new restaurant review: 400 highland, davis sq

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

brand-new restaurant in my neighborhood. executive summary: that was GREAT.

. first big hit: basil ginger gimlet. everybody knows about me and infused vodkas, and this was a vodka-infused, overall rather sweet (as well as fresh-leaf-type spicy) drink with ice and a lime slice. mmMMmm.

. appetizer: i had french onion soup, which was hearty and filling, lots and lots of bread and cheese as well as the onions and the broth (a good version imho; i hate the sort with a stupid crouton or so), but each ingredient having a strength to properly complement the overall proportions. my companion had a spinach salad with hazelnuts; i don't think i'd have liked that quite as much in front of me but as something to steal bites of, yum, hazelnuts.

. main course; i ordered the duck confit (secretly an appetizer) with a side of garlic spinach. the duck was salty if eaten alone; on a fork with the fresh greens it was just right, and very flavorful. the garlic spinach imho was fine spinach, but the garlic wasn't as present as maybe it should have been to stand up to spinach. that was my biggest (and only, really) culinary minor complaint of the evening. my companion had the "petit filet" (not petit, there were leftovers) and the "medium rare" was, if not the bloodiest, still rare enough that i took as many bites as i could. the accompanying chanterelles did that lovely mushroom plenty of justice, and the gnocchi were tender and savory. very much wow. (EDIT: and there was a glass of wine in there somewhere, of which i had a mere sip; it was white and hearty and i don't remember anything else about it (no, i wasn't *that* sloshed; it was my companion's drink :) )

. second big hit: they were out of the fruit for making a "forbidden fruit" cocktail, so brought me something else to try (possibly called a "strawberry tartini"?) this was amazing. i dipped the strawberry garnish into the drink and fed it to my companion, and she swooned, and it was beautiful.

. dessert: cappucino with enough foam and no burnt taste to the espresso -- it doesn't get better than that, and it hardly ever gets remotely that good anywhere on this coast at all. and the 'budino' (?) was a sort of chocolate souffle, hot and melty in the middle, topped with a creamy coffee ice cream and more crunchy hazelnuts. a total win.

. service: gave good advice, was present at correct moments, asked if everything was perfect and i could honestly say it was. can't beat that. the manager stopped by with similar questions -- they've opened w/o publicity, i guess so that they could get feedback and word-of-mouth out first. i can only sing their praises. they're wonderful. if anybody wants to take me out to a fancy, decadent, high-end spendy meal anytime soon, i'm there :)

(x-posted: my journal, davis_square, boston_eats)

Comments

Re: 400 Higland is an amazing contribution to Davis

[azores.livejournal.com]

Really? I don't know. Are these the same owners (some connection to Joshua Tree owners) who started the disappointing "Sauce"? I thought that was the case and if so, I'm still leery. Because new restaurant options around here are rare, I do invest an inordinate amount of hope and optimism in each new place and it's crushing when they don't perform (like Sauce). So forgive me if I'm wary- guess I should try it myself. Gargoyle's rocks, though.

Re: 400 Higland is an amazing contribution to Davis

[beca42781.livejournal.com]

Yes, I believe it is the same owners as the Joshua Tree, and they did open Sauce as well. They own a bunch of restaurants in Boston. I think Sauce went down the tubes due to bad management and staff- but the new place, 400 Highland apparently has all new staff and management. I've had nothing but great food and service when I've been into 400 highland- I hope they can stay consistent with it. Try it out. Yummy Salmon.