Carmelita
Perhaps February 14th was a risky date to try someplace new,
what with set menus and fact that most restaurants are booked solid. But I'd
wanted to try Carmelita for a while and their romantic but laid-back ambiance
and upscale vegetarian cuisine seemed ideal for Valentine's Day. Besides, their
set menu sounded foolproof. So I made a reservation for two and scored one of
the last tables. Truffles and risotto are two of my favorite things so imagine
my delight when one available entree involved both of these things.
Unfortunately, the result was lackluster at best. Truffles have a very strong
and distinct flavor and I couldn't taste them at all. Did they forget to add
them? The orzo was al dente and the whole dish was overwhelmed by cauliflower,
a fairly bland vegetable when under-seasoned. It's disenchanting to have to add
salt to a $40 meal. Perhaps they were off their game on account of being so
busy. Still, everything else was terrific. My guy loved his Carrot-Mascarpone
Gnocchi. Our wine recommendation panned out (Malbec). The Chocolate Muck Muck
was both chocolatey and muck mucky. I'd go back again for sure. But what the
hell happened with that risotto?
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