Given the name of the place, we started with martinis and oysters—a Boodles gibson and a selection from the vast martini menu: Thai Me Up and Spank Me (Tapatio tequila, Thai pepper, pineapple juice and lime), which was lively with a hot kick, especially if you eat the pepper. The martinis come with the “extra” in a shaker with an ice bucket, a nice touch. The oysters (we went for the sampler platter) were all fresh and delicious with hot cocktail sauce, mignonette, lemons and Tabasco. Fresh, soft focaccia was served with a ramekin of dipping sauce (garlic, mushrooms, pesto) that we very much enjoyed.
The homemade potato gnocchi was sautéed with wild mushrooms and pancetta with a truffle cream sauce that smelled just as good as it tasted (great for dipping bread, too). The large portion was entirely a mushroom lover’s dish, with lots of sliced mushrooms, tender gnocchi, fresh basil and grated Parmesan.
The restaurant has a wonderful selection of seafood, both from the raw bar and from the oven. It was pretty much impossible to pass on the “surf and turf” entrée, however, which included grilled New York steak topped with sautéed mushrooms and onions and a half Maine lobster (very rich, fresh and tender, served with drawn butter), with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. There was a lot of color on the plate and the Cabernet Sauvignon reduction sauce was a true enhancement to the perfectly cooked steak. A glass of Taft Street Pinot Noir (earthy, bright fruit, figs, clean finish) went great with it (actually it arrived with the gnocchi, and carried me through both that and my entrée nicely).
The large filet of fresh rock bass was roasted, dense and meaty (tender) topped with buttery lemon asparagus sauce, served with grilled asparagus and roasted Yukon gold potatoes. Both entrées were generously portioned and beautifully presented.
Following dinner, we went for the chef’s special dessert of lemon panna cotta, which had a caramelized sugar sculpture on top and was served with fresh berries and a drizzle of delicious berry sauce. It was very creamy, silky and lush, just as we’d hoped.
