December 19, 2009

Woodward – So Loud I Couldn’t Hear Myself Eat

Woodward is inside the sleek new Ames Hotel, which opened about a month ago. It’s supposed to be a “modern-day tavern restaurant” but instead comes off as trying too hard to be like a trendy bar in New York or LA. Dark interior, sharp angles, and a whole lot of noise. As we were led upstairs, I thought “oh good, it’ll be less noisy up here”, but it ended up being just as loud. On both floors, the dining tables are all lined up along a crowded bar – a very poor layout for a restaurant. There were so many people at both bars that we had to scream at each other to be heard. I don’t mind a noisy, bustling restaurant, but this was too much.

At least the food was interesting and just as lively…

Roasted Squash, Blue Cheese & Caramelized Apple Flatbread – excellent flatbread. It was thin and crispy with a nice char-grilled flavor. The ratio of toppings was just right. I always love the interplay of pungent blue cheese with sweet fruit flavors, so the caramelized apple and squash puree were seasonal matches for the cheese.
Short Rib Tortellini with Madeira and Truffle Butter – the best dish of the evening. The thin tortellini skin was perfection…delicate, silky, fresh pasta. The short rib filling was tender and moist, while its meaty flavor was accentuated by the prominent truffle flavor. The sensual textures and flavors of this dish superbly embodied the pasta’s original inspiration – a woman’s navel.
Monkfish Tail with Lobster and Sweet Potato Hash – there wasn’t very much lobster in the dish, but the monkfish was so meaty and succulent that it felt like I was eating more lobster. The monkfish was well seasoned and tasted magnificent with the rich lobster sauce. The sweet potatoes complemented the subtle sweetness of the seafood.
Seared Scallops with Warmed Greens and Pickled Citrus Vinaigrette – the scallops were impressively large, but should have been seared more to contrast the textures. The spinach was almost too salty, but the bold citrus vinaigrette and lemon zest provided enough acidity to balance the salt.
Chocolate & Almond Bread Pudding with Burnt Sugar Ice Cream – really dry bread pudding with hardly any chocolate inside…tasted like pieces of plain, old bread lumped together. The sweet, milky almond cream should have been poured all over the dense bread pudding instead of sitting at the bottom of the bowl. The burnt sugar ice cream was good…tasted like caramel.

Overall, Woodward has good food, but it’s difficult to fully appreciate the cuisine while eating next to a crowded, noisy bar. Woodward unsuccessfully straddles too much between a restaurant and a bar – either be a restaurant with a small bar or be a bar where food isn't the primary focus. Trying to be something in the middle doesn’t work and the experience of their patrons get mixed up in this identity crisis. Regardless, the short rib tortellini was so good that I'd come back…but maybe during lunch or as a “snack” during happy hour.

BITE METER: Woodward – 3.5 bites (out of 5.0)

1 comment:

  1. I liked the monkfish the best. Except the piece where you added your own Merlot seasoning. That tasted a bit funky :) I liked how it was so loud that B was able to say "I don't understand what you're saying" to the waiter at a normal voice and was never heard. On the bright side, I got to practice my lip reading.

    ReplyDelete