For many months now, we have been receiving emails with questions regarding the new (relatively) restaurant – Isabella’s Estiatorio. So, on another of those hot, sultry summer nights when cooking one’s own meal just seemed to be a major pain in the back end, I decided that it was time to pay the place a visit. I had heard only three things regarding Isabella’s: it was noisy, pricey… and that the food was excellent. And if I summed it all up with that, there would be no need for a review, would there?
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Perfect Way to Start a Really Great Evening
I knew that Isabella’s was a Mediterranean style restaurant with a strong Greek accent – but that’s about it. Since I had heard few reviews from others, I also knew that I could enter the place with no pre-conceived notions or expectations. We had made a reservation for 7:00, but decided to go a bit early and have a drink at the bar. We had a seat at the small, curved granite (or was it Corian?) bar and both decided on Grey Goose: Lauren’s up, and mine on the rocks (but you already knew that, didn’t you?), both with twists. It was a perfect way to start what turned out to be a really great evening.
We were seated at one of only two deuces (tables for two) that I could see. But when I asked if it would be possible to switch to another, larger table, both our waitress and hostess quickly – and without so much as a negative vibe – obliged and moved us. The interior of the restaurant was decorated in an austere, Mediterranean style, and the tables were adorned with white table cloths, polished silver, spotless wine glasses and a simple white candle. Water goblets were filled with ice water and a basket of bread was delivered, along with a small dish filled with a variety of olives.
Temptation Difficult to Ignore
The menu had numerous mouth-watering selections. The Appetizer section started with a quartet of spreads served with home-made pita, followed by Foie Gras, Steamed Mussels, Grilled Shrimp, Grilled Octopus, Bacon Wrapped Black Mission Fig, Cured King Salmon, Moroccan Spiced Duck and a selection of European and Domestic Cheeses. The Entrees consisted of items that might otherwise be found on numerous other menus… the difference being in the way the dishes were prepared.
Accompaniments/descriptions such as “tarragon grits”, “Lebanese yogurt béchamel”, “sun dried tomato mashed potatoes”, “goat cheese gratin”, and “fennel marmalade” were but a few of the tantalizing tidbits that could entice one to try almost any of the entrées. The list of wines to wash down the feast was as extensive as any I have seen – I counted 122 – and included bottles ranging from $29 – $100. There were only seven desserts on the dessert menu, but they all had the “com’ on and give me try” allure to them. And at $7 a pop, it was a temptation difficult to ignore.
Lauren and I selected the Grilled Gulf Shrimp ($10 – chorizo rice beans, Kalamata olives, fennel pollen; oregano pesto) and the Confit of Moroccan Spiced Duck ($10 – roasted peaches, shaved fennel and kumquat dressing) as appetizers. For dinner, Lauren chose the Roasted King Salmon ($22 – fingerling potatoes, baby summer vegetables, chive sour cream; leek oil) and accompanied by a very fine glass of Barnard Griffin Merlot, and I selected the Olive Brined Pork Fillet ($20 – sweet potato gratin, yellow wax and green beans; pear and ginger chutney). For dessert – and we were already full, but remember the “com’ on and give me a try” allure mentioned – we chose the Attikki Honey Semifreddo (pistachio crust, raspberry-rhubarb compote and fresh berries).
Cooked to Perfection
The app’s were excellent, but the duck definitely gets the nod… it was really incredibly good with outstanding flavor. The kumquat dressing was incredible! The only thing that I noticed was that the duck got the Kalamata olives, although the menu said that the olives came with the shrimp. No big deal. The shrimp were excellent, the pesto was a bit disappointing and the chorizo rice beans were short on flavor. Both plate presentations were very well done. Our dinners were cooked to perfection and the flavors were very, very good.
The salmon was seared on the outside and rare in the center: perfect. The pork was almost fork-cutable and had excellent flavor. I was a tad disappointed in the chutney. The flavor was OK, but the chutney itself could have been a bit brighter. it appeared as if it had been made a day or two earlier and was a little tired. The dessert was absolutely divine – it melted in our mouths.
Attention to Detail
As I mentioned in my last review, the most important things for me are: “good service, clean surroundings, little to no distractions (bad music, inattentive wait staff, etc), a high rating on what I call Truth-in-Menu (do you get what the menu says you are supposed to get?) and a good price-to-value ratio for my meal.” At Isabella’s, the service was outstanding. The waitstaff dressed, acted and behaved very professionally – probably better than most of the patrons we saw that evening (some of whom were dressed for a college pig roast and kegger) – and were very courteous as well.
As far as I could tell, Isabella’s was extremely clean and orderly – to me a good sign that attention to detail was an important issue at this restaurant. As for the “heads-up” that Isabella’s was way expensive… I tend to disagree. Although dinner – including tip – was just over $100, prices were no worse than other top-notch restaurants. I don’t like to spend that much on dinner, but sometimes the concert is worth the price of the ticket. Truth-in-menu seemed to be about an eight out of ten.
Fine Food and Service
My only dings on Isabella’s? (1)The high price of Lauren’s Grey Goose “up” was $9.50 – (I still think cocktail prices are higher than necessary at most restaurants) – and (2) although the plate presentations were good, they didn’t seem to have quite the eye-catching appeal that they could have, given the circumstances (an example was the sloppy ring of chive sour cream around the salmon). Nevertheless, Isabella’s is a solid 4 ½ Zins, and I would definitely return there for another sample of their fine food and service.
Your Table is Wating…
Ralph Pancetta
Note: Unfortunately, Isabella’s fell victim to the troubled economy and closed its doors in early January of 2009. Executive Chef Sean Eastwood (also part owner) headed west and soon found himself at La Valencia (San Diego, CA) as Executive Chef in September of that year. As of January of 2011, Sean now captains the kitchen at a swank new venue called “Scratch” in Mountain View, Ca…
