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Restaurant Review | Refectory
Stellar cuisine, service, wine worthy of five-star salute
Thursday,
May 1, 2008 3:29 AM
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Andrea Kjerrumgaard | dispatch
The ostrich Mi-Meurette, front, and Szechwan peppercorn-dusted salmon
The Refectory is unusual.
The large hall is named for what it once was -- a dining area for clergy.
In the main dining room, the original logs still serve as rafters, and the post-and-beam
construction is revealed. The subtle decor has been freshened recently.
French chef Richard Blondin presides over a largely French menu that touches all the bases --
fish, shellfish, red meat, game, desserts and cheeses. Particularly notable is the large selection
of hot and cold appetizers.
Unlike those of so many more-expensive restaurants (especially steakhouses), the entrees come
fully garnished -- no paying extra for vegetables or starches. The serving sizes are usually
manageable, allowing room for more than one course.
Perhaps the best way to explain a restaurant such as the Refectory is to examine what is on the
plate other than the centerpiece.
The house-made pasta that often accompanies seafood dishes -- made to a width halfway between
linguine and fettuccine -- is perfectly cooked and aptly sauced with an emulsion of Parmesan-type
flavors that isn't gummy; one tastes only butter and cheese.
And when dices of tomatoes or other hard-to-cut vegetables are on the plate, they're perfectly
square -- no dumping into a food processor.
Even something as basic as cabbage is distinguished when savoy cabbage is shredded into a light
chicken broth that bears a deep-background suggestion of caraway, with a large crouton, spread with
garlic goat cheese, floating on top. The soup of the day ($7) is light, containing no hint of the
sulfurous aroma associated with cabbage.
Roasted and sliced monkfish is accompanied by a small gratin of potatoes, sauteed portobello
mushrooms and a mushroom mousse, seasoned further by a light-brown sauce with a pronounced butter
flavor ($28).
Another off-menu special puts a perfectly done gratin on a large piece of cobia. The fish rests
on an outstanding brown sauce -- concentrated, complex and perfectly smooth -- that accompanies
properly prepared asparagus ($28).
The new menu's fish of the day -- which can be black bass ($28) -- is presented with a layer of
crabmeat and artichoke gratineed on top. The plate is garnished with a decorative swirl of
sweet-pepper pasta with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan, a scallop of roasted tomato and asparagus
spears lightly brushed with a butter sauce. The plate features a brown sauce with shellfish
overtones.
Salmon has been dulled down just about everywhere. The Refectory version ($28) could make a
believer out of anyone who is sick of salmon. Perfectly sauteed with hints of aromatic Szechwan
peppercorn, the fish is sauced with a whole-grain mustard cream and accompanied by shredded leeks
and fresh trenette noodles.
Blondin's way with game is exemplified by the ostrich ($33), a loin-shaped piece roasted
flavorfully; accompanied by an intense, plum-infused red-wine sauce; and garnished with pieces of a
very earthy, pungent Lyon sausage.
The new dessert list boasts outstanding selections such as a whole pear -- its core filled with
mascarpone -- poached in syrup and resting in a chocolate phyllo basket surrounded by spicy, glazed
walnuts ($8).
The frozen nougat ($8) is an ice-cream-like confection with notes of honey and nuts, and two
madeleines on top.
Another notable confection is the butterscotch napoleon ($8), a light mousse with caramel
flavors, layered with chocolate sorbet and interlaced with crisp nougat.
House-made sorbets ($8) run from apricot to bilberry. At least three flavors are used on each
plate, accompanied by seasonal fresh fruit.
The Refectory wine collection is legendary, with thousands of bottles patiently aged in
below-ground cellars. It consistently wins
Wine Spectator's annual Grand Award -- the top category.
Jeff Elasky, who assembled most of this collection, has returned as wine director and is on duty
most evenings, available for consultations. The wine service itself -- second to none -- includes
fine crystal glasses.
The wine pricing is often lower than at the typical non-stocking restaurant -- a surprise given
the cost of maintaining such a large inventory.
jac@iwaynet.net
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