Wednesday Night Special
Having thoroughly enjoyed Sunday brunch at Fitzwater Café, my girlfriend and I could not pass up the opportunity to take a trip to
Fitzwater Café features a BYOB evening for this event, so you have the opportunity to pair your favorite wine(s) with your meals. This can be fun and exciting. If you know what you intend to order, your job of choosing a wine is easy. However, if you are unfamiliar with the menu and its du jour selections, you might wish to take both a red and a white with you. Dare you take a rosé?
The meal takes the form of an Italian dinner. The first course consists of a vegetable or salad. The second course is a pasta. This is followed by the entrée. Finally, diners enjoy one of the many desserts prepared in Fitzwater Café’s bakery.
Because of the menu offerings and pricing, Wednesday nights have become very popular at Fitzwater Café. For this reason, you will definitely want to make reservations.
The Experience
Unfamiliar with Wednesday night’s menu, my girlfriend and I decide to take two wines with us to Fitzwater Café: Tomaiolo Chianti Classico Riserva, 2001 and Soleira Albariño Rías Baixas, 2005. Both are new to our collection, so we look forward to trying them. We arrive at Fitwater Café early in the day and ask Gloria Santilli, the restaurant’s manager, to put the Soleira on ice and to hold the Tomaiolo for us. She was more than happy to oblige.
We arrive right on time for our 5:00 reservation. Complimentary valet parking is offered for this evening’s event, and additional parking is available on the street. The lighting inside is low, setting the stage for an intimate, formal dinner in a casual atmosphere. The host and waiters are impeccably dressed. The host takes our name and seats us at a quiet table by the front window. He hands us a choice of menus—we may either order from the special menu for the evening, or we may order a la carte. Before leaving us, he tells us to enjoy our meal.
Right away, our waiter appears tableside with glasses of water and a fresh loaf of bread. He asks which menu we will be ordering from and if we are familiar with the special dinner. We reply that we have enjoyed brunch at Fitzwater, but that we are not familiar with the special dinner. When we tell him that we will be ordering from the special menu, he lets us know that he will be happy to answer any questions. Turning on the balls of his feet, he retrieves two wine glasses sitting on the counter behind him and places them on the table. “Would you like to begin with some wine?” he asks. We decline, indicating that we would like to wait until our meal begins.
Next, our waiter explains what everything on the menu is, pointing out that the Ravioli of the Day are made in house; emphasizing that the Homemade Gnocchi are, indeed, homemade; and that the desserts are all prepared by Fitzwater Café’s pastry chef, Lawrence Irvin. Then he tells us about the four entrées: salmon, bronzino, chicken, and veal. Each week, Chef Reyes prepares these dishes in a different manner, and tonight’s selections sound particularly wonderful. With our heads full of information, our waiter leaves us to make our decisions.
As we begin to read our menus, our waiter brings us a large plate of roasted red peppers.
I consider the choices for my first course, and decide upon the Mediterranean Salad. This composition of shrimp, calamari, scallops, and crab over a bed of mixed greens in a lemon and olive oil dressing sounds like a great way to start my meal. I think I will pair it with the Soleira.
Deciding to stay with the seafood theme, I go with the Black Linguine for my second course. This is linguine made with squid ink, providing the black color, served with shrimp, calamari, mussels, little neck clams, and scallops with olive oil, garlic, and white wine or a light red sauce. I am going to get the white wine sauce to help enhance the seafood flavors. I will pair this with the Soleira, too.
Now for my entrée. All four choices sounded wonderful when our waiter described them to us. The Veal Melanzana seems to be very creative, though. This is tender slices of veal layered with eggplant and mozzarella in a light tomato/white wine sauce. It strikes me as a combination of veal and chicken parmesans, two of my favorite dishes in the whole world. That said, I have made my choice. The Tomaiolo should pair wonderfully with this.
After we have placed our orders, my girlfriend and I take a moment to taste the bread and the roasted red peppers. The bread is warm and fresh. The hard, crusty outside and the soft inside tell me that it is Italian. The peppers are sweet, seasoned with garlic, oregano, and olive oil. Alone, these are delicious. When I put the peppers on the bread, however, the combination is divine. The sweet, seasoned pepper works wonderfully with the warm, slightly sweet bread. Add in the crunch of the crust and I have a whole adventure in my mouth.
Our waiter pours the Soleira Albariño Rías Baixas, 2005. The Albariño (al-ba-REE-nyo) is, far and away, the highest
quality grape grown in Rías Baixas, making up 90% of all plantings. The Rías Baixas Denomination of Origin refers to and geographically demarcates the region where the mythical grape from which the most prestigious Galician white wine is made: Albariño. The aromatic Albariño grape grows in very small clusters, hardly weighing 125 g. They are distinguished from other types of grapes by their high sugar content and high degree of acidity that give it an exclusive freshness and personality. It is the most celebrated and valued variety in the Denomination.
