Butter (Long)

Made my way to Butter tonight in the west loop (130 S. Green). The restaurant is two and a half blocks from house, so I was hoping for good things. Formerly of Le Francais, Cafe Le Coq, and the French Laundry, the chef, Ryan Poli was expected to have some chops.

This meal was really a celebration of spring.

They started us out with upscale bar food, a pre amuse if you will of Truffled Popcorn with the freshest early spring chives, hand cut fresh potato chips with herbs and sea salt, and Oyster crackers in a sprinkling of salt and dill. The popcorn was a hit, totally redolent with truffle, and the sweet freshness of spring chives.

We accompanied these courses with a Moet and Chandon Brut Imperial Rose. Very sweet...they definitely kicked in a bit of dosage with the red wine grapes, not a demi sec, but a very overt sweetness.

The amuse was chilled pear/parsnip soup with a dollop of olive oil. While I didn't taste any pear, it had a nice milky sweetness with a hint of pepper. Very clean, but not particulary memorable.

The apps:

My wife had the chilled english pea soup. Whereas most folks prepare this with no stock, or maybe a light chicken stock..the Butter version was infused with a shellfish stock, and a chopped scallop salad. The peas and the fish stock worked together well. Sweetness of the sea with the rich spring bounty of land.

As an afficionado of the Cafe Le Coq sweetbreads, I was hoping for something similar, guessing Stephen Chiappetti the chef at Le Coq had imbued Poli with the skills to prepare succulent sweetbreads. Indeed, the special appetizer of the evening was another ode to spring. The dish, a veal stock based sauce full of tender sweetbreads, roasted morels and asparagus tips did not disappoint. Totally savory. Really not fair, I mean you put me near Foie or sweetbreads, or other preps of fine organ meat and the other apps will never get ordered.

The entrees:

My wife had the roasted monkfish on a bed of lentils with sweet butternut squash puree and fresh roasted ramps. The puree was clearly a nod to Thomas Keller's influence. The puree was so smooth, clearly it passed through a tamis or sieve about 10 times. It was a focus on the natural sweetness of the squash without any overt butter, cream, or seasoning influences. The ramps were sweet and mild. The monkfish was tender and ample.

I had the sauteed halibut with trumpet royal mushrooms, roasted pearl onions, oxtail ravioli, accompanied with a taragon sabayon. The anise notes from the tarragon paired nicely with the halibut. The fish was perfectly seared to a crunch on the outside with a super flaky interior. The oxtail ravioli was clearly a food of love. Perfect tender melt in your mouth braise with hints of rich stock and red wine. The perfect compliment to the sweet onions and earthy mushroom...almost like a mini fillet preparation.

Wine accompaniment...my wife had a viognier that was really dry and with overt alcohol notes. Not very good.

My domaine cherrier sancerre was outstanding, super fruity, pear and grapefruit aromas wafted from the glass.

Finally Dessert:

We closed it out with a carrot cake piped with a fresh cream cheese frosting roof (indeed the frosting was cantilevered Falling water style over the cake sides) and accompanied by roasted pecans and caramelized crackle candy, as well as a Lemon Sabayon Citrus tart.

The carrot cake was moist, glistening as if dipped in icing. The cream cheese frosting was rich and smooth, great contrast to the crunch of the nuts and candy.

The tart crust was light and flaky, and in fact much superior to the tart crust I had at Bittersweet bakery a few weeks back. The sabayon was topped with big fat blackberry at the height of ripeness. My only criticism was that the sabayon seemed less smooth than I would expect.

Dessert was accompanied by some fine complimentary Kona coffee.

Butter also has a raw bar which looked interesting. It had a bunch of the usual suspects, oysters, etc, but also some interesting stuff like baby lobster and caviar. We didn't taste at all, but next time.

Finally, service was very cordial, not over the top. The servers were young, still getting their bearings on food descriptions, but all in all, pretty good.

My only real criticism is that some of the dishes were were definitely riding the edge of saltiness.

Also, the menu had a bit of the mission statement, something like avoiding all the "lattitude with attitude" and bringing affordable fine dining to the people. It was affordable if you are a junior partner at one of chicagos finest law firms. Entrees were around 30 bucks and apps around 10-16, with 10 dollar desserts.

In the end, a great start for the restaurant, and we look forward to going back.

