Ahhh....The highly acclaimed recess. Courtney and Josh, some of my most trusted foodies, raved! I went on a whim, knowing my expectations were far too high and ready for a ho-hum experience.
Not so! The dining room is humorously appointed in what can only be called industrial chic meets cheeky cafeteria ("are these chairs from my high school? I really think they might be..."). The host and waitstaff are serious but surprisingly friendly and low-key. I instantly know we are in for a treat! The menu, prix fixe every night, is $54 for tonight's selections. A little steep, but that includes four courses. You can also add a generously-poured wine or beer pairing for $16 or $10, respectively.
We start with a kobe beef, shitake mushroom and barley soup (they are out of the asparagus soup). It was so good I tried to reverse engineer the recipe on my napkin (I'll let you know how my version turns out later). The broth was unctuous but light, and the beef had a perfect texture instead of the typical mushy/mealy beef stew quality. It had the slight bite of red pepper and cut by the surprising freshness of cilantro. Amazing!
Next is a fish course. Scallops are slated for the menu, but they happen to be my one and only food allergy. They gracefully--and without any innuendo of inconvenience--offer a substitution of Chilean sea bass (score!). Wow... This may have been the most delicious piece of fish I have ever eaten (and I love me some fish). Silky, marinated and basted in a light miso broth, served over wilted, dressed spinach.
Third course is beef. Done is a surprisingly tailored (dare I say classic), French-inspired way. Sliced against the grain and fanned over buttery pommes puree and finished with a delightful pan sauce au poivre. Hard to beat.
Dessert- often an after-thought after such a scruptious meal, is no such thing. Coconut-pear sorbet garnished with crunchy, buttery shortbread cookies that created a textural contrast that was satisfying. A delightful, palette-cleansing end to a fantastic meal.
My only point of disappointment was the beer pairing, though I give Recess and Executive Chef Greg Hardesty major kudos for including all microbrews. It was a little rough for me. I realize beer pairing is difficult (and relatively new to the gourmet food scene), but it really didn't enhance my experience. Next time I will opt for the wine (I just couldn't resist seeing how they would use beer). At least in my experience to date, wine still rules the high-end dining experience.
To summarize, Recess blew me away! I give it 4.5/5 for its playfully chic atmosphere, attentive service, and top notch cuisine. It is a splurge (our bill was $150 with tip, but only 1 beer pairing for 2 people) but one well worth your hard-earned money. This will certainly be on my special occasion date list, and I think it should be on yours too. Cheers!
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