The month-long celebration of my birthday continues at the Whale Wins! My friend and I had heard great things about this place and it is impossible to get a reservation here. It’s small and tucked away, but it’s a neat space next to Joule with “hello” written in the lights above and the desserts prominently on display on the counter when you walk in. A preview of dessert – what could be more exciting! They had a pile of unruly looking pistachio meringues that you could take home for $3.50. They are a family style large plate restaurant – meaning you order as if you would small plates and share with the table. There’s no real entrée on the menu, so pick all the things that interest you and you won’t go wrong. We ordered 5 plates plus dessert and it was very filling, but not uncomfortably so.
Pork Belly (missing picture – we ate it before I remembered to take pictures) – a very lean pork belly with roasted eggplants; a nice meat dish, very simply prepared
Overall, I enjoyed this rather inventive restaurant. They try some interesting combinations with uncommon ingredients, and you get to try all of it. They let the ingredients speak for themselves and don’t try to over-engineer the dishes. Next time, we need to try the lamb tartare and the roasted chicken. It’s a delightful place and I would recommend it for some refreshing flavors and intriguing combinations.
SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: sardine crostini, kale salad, bitters frozen sabayon
Footnotes: even if you can’t get a reservation, you can still walk in for dinner – we went on a Monday night; try as many dishes as you can, so bring friends and family; they also have lots of pickled items and wines for purchase