Anyone been to Butter recently?

I have not been there recently, but some friends dropped in last Saturday night at 9pm and said they left because the place was virtually empty....not at all a good sign and "too creepy" to stay, they said.

Olde School wrote:I have not been there recently, but some friends dropped in last Saturday night at 9pm and said they left because the place was virtually empty....not at all a good sign and "too creepy" to stay, they said.

That's interesting. I was there (for drinks only) maybe a month ago around 9:30-10:00 p.m. and it was packed to the ceiling.

aschie30 wrote:

Olde School wrote:I have not been there recently, but some friends dropped in last Saturday night at 9pm and said they left because the place was virtually empty....not at all a good sign and "too creepy" to stay, they said.

That's interesting. I was there (for drinks only) maybe a month ago around 9:30-10:00 p.m. and it was packed to the ceiling.

I tried to reserve a table two Saturdays ago and they told me that they had nothing available for a party of 2 after 6:00 or before 9:30. We just decided to try Butter another time.

I was there a month ago and it was overpriced and mediocre. I was really disappointed by the food. Given that we were one of five tables in the place, the waitstaff was adequately attentive and made sure that we had enough bread, water, drinks, etc.

I can't tell you what I had (I think there were scallops and risotto involved, in two separate courses) because it was, sadly, forgettable. Now ask me about that dinner I had at Alinea six months ago and I can describe it plate by plate.

One of my fine dining pet peeves is high pricing without delivering on quality. The food was okay, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't worth the prices they were charging. At their average price point per entree, the food should have been very good to excellent, not just okay/good. There are too many restaurants that fall into this category - I always feel slightly ripped off after a meal like the one I had at butter. Nice but not innovative, executionally good but not inspired. Its like paint-by-numbers in fine dining. The food had no soul.

For dessert we had the carrot "cupcake" -- at $10 it was one of the worst desserts I have had in a restaurant - a poor value, and no better than anything I could buy for $3 at any local bakery.

I won't be going back.

I had the exact same reaction, overpriced and mediocre.

My favorite part of the meal was when the waitress was attempting to describe their tuna niccoise salad. She resorted to calling it "small and gourmet". I asked her if she meant deconstructed, and the light bulb finally went on. Well, it turns out the plate had two tiny pieces of hamachi, a couple of chopped hercots vert, some pearls of potato, olive tapanade and micro greens. Price tag: $16

If by "small and gourmet" she meant "average tasting and overpriced" then yes, she would be correct.

Hmm - 2 friends of ours said they went shortly after it opened and loved it.

Also Esquire listed it as one of its top restaurants opening in 2005 (for what that's worth...)

leek wrote:Also Esquire listed it as one of its top restaurants opening in 2005 (for what that's worth...)

Considering the noise made over Mariani's junkets, no, I don't think Esquire is worth much these days.

I'm always up for Ambrose Bierce!

I was there a few weeks ago and had their pumpkin and shrimp risotto with brown butter and were this Jan 1 and we were compiling our best dishes of 2005 lists, the risotto would be on there.

Alot of folks lauded Sean McClain's Avocado Panna Cotta at Green Zebra. Butter does a dish called Chips and Guacamole, which is basically a tortilla foam and avocado puree. It hits the mark flavorwise. It was in my estimation much better than the pannacotta, which was too subtle.

Butter has improved tremendously since my first visit in May. It is operating at a high level. Were there missteps the two times I was there? Sure, but I wouldn't throw Butter off the map like some have done.

always happy to oblige with a little AB, Christopher Gordon!

I guess I must be part of the "some" -- sorry, I've had much better meals for the same price as Butter. My experience is no less legit just because I may have a different set of culinary experiences to draw from in my evaluation.

We went on Friday the 13th, here's what I submitted to the Reader Restaurant Rater:


The space is lovely, but a bit overwhelming. Large, cavernous even, it's definitely "designed" - making the decor a big element in the experience. I think that it would do really well if there were a lot of people in the front bar/lounge area. There is an upstairs lounge that the manager said might be closed off and converted into a separate space. We were there on the last smoking weekend, she said they are going all non-smoking when the ban starts. The only smokers were in this upstairs area. It seemed very comfortable, and it was a shame there weren't more people up there.

