I’d heard about Avec quite a while ago and have been thinking of checking it out sometime. I finally had the opportunity, though by a somewhat circuitous route. A foodie friend and I had planned to have dinner at Frontera. However they were closed while Rick Bayless had his staff in Mexico, so we thought we’d check out the new Girl and the Goat, Stephaine Izard‘s new restaurant. Stephanie was winner of season 4 of Top Chef and has just recently opened Girl and the Goat. But it was not to be. They were closed for a private event that evening. And so we decided to go to Avec, which we knew was open as we’d walked past it on the way.
Avec is long and narrow, extending from the street back, into the the building. the walls, floor, and ceiling are paneled with a rich, brown wood. Dining is either at the counter or an communal tables.
We decided to share a selection of small plates to maximize our experience. We selected four dishes, all of which were a complete WOW!
Tuna tartare with housemade squid ink and olive pasta, house giardinara and sesame bottarga vinaigrette
The giardiniera was brilliant combined with the tuna. The heat and the crunch from the vegetables combined with the silky smoothness of the raw tuna to very nice effect. And the tang from the vinaigrette complimented the fish perfectly. The pasta filled out the dish nicely. Squid ink pasta is always cool.
Couscous salad with Werp Farms mustard greens, grilled eggplant and asparagus
Nicely browned cheese and beautifully roasted eggplant: smoky and creamy. I love Israeli couscous, and this was done to perfection.
Beet crustini
One word: Yum. I’m a huge fan of the beet. If you, too, are a beet lover be sure to read Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins, if you haven’t already.
This dish included a mix of red and yellow beets as well as a beet puree. This was heaped on top of crunchy bread, topped with some kohlrabi shreds for a nice crunch. A touch of black pepper gave the dish a bit of zing.
Chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce
This was a run away hit. Definitely the star of the evening. No wonder it’s a favorite of several foodie friends.
The sauce was sweet and smoky. Date, chorizo, bacon: a brilliant mélange of flavor, sweetness and heat. Let’s get serious: chorizo and bacon in the same dish … how could it not be amazing. I’ll be trying to replicate this in my own kitchen.
Finally, some of the dishes came with a delicious warm fresh bread for cleansing the palette and, maybe more importantly, soaking up sauces.
I was impressed: woodsy decor, great service, good wine & beer selection, and awesome food. I’ll be back for sure.
