes, as the bavette steak (French for skirt steak) was paired with a potato chip “salad” (let’s use the term loosely) atop a mound of spring onion kim chee. The beef was rich with flavor, and the Korean-style fermentation a neat twist on the spring onions.
Dessert brought things back up a notch for the Señor and me, but still wasn’t anything to write home about. My sloppily presented bittersweet chocolate fondant came with a coconut mousse that really was more of a foam. Plus, after having baked molten chocolate cakes at home before, I wasn’t as wowed by this dessert as I might have been otherwise. (The Señor said he liked mine better, but I think that’s because he’s partial to desserts with a higher sugar content.)
Despite his penchant for chocolate, the Señor ended his meal with the watermelon salad, tossed julienned mint leaves and topped with a scoop of red sangria sorbet. It was a light and refreshing finish, but once again, the Señor still didn’t enjoy it fully because of the mint – and, once again, I was of the opinion that the mint brightened things up nicely. (Note to self: strongly discourage the Habanero from ordering anything with mint, unless chocolate is also involved.)
The verdict: dreamy atmosphere + snooty service + unremarkable food + high price = we won’t be going here again.
Tags: dessert, fondant, pork, scallops, shrimp, steak, watermelon