They were having trouble with the downstairs restrooms, and had to keep opening an outside back door, making a big, cold wind tunnel when the front door opened. They offered us pashminas to borrow, which was nice - though we didn't take them. They also had nice little hooks to hang purses from the table, and we saw pillows for people seated at the banquettes. I think if we'd asked for pillows at our table seats they would have let us use them.

Since the downstairs restrooms were busy, I used the upstairs restroom, which was dirty (stuff smeared on the toilet tank around the handle) and had a huge overwhelming air freshener smell.

The food was fine, with pretty presentations, but I thought the main courses were a little overpriced. My dining companions did not. They do include coffee, which was very tasty, so maybe that makes up for it. I liked that they weren't huge servings. It was a reasonable amount of food to eat.

We had some problems with the wine list. The first 4 bottles we picked either they didn't have, or they had a different (and significantly inferior) vintage. They sent the wine director over, who said they would comp our desserts, which was nice, though we weren't planning to get desserts. They also said that they'd fix the problem by not including vintages on their next wine list. That's NOT the way to go if you are serious about your wine program.

It was hard to hear the wait staff, and we had some communication problems because of that. I don't think it was too loud, just poor accoustics. But the server didn't tell me which oysters were which on my plate until I asked as she was walking away. The oyster service was a bit gimmicky - for 4 oysters I had a dozen sauces! And of course, the tastiest sauce was the classic mignionette (we dipped forks in to taste them all once the oysters were gone).

Overall it was a good experience, but I'm not sure I will be back. Part of this may be my judging it against their "one of the Best new restaurants in 2005" designation by Esquire magazine. I'm just not sure it was worth the money for the experience. I can think of other restaurants in this price category where I enjoy myself more.

Mine is a very minor issue, in the scheme of things, but although we enjoyed our experience, there was something a little "off-putting" about the menu. Not the food, but the menu itself. Jokey, corny, both in content and design. I appreciate wit and humor as much as the next guy, but this was a sophomoric brand of humor that didn't seem to match the restaurant's culinary or ambience-oriented aspirations.

If you have not been to Butter recently or if you have never given it a try, I would suggest trying it now. It seems like it is slowly but surely taking steps to become one of the finer upscale dining establishments in Chicago.

Butter reminds me of Zealous in many ways. Both have chefs with fine pedigrees who aim quite high when it comes to creative flavor combinations and beautiful plating. Both also are adept at turning out excellent dishes, one after the other. Unfortunately, minor missteps at both Butter and Zealous (certainly more at Zealous in my opinion) prevent these restaurants from achieving universally high acclaim. In other words, so close yet so far. But nonetheless, Butter has come a long way since it opened up in the heart of Greektown and with some more seasoning, it could really excel.

While perusing the menu, small bowls of potato chips, crispy rice cakes and popcorn are brought to the table. Of course, at Butter these tv-time snacks are anything but ordinary. Good luck trying to stop eating the popcorn seasoned with white truffle oil.

Bread service is one of the few areas where Butter needs some rethinking -- mediocre ciabatta-type rolls are brought out after you order and after you have already munched on popcorn, rice cakes and potato chips. And the amuse bouche is right around the corner. Butter should either skip the bread service or make it more interesting.

Then, the amuse bouche. Last night, a Spanish "ham & cheese sandwich": brioche, Serrano ham and Manchego cheese -- small bite, big taste.

Of the nine or so appetizers listed on the menu, the sweetbreads were phenomenal. One large breaded piece, perfectly roasted and placed atop a fantastic corn-fava succotash and surrounded by a sweet corn broth and a dab of corn powder. I do not recall having tasted a better sweetbread presentation.

The peekytoe crab salad was also excellent. A large mound of picked crab meat, flavored slightly with avocado and pickled red onion, and decorated with a wonderful lobster gelee that perfectly complemented the crab.

Not to be outdone by the sweetbreads or the crab, the Risotto was prepared with the skill expected at Spiaggia, but perhaps with more unusual ingredients (melon & prosciutto, but I unfortunately cannot recall all of the ingredients). I would be surprised to find a detractor with respect to these three appetizers.

The beet salad was a very enjoyable study in beet preparations, offering beet carpaccio, beet powder and roasted beets. Although the Caesar salad was dressed nicely, it lacked the creative touches found in almost all other dishes. Gazpacho was the soup of the day last night (and seemingly one of the chef's many tributes to his time in Spain) and was pureed smooth with a very slight touch of heat that was quickly cooled down by the spoonful of cucumber sorbet resting atop the soup.

