CRUSH Awards

CRUSH Restaurant Review:

This 7,000-square-foot restaurant is divided into a “greenhouse” garden with lighting emulating the natural migration of the sun, with a hanging swing-chair and comfortable couches; and the dining cellar, which is topped in its entirety by a barrel-vault ceiling composed of white brick. The name alludes to the crush of the grape in the creation of wine, and that component is on full display with an 11-page menu listing more than 300 wines hailing from Italy, Spain, France, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Germany, Austria and the U.S. Appetizers suited for sharing include octopus ceviche, tender marinated octopus with grapefruit and pickled jalapeño served with taro root chips; ricotta gnocchi with braised short rib and a pea purée; and sea scallop Benny, a play on eggs Benedict with scallop and chorizo anointed with sunny-side up quail egg and chipotle hollandaise. Pizzas turned out of a 700-degree, wood-fired oven include date and artichoke, with the sweetness of the date counterbalanced by the spicy heat of jalapeño. Large plates are well represented by beef filet served with braised rutabaga and Brussels sprouts; and a juicy roasted half-chicken complemented by broccolini and chicken jus. A good finale is the Nutella squeeze, an ice cream sandwich with caramel ice cream, whipped cream, Nutella cream and caramelized hazelnut.