Pale golden yellow in color, the Albariño is crisp and elegant. It has an aromatic nose of vine fruit and citrus. Clean and bright, the Albariño is packed with fresh citrus, white peach, melon, pineapple, and mango flavors. With a light-to-medium body, this wine has good mineral overtones and a nice balance. There is a touch of acidity on the bone-dry finish. Very pleasant and enjoyable, I could drink this alone or with a light repast.
The Mediterranean Salad soon arrives. It is much larger than I had expected. The waiter offers me freshly ground black pepper, which I quickly accept. The mixed greens are dark and flavorful, but serve as a background for the copious seafood on the platter. The shrimp are large and sweet, having been steamed. The calamari has been cut into rings and boiled, reserving the squid’s flavor without covering it in batter and oil. The scallops are enormous, easily 2” across. These are succulent. The chef apparently steamed these to keep their natural flavors. The jumbo lump crab is a real treat. I can taste the ocean in the large hunks of meat. Chef Reyes’s simple light dressing of olive oil and lemon enhances the seafood’s natural flavors without drowning them out. It adds just enough acidity to the salad to brighten the mixed greens for their own sake, rather than making the dressing the dominant force on the palate. This is a fabulous salad.
I taste the Soleira with the salad. The citrus flavors in the wine along with the slight acidity on the finish go marvelously with the salad. Had Chef used a vinegar to complete the salad, not only would he have hidden the flavors of the seafood, I would have had to pair the dish with a hearty red, I fear. I got lucky with my blind choice of the Albariño.
The waiter clears our table after we have finished the first course and refills our water glasses again. He asks us how we are enjoying things so far, and we respond quite positively. After checking on his other tables, the waiter returns to find out which wines we will be enjoying with our next course. I indicate that I will be drinking the Soleira again, and that my glass is still half-full. My girlfriend points out to me that whenever our water glasses have become half-empty, the waiter refills them. I, too, have noticed the high level of attention to our needs.
Shortly, the waiter serves me the Black Linguine. After placing my plate on the table, he asks if I would like crushed red pepper and/or freshly grated cheese. I accept the offer for both. Only then do I realize that he had deftly placed these items on the counter behind him, anticipating what I could possibly want.
The Black Linguine was served in a small pasta bowl, with the linguine occupying the bottom of the bowl. Gathered on top of the linguine, you find the shrimp, calamari, mussels, little neck clams, and scallops, all in an olive oil, garlic, white wine sauce. The squid ink used to make the black linguine gives it a mild shellfish taste, so it is no surprise that Fitzwater Café has chosen to serve it with shellfish. The shrimp, calamari, and scallops are of the same varieties that I experienced in the Mediterranean Salad—large, flavorful, and succulent. The mussels and little neck clams have been steamed in the sauce so that they are quite full of the dish’s flavors. They are of a good size and are easily removed from the shells. This is a delicious dish.
I am rather confident that the Soleira will accompany the Black Linguine well. I take a drink to test my hypothesis. I am right on the money. The citrus, mineral overtones, slight acidity and bone-dry finish pair extremely well with this dish. The Albariño accentuates the seafood’s flavors and enhances the more delicate taste of the black linguine. I realize that there is no detectable salt in the Black Linguine; if there were, I do not think that the Albariño would work. Fortunately, this is not the case. Again, I have made a fortuitous choice of wines tonight.
Our table is cleared after we finish our pasta. Having found the first two courses extremely impressive, I anxiously await the entrée. At this point in the evening, the restaurant is fully seated. The host is trying his best to accommodate walk-ins with reservations later in the evening. Due to the popularity of the Wednesday Special, however, not all requests for tables can be fulfilled.
Our waiter asks us which wines we will be enjoying with the next course. I tell him that I would like to have a glass of the Tomaiolo Chianti Classico Riserva, 2001. He retrieves a red wine glass for me, and pours the wine.
I examine the Tomaiolo. It is deep ruby red, tending toward garnet. The color carries all the way to the rim. The bouquet
is vinous, with scents of tobacco, violets, and a hint of black cherry. It has a pronounced elegance about the nose without being cloying. The wine is balanced, dry and sapid. It is lightly tannic. I taste big red and black berries, to the exclusion of all other flavors, with a satiny finish. I realize that these are characteristics of the Sangiovese (minimum 80%) required by the Chianti Classico DOCG production rules. I am afraid that Dr. Lecter would find this wine a bit bold for his dinner of liver and fava beans.
The veal melanzana is served with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. The mashed potatoes are real, creamy, and smooth. The broccoli is naked, being allowed to showcase its magnificent earthy flavor with a fresh crispness. The white and green provide pleasant colors for the presentation, as well.
