Amazing Grace

Dinner at Grace was a great way to end First Friday. It's an incredibly beautiful space, and the view from the choir loft is really something - a great perspective on the bar and on the kitchen, too.

Starters were really strong - even the lettuce in the salad seemed special, and the scallops tartare and fried clams (from the bar menu) were like none we had ever tried. The mains were also really great - the duck with quinoa, fingerling potatoes, and hibiscus-ginger jelly was among the best duck I've ever eaten. (And the only one I can think of that I'd class better had crispier skin and different sides.) The hanger steak was tender and smooth, even done medium-well (as requested), and reports were that the lamb was also very good. The wine list is solid - as is the cocktail list (try the "Holier Than Thou") - and an old vines Sonoma County St. Francis was excellent value. The cinnamon chocolate mousse cake with a side of cinnamon ice cream was an amazing finish. (The pastry chef just came up from a four-star restaurant in New York City, so more desserts are on the way as she settles in.)

It's a massive space that must have cost a ton to renovate and clean up; it'll have to turn tables and keep people coming in the door to make it. Plans include offering a Sunday brunch by mid-July, and if the food is like the dinner, it'll be a serious contender for best brunch in town. If they can turn tables fast enough to get 6:30 reservations out the door for an 8 pm Merrill show, the place will have it made.

BTW, I also managed to try Peak Organic's pomegranate wheat beer with acai - Deirdre blogged about it the other day. It was light and refreshing, without too much fruitiness. Not exactly like a wheat beer, though - lighter (and clearer) - but still smooth.