Butter also offers a number of raw bar presentations featuring oysters, shrimp and ceviches as well as other daily finds.

Main courses (there are nine on the menu) certainly had more winners than losers. The pan seared halibut might have been the star of the show, perfectly cooked and served with morel mushrooms, braised lettuce and wild leeks and sweetened ever so slightly with Mirin.

Rabbit was served in two good-sized pieces, both wrapped in Serrano ham, and served with Barlotti beans, fennel and a tomato marmalade and was quite tasty.

A pork presentation offered a well sized portion of a slightly smoky pork tenderloin which was delicious although it was not as tender as it should have been. It was served with two tobacco infused cherries, celery and a very small spoonful of Guinness ice cream. Given a slightly more tender piece of pork, a few more of the aromatic cherries and a little more of this fabulous ice cream, we'd be talking perfection. Instead, I debated whether I might have been slightly happier with the sturgeon and pork belly presentation. But don't get me wrong -- I still might order it again.

Butter's take on Tom Kha Kai (the popular Thai Soup flavored with coconut and lemongrass), however, should never have made it to our table. Perfectly cooked shrimp, mussels and clams were ruined by severe oversalting to the point of being inedible. Each person at our table took a taste, followed by a long sip of water. This was a major misstep although the waitress handled the situation with perfection and comped the dish without question.

While the Tom Kha Kai was the only dish that was far too salty, many dishes skated on the brink of being too salty.

Following entrees we were treated to a second amuse of sorts, a small shot glass filled with a "guacamole" cream and topped with a "tortilla" foam. Instructed to drink this concoction as we would a shot, I drank it in one taste and it truly tasted like freshly made guacamole with corn chips.

Desserts were decent, but far less inspiring than appetizers and entrees. A strawberry shortcake offered an amazingly fresh strawberry sorbet, but there were not enough of the small chunks of brioche "shortcake" to create an interesting combination of textures. The saffron and vanilla "bread pudding" suffered in the same way as it was not really a bread pudding, but rather a cool and foamy presentation that had a nice saffron flavor but lacked bite. If Butter is to become a destination restaurant, desserts must improve dramatically. A chilled pistachio dessert presented in several small pyramids (I wish I could recall more) was easily the star of the desserts, however.

Our waitress displayed excellent knowledge of the menus and she was both friendly and professional. Overall, service was good with very small glitches, such as staff being a bit too determined to ensure that each water glass had the proper ratio of ice cubes to water. And with both appetizers and entrees, a couple of plates lagged behind in being brought out just enough to seem awkward, although likely less than a minute -- something very rarely seen at 4* locations and even most 3* restaurants. The restaurant is more conversation friendly than most in town due to the very high ceilings, but at the same time Butter is quite sleek and stylish, making it a perfect date location.

In terms of price, I would expect to pay $55, without tax or tip, for three courses (appetizer, main course and dessert). Considering that at least one, and likely two, amuse bouche, are included, I think it's a pretty good deal. Portions are medium-sized . . . large enough where you'll be full assuming three courses, but perhaps not with only two.

All in all, Butter seems on the edge of greatness with many dishes excelling in both flavor and plating, but the minor missteps prevent Butter from joining the upper echelon in restaurants, at least for now. I hope it sticks around and I hope that more people give it a try. Last night, despite all of the rain and hot weather, more than half of the tables were full. Worth noting is that the chef apparently changes the menu approximately 6 times per year. I look forward to returning as fall is right around the corner.

Butter
130 S. Green St. (at Adams and Green, just west of Halsted)
Chicago
312.666.9813 (and Opentable)

I've been here with a fellow culinary student who LOVES this place. My overall impression was similar, a few missteps but very good food. I remember the scallops being some of the best I've had and I love the way Ryan cooks them. I don't remember being hungry after, in fact I believe I was just over the edge of uncomfortable. We had good service and I think that they have definite possibilities. I may have a soft spot since Ryan is a COD alumnus (my current culinary school). I have heard of some missteps, the last time my friend was there, it took them nearly an hour to serve the entrees, so long that she blew into the kitchen to see what was going on. I got the impression that they were seriously short-staffed that night, which happens. It has too much going for it to just summarily dismiss after one tough outing. I guess it will have to go on the list of try-agains, soon!! [/quote]

I went to Butter shortly after it opened and was very pleased, although I fully expected a dose of pretension.

