orson: smells mostly like roses, bud

tonight we went to dinner at orson, elizabeth falkner's new restaurant. it describes its food as "edgy californian"...well to be honest, i don't know what that's supposed to mean, but i can tell you this: the food was pretty good. good enough that i'd go back. (my main barometer.) but, if you've ever been to her other restaurant, citizen cake, this place is completely "other" compared to it, so be prepared.

it was opening weekend, so our bar was low on the service (good thing, too :). the food was unusual and unexpected, as promised. the menu is split into "teasers" / "naughty" (read: tiny plates) and "explore" / "nice" (small plates). here's what we ordered:

drinks
1. "touch of evil": bulleit bourbon, mint, lemon juice, st. george absinthe verte, rhubarb syrup
2. "tomorrow is forever": square one organic vodka, pages vedrenne verveine velay, sparkling moscato, lemon

wine
1 glass each Côtes Du Rhône, 2005, Eric Texier

savory
"teasers":
1. tempura-battered, soft-boiled egg rolled in nori with black trumpet mushrooms and broccoflower in a scallion broth
2. parmaggiano pudding with piquillo pepper jam and cocoa-nib explosion
3. duck-fat french fries with brown-butter bearnaise
4. light-fry tofu with house-made kimchee
5. house-made charcuterie (rye salami, bologna, spiced tri-tip, and peppered shoulder)

"explore":
1. pork bun with fresno chili and cilantro
2. butterfish brulee with grapefruit and caviar
3. short rib dusted with espresso, with spinach

sweet
"naughty":
1. pigwich: pizelle maple-bacon ice-cream sandwich
2. new york, ny: cheesecake crema, seville orange marmelade, macademia nuts

"nice":
invisible: almond, pine, bergamot, white chocolate, truffle

not surprisingly, the alcohol broke down as follows: kevin: a glass of the wine; me: the rest of it. :D (what, you're surprised? hellooo: "touch of evil"? ring any bells? mouwahahahahah--hunh, what? uh, *no*, i'm not DRUNK.)

for dinner, we loved everything except the butterfish, which was pretty bland. (not even sure it was butterfish; tasted more like haddock.) kevin liked the pork buns the best. (there's probably a joke in there somewhere.) my favorite was the tofu. (i may be mostly twinkie, but there's a little yellow in me, yet.) having said that, the kimchee - it was the tongchimi [white] variety - definitely tasted like it wasn't a korean in the kitchen making it. [insert haughty *sniff* here] the most unusual dish was the parmigianno pudding: the "cocoa-nib explosion" was what pushed it over the edge - they were like chocolate pop rocks. seriously! good thing i didn't have a soda with it (just kidding).

as for dessert. kevin really enjoyed the "new york, new york," which was just a deconstructed cheesecake. i had a couple bites; it was pretty good.

the other two desserts...well, kevin thought the maple-bacon ice cream was gross. i thought it was interesting (it definitely tasted like bacon), but the texture wasn't so great. it tasted like there were tiny beads of fat in it...which considering this was a *bacon ice cream*, there probably were. i don't regret trying it, just for the one-time experience, but if/when we go back, i won't be ordering it again.

the invisible dessert was...well, it was just...aight. it's called "invisible," i guess, b/c the candy was clear and the sauce was white, and the whole thing was served in a white bowl. it tasted mostly of almond and had, well, unexpected textures to it: crunchy candy on one side, gelatin rubbery (sorta like a thinly sliced turkish delight, but w/o the nuts) on the other, surrounded by a white-chocolate sabayon-y sauce. won't be ordering that again, either, but not upset to have had the experience. (kevin was definitely not a fan.)

the bill came to $190 for two, incuding tip; $45 of the bill was for alcohol. yeah yeah, i'm not a cheap date, but it's too late, he already married me, folks.

so overall, i'd rate orson a...well, first, i should probably set it up so you know how my scale measures. here are some restaurants that i've rated between 1 and 5:

1 = would never go back again: sauce [blech]
2 = would reluctantly go to again: ad hoc
3 = solid: jackson fillmore [LOVE their gnocchi]
4 = tasty: isa
5 = yummy!!!: quince

now that you get where i'm coming from, i'd say orson is between a 3 and 4. in other words, i'd be more than happy to go again and i'd recommend it to friends to give it a shot. (i'd tell them not to bother with those two desserts, though.) are they trying too hard to be original and unusual? yeah, probably. i wouldn't be surprised to see the menu become a little less precious over time.

but, if you're looking for a restaurant that serves overall solid food and tries to keep its ingredients "local, organic and sustainable when possible," take a much-needed break from the kitchen and give orson a try. (dudes, believe me when i say that trying to eat as wholesomely as possible is a lot of f'n work :)