Encore by JD Wesley has renewed my faith in fine dining in the city of Toledo. Prior to my visit to Encore, I would have undoubtedly pointed folks wanting to experience an upscale dining experience to Fifi's Restaurant in a heartbeat. Upon my discovery of JD Wesley's second restaurant, however, I find myself recommending both top-notch restaurants to out-of-town guests.
Tucked in a strip mall in a space formerly occupied by Poco Piatti, Encore is not exactly the easiest place to find. However, the bright, gaudy sign will lead you straight to the business' front doors. Having been warmly greeted by our hostess, we were immediately led to our table in a rather small dining space -- which brings me to my first tip to dining here: make reservations!
Our personable and highly entertaining server swung by our table within minutes of being seated and proceeded to fill our glasses. The appetizer menu covered a range of tempting options: from JD Wesley's infamous crab cakes to the Creole pie. The Creole pie called and I unhesitantly answered, while two of my dining companions opted for the crab cakes. The pie itself was divine, to say the least. Chunks of crawfish can be found nestled between layers of tender, flaky dough immersed in spices. The bite of crab cake I managed to sneak in also proved to be heavenly, with the accompanying aioli sauce augmenting the already flavorful pan-seared crab cake patties.
Onto the actual entrees themselves. Again, my indecisiveness kicked in making it difficult to settle on simply one dish. The young sea bass sounded delicious, as did the potato crusted sea bass. We soon learned that the sea bass was no longer an option for the evening, as was the mahi-mahi. Additionally, Encore was down to one last young sea bass for the evening, which led me to wonder if it was the restaurant's growing popularity that led to such shortages or the fact that they were short-stocked to begin with. Either way, I was thankful when one of my dining companions was gracious enough to let me have the last young sea bass of the night while he settled with a perch entree.
The young sea bass was prepared tableside meticulously and accurately. The dish itself was well-executed with the perfect amalgam of flavors, with a nuance of tang that sets this preparation style apart from the other sea bass I've had at other establishments. My one small gripe was the fish bones that were found in the sea bass, which made it rather difficult to enjoy the cut of fish at times. Portion-wise, Encore did not skimp on the seafood. Friends who ordered the Creole Pasta and the Lobster Ravioli breathed sighs of relief upon seeing the generous chunks of scallops and lobster, respectively.
Having come across many reviews of the memorable desserts at Encore, it didn't come as a surprise to any of my friends that I wasn't going to share my dessert. A printed dessert menu is non-existent here. Rather, the menu was recited to us by our server. My ears tuned into the bread pudding at first, but that quickly shifted after hearing the words 'signature' next to 'chocolate dessert' roll of his tongue. Sold, ladies and gents. No words can possibly do the behemoth of a dessert justice. While it resembled the chocolate sack at the Fat Fish Blue to a certain degree, this one was noteworthy in its own ways. Delicate in appearance, I was taken aback by the richness of the mousse. In fact, it was so dense that I could only finish a quarter of the dessert and requested a box for the rest. Who would have guessed that chocolate mousse would make such a great breakfast alternative to oatmeal, bagels, and the like? I certainly didn't until I polished off the remainder the next morning.
I truly hope that Encore, unlike most of its fine dining counterparts, is here to stay. It's places like this that introduces folks to true gastronomic delights. Chain restaurants need not apply. From the service to the food, all was close to flawless. Word on the street is that the owner himself will concoct a dish for the undecisive diners. Perhaps I'll take advantage of this my next visit. Till then, keep up the amazing culinary skills, Mr. Wesley!
Rating: *****
Encore by JD Wesley
5333 Monroe St
Toledo, OH 43623
(419) 841-3222
No comments:
Post a Comment