Blown away by a Tuesday night dinner at Oswald
Who knew that an early Tuesday dinner scene at Oswald could pack such vibration? But despite the decibels, we persevered and enjoyed one of the top meals of the season. Both the crowd and the menu offered flashbacks from Oswald’s bistro heyday. A very urban, upscale pack of baby boom diners filled every square inch of the downtown corner dining room. I never could have predicted such consistency and menu success when the establishment moved from its beloved and tiny digs at the top of Pacific Avenue, or rather behind Pacific Avenue. Yet, with a menu that contains not a false move, a superb wait staff, and that lively full bar with a view to the questionable street scene beyond, today’s Oswald is a well-deserved hit. Long ago, the management decided that the food and the patrons would provide most of the visuals. Hence, the absence of decor. A painting here, a plant there, and of course, the exhibition kitchen do the rest of the work.
In the hands of Oswald’s chefs, even tried and true signatures, such as a seared ahi appetizer, present themselves at your table as very fresh ideas. Freed of fuss and detailed into visual haiku, the long slices of quickly-seared ahi lay on a patchwork of multi-colored beets, cubes of perfectly steamed al dente Yukon gold potatoes, and emerald snap peas ($13). Only a negligee of gossamer mustard vinaigrette mediated the bright, fresh flavors of each ingredient. The crunchy pods and their micro-sized peas, were irresistible, as were the various golden, pale pink, and assertively maroon beets. This is a destination appetizer—playful and loaded with sexy flavor combinations, yet safe enough for a trans-generational reunion dinner. It might even make a smart light dinner paired with one of the evening’s special muddled strawberry and cucumber vodka cocktails.
To accompany our meal, we picked two substantial red wines by the glass ($10 each). For me, a tannic blend of syrah and grenache in the Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhône 2012. My companion spotted a red from Macedonia and grew nostalgic about a year he had spent in Greece, in the years before Greek premium wines came of age. Naturally he had to sample the 2009 Boutan Naoussa Xinomavro, whispering of the Odyssey’s “wine dark sea.” It turned out to be a lovely creation, with fruit tasting of mystery and enough tannins to sail through the entire dinner.
Although momentarily tempted by an evening special of plump dayboat scallops, I zeroed in instead on one of my Oswald favorites: the “crispy duck breast” produced slices of bronzed duck breast surrounded by a collar of creamy polenta and thicket of roasted fennel and parsnips ($28). Such an ample portion of rare duck, loaded with that luscious fat and saltiness that contrasted with the austere polenta. The satiny vegetables offered just the right bitterness to push against the opulent duck. I could have eaten twice the amount of polenta, but that’s less a criticism of portion than a tribute to flavor.
Our other entree of roast chicken—deliciously crisped and herbed skin and supernaturally moist flesh—arrived perched on a cushion of braised kale encircled by a necklace of pale golden squash puree ($24). The squash had been applied with panache, as if deKooning had grabbed a spoon and made a single bold gesture onto the plate. The kale had been lightly cooked so that the deep green shreds retained plenty of tooth. Total fun to eat. Again, the vegetables knocked us out. What a great meal. Bravo and then some. Oswald—corner of Soquel and Front Streets, 423-7427. Dinner Tues-Sun from 5:30 p.m.; lunch Fri only 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
PHOTO: CHIP SCHEUER