Did anyone else find it strange that the servers hand out their own little business cards when you sit down?

allecia wrote:Did anyone else find it strange that the servers hand out their own little business cards when you sit down?

I thought that only happened in NY at steakhouses. In any event, that did not happen the other night.

We went to Butter last Thursday evening, and had the same menu as BR. The service was efficent and friendly, although not overly knowledgable. Our server spent a painstaking amount of time reviewing the menu and explaining things like foams and savory ice creams even when we explained we were familar with this type of cuisine.
Most of the dishes served I found to be good with one maybe pushing very good. Our total bill with drinks, wine, and dessert was a little over $300.
While we had a great a nice time, I doubt we will be back.

J

Ryan Poli is one helluva chef. I loved Butter and thought most of the creations we tried were fantastic, distinctive and memorable. Happily, the version of Tom Kha Kai we were served was sublime and virtually flawless. Even now, a couple of months after my initial visit to Butter, many of the dishes I ate that night still resonate for me.

=R=

Butter Battle Chicago Review Butter

Three years ago molecular cuisine was but a gleam in the eye of some odd visionaries. Here and there (often here, this being Chicago) was a Grant Achatz, a Homeru Cantu, a Graham Bowles, and at a distance Ferran Adria. These Americans learned from the kitchens of Keller and Trotter (and some stages abroad), but they were creating a singular and off-kilter style in their fits and starts. They were building a new paradigm, just as the eminent historian of science Thomas Kuhn suggested was true for Newton.

Over time - and time shrinks in our media saturated era - the word spreads. Outrageous experiments are tamed and become normal cuisine. The opening of Butter in Chicago reveals, if any additional proof is needed, that the molecular virus is spreading beyond its medicinal quarters.

Butter is a sedate, contemporary, and rather elegant restaurant in Chicago's up-and-coming West Loop area. If local avenues are not yet bustling, they will be. After what was a considered a rough start (with some glowing if not overly helpful publicity in Esquire), Chef Ryan Poli, a native Chicagoan trained at the French Laundry, Le Francais, and La Broche in Madrid, has by recent accounts found his place, and perhaps that place is to be in the spotlight. When it became clear that our table had some claim to culinary sophistication, we were invited into the kitchen to meet the chef (the restaurant was about half filled on this Friday). In my year in New York, such an invitation was a rarity, outside of a few chummy West African establishments. Servers might be trained to avoid patronizing their diners, so they won't be so startled if those at the table are not the farm-fed rubes they might imagine.

I won't proclaim our tasting menu as among the truly stellar meals of the year, but it was an impressive attempt to create a menu that bowed to the creativity of a Cuisine Agape while providing enough Midwest Comfort for those who do not chose to indulge in the aromas of laughing gas. I left persuaded that if high-mid price restaurants like Butter were willing to chance avocado foam and bacon ice cream the experiment had become the establishment. (The five course tasting menu was, if memory serves, $85).

We began with a trio of snacks. Shrimp crisps, potato chips, and popcorn with truffle oil. The popcorn was terrific, stressing that truffles are to be treasured for their aroma, not for their taste, much less for texture. Any film would be recalled as a classic with enough of that corn. The other snacks, adequate, were perhaps not worth the time in preparation.

Our amuse was a quite pleasant sweet potato soup with a brown butter gelee. I wished that even in the small taste Chef Poli had ladled more gelee. It just slipped right down. If the amuse was not as elaborate as some, it did demonstrate that this was a restaurant whose jellied hopes were real.

First course was Tuna Tartare with Avocado, Mango-Yuzu Vinaigrette, and Puffed Rice. If the dish seemed tame if rich in Omega-3s, its pleasures should not be held against this chef. In its architecture, the plate bid us recall that we were experiencing a measured construction. The Mango-Yuzu dressing was sparky, enough to insure that no one would conclude that this tartare was sushi in disguise.