The veal melanzana looks much as I had imagined it would. The veal slices are topped with slices of eggplant that have been very lightly breaded. These are then covered in melted mozzarella cheese. The light tomato and white wine sauce has been spooned over top of the whole. The dish greatly resembles a combination of veal and chicken parmesans.
I take a bite. The veal absolutely melts in my mouth. The eggplant has almost no seeds; obviously Chef Reyes selects only male eggplants for his kitchen. The vegetable is firm and not overcooked. This provides a wonderful texture to the dish and preserves the eggplant’s natural flavors. The mozzarella is of a high quality, possibly even freshly made in the kitchen. These flavors play together like a group of butterflies on the wing, dancing upon my palate lightly, tickling my taste buds and creating a sensation of wonderment. It is the sauce, however, that binds the flavors together. The use of the light tomato and white wine creates a gentle breeze upon which the butterflies may fly and be carried to my awaiting senses. The fresh tomato and Italian seasonings enhance the flavors in the veal and eggplant, adding another dimension to the gustatory experience with the garlic, basil, and oregano. The wine’s light acidity breaks down any overwhelming bite that the seasonings may have, while lifting the eggplant’s more delicate flavors to a higher terrace so that they may be enjoyed in this sensual delight.
I take a sip of the Chianti Classico to see how it pairs with my entrée. The big red and black berries of the wine match the veal marvelously. They also pair remarkably well with the light tomato and white wine sauce. My guess is that the seasonings and tomato play a great role in this. The wine’s dry, sapid, nature with the slightly tannic attitude contribute to the way that it enhances the flavor of the eggplant. A sweeter, more subdued wine would not work as well with this vegetable. Three must be my lucky number!
After we have finished our dinners, the waiter clears the table and asks if we would like some coffee. My girlfriend and I order cappuccinos. We are then directed to the dessert case so that we can make our selections.
Fitzwater Café features a multitude of desserts from which to choose. They have virtually everything: assorted cheesecakes, fruit tats, banana cream pie, cannoli, cakes, Napoleon, nut tarts, fruit pies, and too much else to list. Feeling like I am making the most difficult decision of my life, I finally select the chocolate chip cheesecake and return to the table.
The waiter arrives in a moment with our cappuccinos and desserts. The cappuccino is served in a very large mug. The aroma is fantastic. He did not ruin it with whipped cream like so many chain stores tend to. The cheesecake is enormous. I never expected to receive enough dessert to share with a small family. As I allow the cappuccino to cool a bit, I taste the cheesecake. Mmmm…It is light, creamy, full of chocolate chips, and thick. It tastes more like a ricotta cheesecake than a
Here is where I get to grade my dining experience. I grade on 5 factors: Atmosphere, Service, Presentation, Taste, and Value. These areas are scored on a 0 to 10 scale with 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.
Atmosphere: 10 With the lights down low, candles on the tables, and the staff dressed to the nines, Fitzwater Café takes on an elegant, romantic, formal feel even though this is billed as a casual evening. I feel welcome here, like a guest in someone’s home.
Service: 10 Our waiter was attentive to every little detail. He made us feel like we were the only customers in Fitzwater Café tonight, and we were his special guests. He knew about wines and the correct way to pour a wine. He was friendly and warm; knowledgeable and professional. I would return to Fitzwater Café and request his service again and again.
Presentation: 10 Chef Reyes’s kitchen took great care to present the food. Colors, shapes, textures, arrangements were all considered before any dish was served to the diners. Even the shape of the plate used for a specific dish went into the design of each course. Art in the kitchen to please the eyes in the dining room.
Taste: 10 My meal was phenomenal! I can find absolutely nothing to complain about. Chefs Reyes and Irvin are masters at going above and beyond every expectation in satisfying their diners’ taste buds. Every bite, every morsel from the bread and roasted red peppers to the cappuccino and cheesecake took me on a culinary adventure of flavor and nuance. Delicious!
Value: 10 I am not sure that even a 15 approaches the value that this meal should receive. Four courses for $30? And you get to bring the wine of your choosing? Hello? The meal that I enjoyed tonight stands up to any of the four and five star restaurants that I have visited, hands down. So you may not get as lucky as I did with your wine selection. Not a big deal! Just make your reservations early, and GO HUNGRY! The only thing I rue about this dinner is how full I was afterward! This was a true Italian meal, my friends. You will not leave the restaurant hungry.
Business Hours:
Open 7 Days a Week
for Breakfast and Lunch
7:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Tuesday thru Saturday
5:00 PM to 9:30/10:00 PM
No dinner served Sunday or Monday
Wednesday informal 4-course dinner, prepared by Chef Oscar Reyes. $30/person. BYOB. Reservations Strongly Suggested.
Fitzwater Café |
7th and Fitzwater Streets |
04 September 2007