THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Luxe

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Luxe Restaurant Review:

Oscar Morales and team (Oscar’s in College Park) have reconfigured the old Mumbo Jumbo into a sleek, modern and stylish dining room. The old brick walls and giant fireplace remain, but the wacky interior is gone, replaced by a much cleaner look. The formerly noisy atmosphere has yielded to a kinder, gentler one in which guests actually can hear their dinner companions. Novel notion. After-work imbibers have their choice of the long bar or a raised seating area with small tables, either quite amenable to conversation. Chef Patti Roth does a great job with the food, keeping it simple and flavorful. The menu changes with the seasons, but keeping the same culinary values of simplicity and clear flavors. The grapefruit and blood orange salad is a palate-awakening way to start a meal. Then treat yourself to the organic hanger steak with roasted root veggies and shallot butter. But we also liked the grilled duck breast with parsnip flan and the roasted flounder with cauliflower purée. Nothing misses the mark. Go chocolate for dessert. Wine choices are mostly American, with the occasional Italian, French or Aussie splash. The list is sensibly organized from light wines to more full-bodied wines, making it simple to choose an appropriate wine for a given dish.