The risotto, bolstered with sweet corn, white truffle oil, and shaved summer truffles, was an exercise in aromatic pleasure. I would have been as pleased without the shaved fungi, but its thin presence demonstrated that the dish was what it claimed for those blessed anosmics. For the rest of us smellers the oil would have sufficed. Perhaps by so much truffle Chef Poli wished to demonstrate his concrete commitment to luxe, but simplicity would suffice.



The main fish course was a Stripped Sea Bass (with modern chefs one should never assume typos - but this striped bass was not stripped of its skin). Notable was the earthy mix of "wild mushrooms": hen of the woods, trumpet mushrooms, and - despite the claim of the kitchen - cultivated shiitakes. Many fish dishes over the years will be recalled longer than this bass - stripped or striped. Yet, the well-cooked fish matched nicely its garlicky broth, garlic scapes (not a typo), and gnocchi. Well-conceived and well-executed it suggested that the kitchen was in secure hands.



As our beef entree we were presented Kobe Beef Sirloin with Glazed Turnips and Carrots, Kobe Short Rib Ravioli, and Bordelaise Consommé. The ravioli brought the plate (slightly) above Kobe routine, but it was not a dish of remarkable vision. Like the bass, it was admirable in its competence, but lacking in the imaginative zest that one might expect from a FL-trained chef.



Throughout we were served a set of amuses, amusing, but apparently Alinea homages. The bacon ice cream exemplified cute standards of molecular cuisine, as did an earlier plate with avocado-cilantro foam, celery confit, and "guacamole and chips". It was in these bits and pieces and in his dessert that Chef Poli most clearly signaled his allegiance to a post-modern cuisine.

Dessert was an Italian deconstruction, a fugue of reds and greens - the most post-modern of the main dishes: Cream of Sicilian Pistachio with Semi-Candied Rhubarb and Strawberries and Sweet and Sour Red Pepper Sorbet. The plate was lite up like a Christmas tree in a Curry Hill diner. The pepper sorbet had the grassy tartness of peppers, but one that I found harsh against the creamy sweetness of the nuts and fruits. Where sweetness was, I was sated, but the deconstructed pieces could not easily be constructed, despite the prettiness of the conceit.



Butter finds a niche slightly below the temples of Chicago cuisine, and this may be proper as Chef Poli weighs his allegiance to Midwestern haute cuisine and to his outrageous brethren. Butter is not yet a destination restaurant, but it is a serious, energetic one. With time, Swanson may produce molecular TV dinners. By then we can think back to Butter and realize that chefs like Ryan Poli helped make these culinary test less fearful, more heartland. Whether we will be grateful as we wolf down Puffed Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potato Foam and Nitrogenated Peas while ogling Rachel Ray staging on Survivor: Joliet, only time will tell.

Butter
130 South Green
Chicago (West Loop)
312-666-9813
www.butterchicago.com

http://www.vealcheeks.blogspot.com

Gary, I am SO glad your delicious keyboard is turned back on the Windy City!

Has anybody been to Butter recently? Have a dinner reservation this Saturday for a birthday and wanted to know what to expect and also if there are any recommendations.



Cheers.

walrus wrote:Has anybody been to Butter recently? Have a dinner reservation this Saturday for a birthday and wanted to know what to expect and also if there are any recommendations.

I have not dined there since Chef Ryan Poli left. I'm actually very curious about Butter -- haven't heard anything in quite some time. A portion of the menu can be found on their website. Please post after your meal.

Just got home from Butter. I am exhausted and a little drunk (details to follow) but I'll do my best to recap.

Reservations at 7 for 8, arrived at 6:30 to an empty house. As we waited for our full party to arrive, four to five tables filled up. By the time we sat, around 7:15, Butter was at half capacity. Maybe to be expected at an early hour, but it made us all worried.

(Pictures coming soon....)

Amuse Bouche: Sweet Potato bisque - perfect timing due to the recent chill in the air, I was ready for this fall standard. It was pleasant enough to awaken the buds, but nothing overly impressive.

Starter: Grilled Rabbit Sausage with Pickled Leek Froth - the surprise of the night for me. A pleasant piquancy combo between the leek froth and rabbit sausage made for a good starter. I hesitantly shared amongst the party, in exchange for the bacon cream that accompanied the poached egg and brioche french toast. (The bacon cream far surpassed the breakfast for dinner bit the chef is trying here. I would serve the bacon cream alone or alongside just the brioche, leaving the egg behind.)

