THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar Restaurant Review:

This high-energy restaurant, a labor of love, is a successful union between two longtime friends in the food business who banded together to create what is truly a neighborhood eatery. General manager Nick Carbonne is the ideal host. He’s happy to lead you through the well-constructed yet simple menu of seasonal American dishes crafted with French flair. Executive chef Colin MacLaggan was schooled in London, but cut his teeth with the likes of San Diego faves Martin Woesle (Mille Fleurs) and Carl Schroeder (Arterra). MacLaggan favors fresh ingredients, refined techniques and eye-catching presentation. Not-to-be-missed starters include the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside duck confit and the wild mushroom tortellini in Madeira broth with Champagne grapes and grilled sweet corn. For entrées, we like the pecan-crusted loin of lamb in a smoked red wine sauce and its root vegetable gratin accompaniment, along with the seared scallops over poached pear risotto with saffron mussel essence. Desserts wow as well, especially the baked fromage blanc, a light, elegant cheesecake with caramelized pear, crème anglaise and a gooseberry garnish.