There can always be too much of a good thing, and when it comes to sit-down restaurant service, that thing is speed. Real meals are about unwinding, and when drinks and apps and main courses arrive in wham-bam succession, even fashionable hotspots take on a mess-hall vibe.
That?s why I?m a fan of the format at Red Table, a three-week-old Huntington Harbour spot where patrons order at a back counter, leaving a tab open if they wish, and then have drinks and eats brought to them.
This gives you time to breathe, exploring the reasonable values on quality California wines and world-class beers by Brasserie d?Achouffe, Lost Abbey and Great Divide.
When you?re ready to graze, go for sharing plates from the sizable New American menu.
Beets with peppered feta, walnuts and citrus ($5) are a magenta-and-gold mosaic of classic refreshment. Equally perky is albacore ?ceviche-shimi? with cilantro oil ($7), a generous and stylish cross between ceviche and sashimi.
Need something more filling? Nosh the Bollywood fries ($4), skin-on spuds with curry powder and invigorating cilantro chutney. Better yet, the bacon-wrapped dates with mascarpone and arugula ($7), a dish as time-honored everywhere as it is well-executed here.
This isn?t to say the ordering arrangements are without trade-offs. I?m skeptical they?ll work well for large parties, and they can be awkward for couples when one lovebird leaves the other twiddling thumbs. Also, though the system lets you kick back and set your own pace, you?ve first got to get up and order if you wish to do so.
You can, however, still count on attention from a cheery staff, and cost-conscious foodies will appreciate that you need pay only an automatic 5 percent tip on your bill (more can be added if you choose).
?It is not on our agenda to change it, but it is certainly not out of the question,? said Sandy Bauer, partner in the venture along with Cozette Dunlap and chef Louie Jocson (previously of Antonello, Karl Strauss and Sorrento Grill).
Feedback, Bauer said, has been mixed but overwhelmingly positive. If needed, she added, the restaurant can do regular table service.
The lack of traditional waiters is especially striking given the smart d?cor. Red Table?s team transformed an old Ralphs grocery store warehouse into a bohemian-chic respite with sky-high ceilings, dainty chandeliers, a big painting that commands observers to EAT YOUR VEGETABLES and, appropriately, a large red table at the center of the room.
?The red table,? according to the restaurant, ?is an outward expression of the way we feel about food and friendship. The color red directs us to stop and take pause. The table represents family, community and comfort.?
Comfort is also represented by the main courses. Shaved pork sandwich ($11) is a Deep South take on French dip, its mammoth roll packed with pig and collard greens and provolone, outstanding alone and intoxicating when dunked in smoked paprika jus.
A flatbread special ($15) is flat-out phenomenal, if pricey. Sticky buffalo mozzarella blankets bitter mizuna leaves, snappy shrimp and some of the finest crushed tomatoes this side of San Marzano.
Speaking of Italy, the pasta shines in a mushroom ravioli where thick sheets envelop even thicker slices of ?shroom.
Finish with dessert truffles (five for $5), and revel in creamy chocolate bedecked with sea salt, pink pepper, cayenne, espresso powder and, happily, bacon.
These go down easy, just like the rest of the menu. And so, when it comes to Red Table?s food, maybe I was wrong. Maybe it?s not always possible to have too much of something good.
For photos of Red Table?s food and decor, click here!
Red Table
16821 Algonquin St.
Huntington Beach
714-846-4700
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Source: http://foodfrenzy.ocregister.com/2011/08/11/new-restaurant-wins-fans-quickly/44965/
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