Main Course: Berkshire Pork w/ crispy pork belly, creamy orzo, caramelized onion and grilled frisee. The pork came out a beautiful medium-rare, as was ordered. The belly....oh lord, the belly. It's tough to mess up pork belly. An uncured, crispy, pork explosion.... Pure food porn.

Dessert: Coffee Glazed Donuts - I expected more from this dessert. Coming off a recent trip to Seattle where fresh donuts from Pike's and a cafe maison at Le Panier set the standard, Butter's attempt fell short. It was enjoyable (although three larger-than-munchkin sized donuts was overkill) but can be executed better.

The absolute highlight, though, was the wine! Paying the corkage fee ($15/btl.......later waived due to a Quintessa purchase) was well worth it!

Wine Roster (all but one recently purchased in Napa):

'05 Pine Ridge Chardonnay - nice way to start the evening. Although I prefer a heartier chardonnay, this was very enjoyable.

'04 Darioush Pinot Noir - Oh....Darioush. The King of Silverado Trail! Darioush, an impresively powerful wine at all varietals, the pinot is unlike any other conventional pinot noir to be had. I'm happy to have a half case sitting in the cellar. Fall '07 is perfect for this bottle.

'04 Rubicon Cabernet Franc - A rare varietal at 100% (Darioush does a good job at 100% Cab Franc, as well) this smelled like the tasting rooms, chateau and caves of Rubicon. This was my second favorite wine of the evening. Highly recommended.

'04 Quintessa - I have a half case of this vintage shipping in November...and I can't wait! Velvet in a glass! (We realized we were down to two more bottles of wine, so we negotiated a Quintessa purchase in lieu of any corkage fees. The house manager gladly obliged and was more than friendly and helpful. Due to the corkage fee being waived, we got the Quintessa at retail price. ) This was the consensus #1 poured tonight. For very good reason.

'05 Caymus Zinfandel - Available only at the estate, Caymus proves they can do more than their signature Cab. Spicy and tough.... Best description of the evening: "This wine will slap yo mama in the teeth! It's like fighting a Puerto Rican woman in the produce section over the last bunch of grapes."

'02 Turley Ueberoth Zinfandel - Coming off the very nice Caymus Zin, the normally reliable Turley didn't deliver. Still a wonderful wine, though.


Back to Butter....

Pretty good experience overall. The house manager was pleasant and helpful, but the rest of the waitstaff left some to be desired. (Especially considering the lack of business this evening.)

I can throw down ~$60/person in better ways, probably. Butter, though, was a decent experience and one that I'd return to....especially with another wine roster like we had.

Butter has, effectively, closed.

Gapers Block/Drive Thru wrote:So imagine my surprise when I learned from an industry friend that Butter had abruptly closed its doors Sunday. True, the restaurant was mostly empty at 9:30 on a Saturday night, but it didn't seem like it was in that bad of shape. I called this morning and was informed that Butter had indeed closed, but only for ala carte service — in other words, no reservations, no walk-ins. The woman who answered the phone informed me that the owners had decided to focus on hosting private functions in the space.

gleam wrote:Butter has, effectively, closed.

Gapers Block/Drive Thru wrote:So imagine my surprise when I learned from an industry friend that Butter had abruptly closed its doors Sunday. True, the restaurant was mostly empty at 9:30 on a Saturday night, but it didn't seem like it was in that bad of shape. I called this morning and was informed that Butter had indeed closed, but only for ala carte service — in other words, no reservations, no walk-ins. The woman who answered the phone informed me that the owners had decided to focus on hosting private functions in the space.

I can't believe it took as long as it did for the other shoe to fall.

=R=

LOL.

Proud to be one of their last walk-in customers.

I find this odd-- either you have enough business to stay in business or you don't, no? I guess they can sort of run on a temp basis and take care of their holiday party bookings, or something, before closing for good at the end of the year, most likely.

I just happened to talk to a bartender who was working there (finishing up his job as he started a new one) and though he was complimentary of the chef and the place generally, it did sound like the young chef who was promoted when Ryan Poli left was feeling out of his depth and looking for an opportunity that would give him more training under someone of greater skills.

I think it's a shame about Butter -- when Ryan Poli was there, I thought this place was on the verge of something special. Does anyone know where he is now?