November 18-24, 2004

food

World Meritage Commission

SPANISH QUARTET: Meritage's four-dish tapas La Ramblas, inspired by the Barcelona neighborhood, includes shrimp, mussels and marinated rabbit (center). Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Served in dusky surroundings, Grant Brown's range stretches to traditional dishes from every region.

by Maxine Keyser

Someone said that you can always rate a restaurant by the coffee they serve. If this precept holds, then Meritage (please pronounce it like heritage) should be right up there with the best. Their coffee and teas come in French-press filters that coax maximum flavor from these brews. But then, handling beverages is nothing new to James Colabelli, former sommelier at Davio's, and his partner, Taylor Barnebey. For them and their diners, the wine collection, handsomely glassed-in near the entrance, is not a sideshow but a main focus of this exciting new restaurant. From the list of about 250 bottles, you can choose an unusual, fairly priced wine to complement the food, or ask Colabelli to do it for you. He and Barneby are so attendant to your every need, they act almost as your own personal staff. If you have trouble seeing the menu in the dusky, deep red dining room, they'll even whip out a flashlight-pen to help.

Ah, the menu — the work of chef Grant Brown, well-traveled and late of Detroit's London Chop House — is the most original one we've seen in ages. His selections span the globe, and every dish is titled in its native language (fortunately translated at the bottom). Pride of origins is important to Brown's dishes' names, as is evidenced by his tapas La Ramblas (the famed neighborhood in Barcelona). This plate of firm, garlicky shrimp, olives, farmer's cheese with Marcona almonds, marinated mussels, and an escabeche of young rabbit (marinated, cooked slices of rabbit), is as authentic and good as any one would find in Spain. Prosciutto con fichi is an appetizer straight from Italy — grilled figs, prosciutto di Parma and Casciotta d'Urbino cheese skewered on a rosemary twig and highlighted by syrupy pears and peaches. Barigoule d'artichaut Provencal here includes asparagus in this traditional artichoke stew, as well as autumn vegetables, white wine, lots of lemon and a dab of polenta for texture. Buttery, rich Bearnaise sauce naps lobster as an homage to Norman cooking, while a perfect salade Lyonnaise, named for the Lyon region, includes frisee lettuce, lardons and poached egg.

At this point, we nibble house-made buttermilk rolls and, our eyes accustomed to the gloom, we admire the antique sideboard housing some liqueurs and the beveled mirrors that are the only wall treatment. From the comfortable dining chairs to the stemware, nothing has been overlooked to make this dining room feel more like someone's home than a restaurant.

Biweekly, Brown offers a special menu of four courses with appropriate wines, but tonight's is Morrocan, not to my guests' liking, so we order a la carte. We have also chosen to drink a Villa Mt. Eden Chardonnay from Bien Nacido, and it is a big enough wine to go with svinekod, a traditional Danish pork chop, grilled, sparked by the tart sweetness of lingonberries and mustard, and garnished with bacon, roasted potatoes and lots of dill. The truite Grenobleoise is another faithful rendition of a classic — a beautiful rainbow trout filet served with lemon, croutons, capers and a white wine sauce. To this already perfect dish, Brown adds baby Brussels sprouts and tiny purple potatoes. This lagniappe is exemplary of Brown's attention to the smallest detail and his belief in honest, pure flavors.

A Milanese Coneglio alla Boscaiola is another case in point; first a braised rabbit leg stuffed with foie gras and sun-dried cherries, then a lightly sauteed rabbit loin, and last a braised rabbit belly stuffed with wild mushrooms. All this dark deliciousness comes with a swirl of parpardelle pasta, more porcinis and the final touch of Madeira cream sauce. (It tasted even better the second day, after I brought half of it home.)

There are dishes from Umbria, Sicily and Germany, plus a respectable paella Valencia, but apparently Brown prides himself on the Tunisian Meritage, a trio of North African lamb dishes: a loin chop, a grilled leg, and a pulled shoulder. All are redolent of rosemary, lavender, mint and honey and served with a refreshing tabbouleh salad and a melange of dried tomatoes and dates. This last one is textbook true but bears Brown's own individual stamp. Even that old canard, veal Oscar with asparagus and a little lump crab, gets updated with truffles in the Bearnaise.

I wish I could extol the desserts as much as I have the rest of the meal, but they fall short in a restaurant of this quality. A fig tart is only a smear of fig jam on some dough, studded with underripe fresh figs, and an apple-peach tart is soggy and flavorless. Better sip the aforementioned splendid coffee, or go out into the retro, leather-chaired lounge and sample one of their single-malt Scotches. (Unfortunately, there's smoking out there.) As civilized evenings go, with quiet ambience, impeccable service, and food for thought, Meritage lives up to the "merit" portion of its name.

Meritage
500 S. 20th St. 215-985-1922
Dinner: Mon-Sat., 5-11 p.m.
Appetizers: $9-$14 Entrees: $23-$32 Tasting Menu: $49, $69 with wine
Reservations recommended. Not wheelchair accessible. Credit cards accepted. Smoking permitted in lounge.

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