Last night, I found myself in the "hipster haven" of the tristate area after a day full of moving my sister into her new apartment and then thrift store shopping at Beacons Closet (a really top notch second hand store, if this wasn't a food blog, this place would get a five star rating, minus the surly help.) So naturally the family walked around for a while with grandma complaining about the lack of posh-ness of every restaurant, my sister checking for her gluten-free options, mom stalking each menu for vegetables, and dad bemoaning the prices, we finally settled on this small but cozy Latin American/ Italian fusion place. We were greeted by the chef owner Sasha Miranda himself, a touch I always appreciate. As he regaled us with stories of his culinary training and heritage I took in my surroundings. There were Mexican wedding style flags hanging above the bar and exposed brick walls to truly give the restaurant a Tuscan villa/ south of the border vibe. My mom always says that the sign of a great dinner is good bread and salad, and by that measure, this place gets high marks. We were offered a choice of bread to dip in a sun dried tomato pesto with oil and every salad on the table was delicious. Sierra got a baby octopus arugula salad with a fairly tangy lemon dressing and slivers of avocado. It was defiantly an M.V.P (most valuable plate) of the night. The soup was almost as tastey but twice as innovative, first presenting us with the corn, crab, and seasonings in the bowl and the pouring the creamy yet sweet yellow soup into the bowl. I will admit that my parpardelle ragu was slightly sub par, but that is partially my own fault because I know I prefer a boar or even duck sauce but I ordered the lamb anyway. It was garnished with a light mole sauce which added a sweet touch. The best entree was the duck breast and the creamy polenta, although would have preferred them more seared and pinker. The dessert was decent, but it reminded me that tres leches cake is not as as creamy as the name suggests.
FOR WHAT IT IS: five out of five forks
IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS: four out of five forks
