The space where Calliope is located has gone through so many iterations in the past few years, most recently Belcourt, that I was starting to think that the space was cursed because none of the restaurants seemed to last more than 1-2 years. But I think Calliope may change that streak. Calliope has been written up in several Best of 2012 lists so I figured that tons of well respected blogs can't be wrong, right?
I met a childhood friend (we hadn't seen each other in 20 years, how crazy is that?!) there for dinner on Sunday night and it was pretty packed. I will say that I wasn't a huge fan of the lay out of the seating. We were almost sitting on top of the table next to us and the table behind us, but eventually the table next to us left pretty early on in the meal so that freed up some space. We started with Nantucket Bay Scallop crudo ($15) for an appetizer and then split the rabbit pappardelle ($27) and the black sea bass ($30) entrees. The meal started with toasted bread with an anchovy spread. I'm not really a huge of anchovy but the spread here was a nice touch and not too fishy tasting. The crudo came out and the dish was gorgeous. It was served with slices of fresh grapefruit and sprinkled with olive oil. While it wasn't quite like a ceviche, the combination of the fresh citrus slices and raw seafood was amazing. These were smaller scallops but there was a surprisingly decent number of them. I was seriously in love with this dish. It was so clean and refreshing that I could have had ordered 10 more of these. But I was also very eager for the other 2 dishes. I tried the sea bass first and I was immediately impressed with the texture and firmness of the fish. It was cooked perfectly and the mild flavor of the fish was paired well with the saffron mussel broth, the leeks and romesco toast. The romesco sauce was fantastic and who would have thought that toast and fish went well together? This was one of the best fish dishes I've had in a while and I hope that my 2013 meals continue on this course. On to the rabbit dish. I can't say I've had rabbit recently but this one was pretty damn good. I thought the meat tasted like a mix of chicken and duck - not gamey at all. My only complaint was that the dish was overpowered by the taste of butter. I just had these visions of all the cooking shows I've seen on TV and watched in horror as they ladle heaps of butter into a sauce pan. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the dish but it was a bit heavy handed on the butter. Just when I thought I couldn't eat anymore we were lured into dessert. We opted for the Baba Rhum with whipped cream and rum ($9) and oh boy was it an intense dessert. It's a warmed brioche pastry that is cut in half at the table, then the waitress pours the very strong rum on top of the bread (which soaks the bread immediately and intensely) and then covered with the fresh whip cream. It was basically a rum cake or bread and when you get to the bottom of the bread you could also feel yourself getting drunk but in a good way. The whip cream was so light and fluffy that we actually put the entire ramekin of it on the bread.
The food here was fabulous and the service was spot on. I do think the entrees are priced a bit high but unlike my last meal at El Toro Blanco I can see a slightly better justification here than there. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a place to come to over and over again given the prices, but it's definitely a solid place for a great meal. Total bill: $109 for two people with tax and tip
Photo Credit: NY Magazine
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