| I easily could spin a batch
of superlatives over Bar Divani, but I won't.
I'll simply say this was the finest food and drink
my husband, Rich, and I ever consumed during a
restaurant critique, bar none. Every
aspect of our dining experience was passionate,
pleasurable and perfection.
At Bar Divani (divani is Hindi
for crazy in love but also refers to couches,
or divans), the devotion to wonderful food and
wine turns fresh, fragrant ingredients into
feasts for the soul. Under the direction of
partners Rimple Nayyar and Dennis Moosbrugger
and executive chef Wes Davis, sophistication
is everywhere, from the wall of wines to the
cushy furniture to the edgy cuisine.
The menu seems boundless.
Feel like noshing and nibbling? Order a sampling
of small plates, including hot dishes, flat breads
and greens. Or, perhaps the traditional route
with starter, soup, salad and main course is your
style. Rich and I surrendered
to a bit of both. Our knowledgeable and skilled
waitress, Katie, walked us through the extensive
wine list, inquiring about our preferences.
I tried the Rhone Rangers wine flight ($10.25)
with 2 ounces each of Cuvee le Bec, Beckmen
Vineyards, Santa Barbara, Calif.; Domaine de
la Tourade Gigondas; and Kaesler Stone Horse,
Barossa Valley, Australia. Rich selected the
velvety reds ($9.75) wine flights with Terrazas
de Los Andes, Mendoza, Argentina; Scarpontoni,
McLaren Vale School Block South Australia; and
Guenoc Petite Sirah North Coast, of California.
We started with four small dishes
-- tuna, Moroccan stew, mushroom and shrimp
-- each highly appealing to the palate.
The seared, sushi-grade ahi tuna
($12) was set on a tangle of sesame seeds, bell
pepper and soba noodles and brightened with
Asian barbecue vinaigrette. The paper-thin slices
revealed a moist, rare steak and conveyed a
sense of beauty.
The Moroccan stew ($9) studded
with garbanzo beans and merguez (spicy lamb)
sausage and criss-crossed with two slices of
polenta delivered a wonderful flavor combination.
The mushroom tower ($7) was spectacular
with layers of brilliance -- roasted portobello,
artichoke heart, mushroom duxelle and roasted
red peppers frizzled with white truffle oil,
Parmesan cheese and balsamic reduction. The
flavors of Italy proved intoxicating, cultivated
and surprisingly delicate.
The black tiger shrimp ($8,)
was tender and sweet, blushing pink under a
coat of prosciutto di parma and resting in dried
cherry port wine reduction.
For the main dish, we shared
the oven-roasted duck breast ($17) dusted with
Chinese five-spice over roasted butternut squash
risotto drizzled with fig and maple glaze. The
duck breasts were the perfect foil for the hearty
and sweet butternut squash risotto that easily
could stand on its own.
Finally, until you've savored
this restaurant's chocolate molten cake ($6),
accompanied with a scoop of vanilla bean ice
cream and a dollop of fresh whipped cream, you
have no idea chocolate can be this gorgeous,
this ethereal. When cracked with a fork, the
dark beauty flowed sweet black lava. The velvetiness
lingered on the tongue like a sweet kiss. Rich
and I vied for the last bite, hoping to prolong
this intense chocolate experience.
Among the culinary cognoscenti,
Bar Divani's very existence in our town is cause
for a celebration.
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