My love affair with Ambria goes back some 20 years, just about as long as the restaurant has been open. Never has the restaurant let me down or disappointed me. Dining there is like wrapping yourself in a warmly inviting culinary quilt.
The antithesis to such pleasantness is seen in fine dining restaurants that seem to take pleasure in playing the one-up game with the patrons, a ruse to justify the price and the swell surroundings. In the process it all comes off as hollow, and in the end our pockets are empty and so are our stomachs.
Ambria satisfies on every level of fine dining, which is why I am awarding it the highest rating on my scorecard--four stars.
The way I see it right now, we have but four four-star restaurants around here. Tru (reviewed here on July 16), the inimitable and always enjoyable Everest, the ever-inventive Tallgrass in Lockport and Ambria.
Using Ambria as a model, here is what it takes to achieve a four-star rating. The most weight on the rating scale is given to the food. It must be creative, innovative, understandable and of impeccable quality. There must be, of course, exquisite flavor in every bite.
Service comes next. It, too, must be impeccable. Anticipating the diner's needs without hovering or hassle. Knowing the menu. In tune with the kitchen. The pace of the meal (not too fast, not too slow).
An important adjunct to a meal in a restaurant of Ambria's caliber is the wine service. At Ambria you can put your trust in Bob Bansberg, who is, without a doubt, one of the most knowledgeable sommeliers around.
Next there is atmosphere. The atmosphere at Ambria is as soft and luxurious as cashmere. With its polished wood, gracious mirrors and sprays of flowers, the room has a vintage feel but comes off modern and incredibly romantic.
Finally, when all is done and the bill arrives, the sum would seem paltry relative to the pleasure received, and that is what, in the end, fine dining is all about.
Ambria allows for a number of dining options: Le Petite Degustation of five courses ($60); Le Grand Degustation Menu ($75); Shellfish Degustation ($65); Menu Vegetarian ($55); and menu a la carte.
Choosing one of the degustation options takes the decision-making process out of the hands of the diner (the way to go if you are on a first date or feel uncomfortable making choices on your own).
Here is what degustation was all about at a recent dinner at Ambria. (Keep in mind that a degustation dinner implies smaller portions).
We began with miniature crabcakes that were all crab. Succulent and sweet and dabbed with a fragrant yellow tomato vinaigrette, these cakes took the cake.
The next course was silky-rich smoked salmon shaped into tulips, the style, or center of the tulip sporting a lush avocado mousse.
A pairing of sweetbreads and langoustines could not have been more perfectly realized or crafted. The slightly crispy and delicate morsels of sweetbreads were arranged with the langoustines (think scampi), sauteed and firm of flesh, in a ginger and soy broth, with soft red cabbage and salsify adding interest and texture.
A half-bottle of 1997 Puligny-Montrachet (Jean Pillot et fils) heralded the arrival of the sauteed quail, so elegant and tender and laced with a luscious Armagnac sauce. The plate arrangement included a tiny quail egg (sunnyside up), cipollini onion and a puree of parsnips.
Nothing is more sinful or sensuous than the combination of foie gras and Sauternes (1995 Chateau Filhot). The subtle sweetness of the Sauternes deftly cut some of the richness of the ''block'' of foie gras, which had been sauteed and deglazed with a pomegranate vinaigrette (an inspired touch) to establish a firmness. (In the wrong hands this delicacy can turn to mush, which destroys the flavor.) With the foie gras was a fruity accompaniment of slivers of fresh figs and pineapple.
The chef-proprietor is Gabino Sotelino. The chef de cuisine is Anselmo Ruiz. As you can see, there are French influences, but in style the cuisine takes a sharp turn and leans into contemporary.
That would be noted in the next course, roasted fillet of pompano, the rich white meat of the fish accented gently with a Zinfandel reduction and paired with a somewhat zesty caviar of eggplant.
Our next course was sauteed squab. An assortment of chanterelles, flageolets (pale green haricots) and baby white carrots accompanied the meaty, tender squab, which drew flavor interest from a finely tuned sage sauce and vice versa.
Le dessert finale un was a fruit minestrone (assortment of fresh fruit) with apricot sauce and a sparkling lemongrass sorbet.
Le dessert finale deux was a stunning, towering, napoleon of pineapple accompanied by a mango sorbet.
It doesn't get much better than this. When all was done, we were pleasantly sated but not groaning from excess.
