Chow

Thursday, Dec. 20, 07

The Lunchroom Gang

The Food Gang falls short of its potential

By Mark Goldberg

The coriander-dusted tuna

If you watched the competitive reality show Top Chef, you know that the former executive chef of The Food Gang, Howie Kleinberg, was a contestant. Here’s something he should have realized: If you’re going to stay away from your real job for three months to play a game, that job might not be waiting for you when you return. That’s why Kleinberg is the restaurant’s former chef and Jacob Durham is the new man in the kitchen.

Durham has had classical French training at the Ritz-Escoffier Paris, worked for Alain Ducasse in New York, taught at Le Cordon Bleu in Lima, Peru, and earned a “pro chef level II” certificate from the Culinary Institute of America — all of which causes us to wonder why his entrées lacked flavor, cried for seasoning and were served lukewarm.

Things were rocky from the start. When we asked to see a wine list, we were told there was none because it was going through some changes. Our waiter asked what type of wine we liked and said he would try to match us up. The outcome was good, with a very nice zinfandel, but if you’re the type who orders wine by looking at the prices, you’re out of luck.

To be fair, our appetizers were pretty good. In fact, the Ahi Tuna Tartar ($16) was excellent, fresh and clean-tasting. Durham coats the fish with olive oil and tops it with a bit of salmon roe for added excitement. A potato tuile offers a nice contrasting crunch. Also good was the Green Pea Soup ($12) with sliced black truffle. The English peas blend nicely with a creamy mascarpone, and bits of turkey bacon add a subtle smokiness. The Roasted Duck Leg Confit Pizzette ($15) sounded terrific, with its goat cheese base, roasted tomatoes and olives. But the duck itself was dry and our waiter confessed that it always comes out that way. The Food Gang Salad ($12) featured hearts of palm and artichokes along with mixed greens, all marinated in a selection of herbs that Durham infuses into his oils.

There are 20 entrées to choose from, ranging from a basket of steamed vegetables ($16) to a 16-ounce New York Strip ($49). The Lamb Loin with Roasted Peaches ($26) sounded inviting. But the lamb, supposedly prepared with Mediterranean sea salt, was cold and uninteresting, although the peaches were sweet and tasty. The accompanying polenta with parmesan, crème fraîche and cool tomatoes also was nice, but we had anticipated the lamb. Likewise, the Veal Blanquette ($20) had strong potential. It’s a classic French dish, with thin-sliced veal in a light cream sauce that we poured over rice, wild mushrooms and pearl onions. It was as if the rice sucked every scintilla of flavor from the dish, so we reached for the salt shaker. The Ahi Tuna à la Marocaine ($29) was a saving grace. Thickly cut and barely seared, it was spiced with a variety of paprikas and peppers and a bit of a citrus reduction. Its Mediterranean mashed potatoes side was just as good, with crunchy, roasted rosemary potatoes folded in for a surprising crunch. Duck Breast Over Roasted Fruit ($23) was probably the most flavorful of our dishes. Seasoned to perfection and sliced and fanned on the plate, the virtually fat-free duck — a magret duck has only 5 percent body fat — created a tantalizing tug-of-flavor war with the assorted roasted fruits. Yes, the dish looked way too similar to the lamb, but Durham likes stone fruits and their season is coming to an end — the time when they’re at their peak — so why not?

As noted, everything came out of the kitchen lukewarm. This usually reflects on the wait staff, but in this case, we weren’t sure, since the restaurant wasn’t that crowded and the servers appeared to be hustling about.

Durham spent half his career as a pastry chef, so he enjoys creating attractive desserts, each of which comes with a sugar sculpture. These change all the time, so check with your waiter.

Visually, the restaurant itself remains the same, with the small market area of upscale, retail items from Petrossian and Fauchon. Our dinner companions felt tablecloths might enhance the feel a little, but the general consensus was that it looked like a corporate lunchroom with lower lighting.

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