THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Fork

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Fork Restaurant Review:

Fork, the food-child of Blue Onion Bistro's former chef Scott Simpson, creates an atmosphere that is rich and whimsical. The restaurant's lush menu makes liberal use of game, beef and hearty sauces. The décor, too, is charmingly heavy: Old Russian tableaus from the early twentieth century, relics of the restaurant space's past, grace the walls. Among starters, frisée dressed in a lemony vinaigrette with a pancetta crisp is lighter than expected, and a refreshing palate cleanser. Poulet 50/50---roasted chicken breast and chicken leg stuffed with duck and prosciutto, served with cippolini onions and a sweet-savory round of currant-sage stuffing---is outstanding. Ditto the vegetarian wild mushroom and onion brioche pudding, which, despite a dense ingredient list remains light and fluffy. Garlic-injected steak with frites is provocative, but less unique than other fare like duck barbecue or pork confit. For dessert, we are happy with soft house-made chocolates and intrigued by the rotating choices among home-made ice creams and sorbets, but the Ultra Chocolate Pecan Torte is a showstopper: a dense circle of chocolate ganache, topped with chocolate whipped cream. The service is quick and attentive, never overbearing, and though the food is topnotch, the atmosphere is neighborhood-casual.