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Mosaic Restaurant & Wine Lounge 6675 Front St. Forestville 707-887-7503 Forestville fabulous |
When I was trying to come up with a cuisine description for Mosaic, I was faced with quite a quandary. You see, its menu doesn’t actually fit just one particular term. Pardon the pun, but it offers a mosaic of different choices and preparations. But since everything is inspired by fresh, local ingredients, it rounds out in the best of ways. Thus, the new culinary term “Forestville fabulous” was born.
Housed in, well, a former house that used to be the restaurant Chez Marie, the remodeled space has a warm and cozy feel. Its small dining room has furnishings of rich, dark-colored wood. My dining companion Tess and I sat by the fireplace, which has a large mantel and a touch of mosaic tile above it. In between the dining room and the kitchen is a large, tempered-glass divider. It has an opening along its length where you can try to catch a peek of chef/owner Tai Olesky making his magic. The food is served on colorful plates, a subtle addition to the mosaic-inspired ambiance.
Beyond the main dining room is a smaller dining area that can be used for banquets serving up to 16 people. In the back is the wine lounge, with a redwood bar and furnishings and leather couches. Its large windows look out onto the attractive, multi-level back patio, which will offer al fresco dining during the warmer months.
We started with an appetizer featuring chanterelle, oyster, beach and popino wild mushrooms sautéed in butter, Madeira, shallots, tarragon, parsley and a touch of cream. They were served with triple crème brie and several slices of thin crostini. It paired amazingly with the Merry Edwards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir we chose (from the extensive wine list) to accompany our meal.
Following the appetizer we shared the Dungeness crab salad. It came in a small tower of fresh crab, Satsuma tangerines, diced avocado and baby frissee. The blood orange vinaigrette had a sweet flavor that was neither overpowering nor too tart.
Next we enjoyed the lobster coconut curry bisque. Made with lemongrass, ginger, galangal and a touch of kafir lime oil, it reminded me of some of my favorite Thai soups. Its layered flavors and chunks of lobster were fresh and delicious.
Entrée choices included house-made pasta, goat cheese polenta, duck breast, jerk chicken, pork shoulder, and sea bass and filet mignon, which were what we chose.
Tess’ sea bass was pan-seared with thin strips of the skin left on and topped with a sweet-tasting tangerine buerre blanc. Moist and luscious, it was served with a yam purée and broccoli raab.
I chose the coffee-encrusted filet mignon. It was served medium rare, encased in a shell of fresh-ground coffee, topped with a blue cheese compound butter and tiny threads of fried potatoes. Surrounding it were wild mushrooms deglazed with Madeira, and white truffle mashed potatoes. It was topped with a chocolate-Cabernet demi-glace. I could taste the coffee in every bite, but it wasn’t overpowering at all and actually worked with the demi-glace to bring out a mocha flavor. It was a wonder for the senses.
The dessert menu says “Hey Sweetie” at the top, which made me smile. I chose the Satsuma tangerine crème brulée. It came with thin slices of ginger chocolate and fresh tangerine segments. A bite of the brulée and chocolate together brought on an even bigger smile. Meanwhile, Tess tried the flourless chocolate cake, a dense, intense delight served with whipped cream and thin-sliced strawberries. A Forestville fabulous ending for sure.
