RESTAURANT REVIEW: Tart

Summer has arrived and Tart has it all figured out. The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel – aptly named considering its location across the street from The Original Farmers Market on Fairfax – houses the restaurant. We sampled so many dishes we were tempted to get a room for a post-meal nap. It was an unforgettable feast with friends.

As we ladled refreshingly fruity alcoholic concoctions from punch bowls into “Mason jar mugs,” I felt pangs of detachment for getting rid of my Carnival Glass punch bowl some time ago.

On a very rustic farm table stretching the length of the dining room, we dipped crisp Chicharron Fries topped with Brussels slaw into pickled date purée and nibbled on Pickled Summer Squash with dill blossoms, fresh from the jars in which they were canned. This set the tone for the evening – homespun pleasures elevated to city sophistication.

Partner Ellen Picataggio, who also designed the decor, described it as “an American Southerner meets an English Pub and has an affair in Paris.”

We moved from the art-filled walls of the interior to the charming hotel courtyard-dining patio for the main event. Tubs filled with succulents, corrugated tin and string lighting punctuated the outdoor space. Our table, set in front of an open hearth, was dotted with red metal chairs and wine glasses waiting to be filled. This was going to be some picnic.

We began with a “salad buffet” of sorts. Wooden planks with the word “Tart” carved into the side displayed a smattering of tomatoes, red pepper, radish, basil and torn chunks of sourdough bread. Drizzled roasted tomato vinaigrette completed the look and taste.  Heirloom Tomato Salad was what I would call “Nouveau Panzanella.”

Another wooden plank featured a salad of pea tendrils, grilled peach, Burrata, and truffle vinaigrette. The grill caramelized the peach, bringing out its natural sweetness. Cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber, mint, wild arugula and Feta were scattered artfully across the third wood plank. It was the very definition of summer. A lively Tangent, Sauvignon Blanc, Edna Valley 2012 with grassy elements paired beautifully with the trio of salads.

The humble egg is the ‘it’ food of the moment – eggs deviled, fried, sunny-side up or hidden inside a ravioli are showing up on many hot menus around the city, and Tart has a pretty good handle on the situation. Executive Chef Nick Erven’s nostalgic approach is evident in the Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs with Roe. Here’s where that Southerner has an affair in Paris – sublime and smoky was this version of the retro Deviled Egg.

More “egg love” showed up again in an elevated version of a UK picnic favorite. This rendition of the Scotch Egg was surrounded by steak tartar and served with parsley salad. The floral Cambiata, Alvarino, Monterey 2010, tasting of ripe summer fruit was a surprising yet harmonious partnership to the appetizers.

The egg made a final appearance, sunny-side up and glistening atop a pile of Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts, tossed in chili lime vinaigrette. Served along side this bowl of yumminess was another popular breakfast item making the non-breakfast menu rounds as of late – toast. This was “haute-toast” topped with crab, avocado, hot sauce and lemon.

A personal favorite for breakfast, lunch or dinner – Chicken and Waffles − was served on miniature-sized waffles with a drizzle of Tobasco-Maple Butter. Watch  out, Roscoe’s! The Provencal Jolie Folle Rosé, with strawberry and watermelon notes, was delicious with the spiciness of these signature dishes.

By the time the entrées made their appearance there was little left of our appetites. The Crispy Skin Salmon with fennel purée, petite herb salad and preserved lemon was (thankfully) clean and light. The Pork Belly with black-eyed peas and mustard was not. It was, however, a flavorful bowl of Southern comfort I’ll likely enjoy some other time when a thousand delicious dishes haven’t preceded it. We washed it down with an elegant Russian River MacMurray Ranch Pinot before we moved on to dessert.

The French presses filled with City Bean Coffee – purveyors of hand-roasted beans in small batches – signaled the end was near. As we tucked into our cups of coffee we couldn’t resist the Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding with Nutella, Banana Brûlée and Marshmallow Ice Cream; and we certainly weren’t going to refuse the Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta with Strawberries and Shortbread. No matter the state of our appetites, the pleasure of dessert could not be denied. No judgment – you’d do the same.