On Thursday, Josh went to play tennis and I went to... Floataway! I called ahead to reserve my favorite seat at the bar and a loup de mer. I was craving fish -- no surprise -- since my slightly undercooked first attempt at grilling whole black bass on the Egg, even though I steamed a whole flounder and topped it with ginger and scallions, which turned out perfectly! But you can never have too much fish.
Anyhow, traffic was so completely horrible that it took me well over an hour to get from the office to Floataway. I was so happy to see the bar empty and my seat reserved. I sat down and greeted, Virginia, their new bartender, who I only met briefly the last time I was there during Rebecca's (the last bartender) last week. Since I have my own personal mixologist, I'm wary of bartenders. Typically I either love them or hate them and I either love or hate their drinks.
To calm my overstressed nerves, I ordered a cocktail off the menu, the Meyer Sidecar, which was a riff on the traditional sidecar: brandy, cointreau, meyer lemon juice, and a touch of simple syrup. I love the traditional sidecar too, but this was delicious and well-balanced. Definitely a keeper.
I was starving, so I started out with my favorite kumamotos with champagne mignonette. Now I've watched these oysters go from $2.50 each to $3.50 each and I realize they have to fly all the way over to me from the Pacific coast, but damn people! So I only got six. Sad. But they were plump and so delicious. So delicious. (Nothing worse than a dinky kumamoto, if you ask me.)
Moving on, I got the bluefin tuna crudo which I have gotten before and forgotten that I didn't really like. Four nice slices of tuna, but they were kind of bland and the bitterness of the lemon rind is just too much for me. I was rather envisioning something more like the deliciousness of the Bottega yellowfin tuna crudo which admittedly comes served on a damn block of Himalayan pink salt, but not so in this case. That was the only sadness in my night.
It was about this time, I think, that I ordered my second Meyer Sidecar. They were strong, which you realize after your glass has been emptied and you are watching your second being made but that's an easy problem to have.
I was going to behave myself and move straight onto my main course but it was hard to resist the call of the pasta. I got the pan-fried gnocchi with wild mushrooms and spring asparagus, the latter of which is just in fresh from California's first harvest and was everywhere on the menu. It did not disappoint. The gnocchi were good -- not the best I've ever had, but again, I have to reserve that honor for Chiarello's Bottega -- and it was well balanced with the mushrooms and such delicious asparagus. SO GOOD. In fact, I want more.
So I moved on to my favorite whole roasted loup de mer which they happily also made my favorite salsa verde. It comes with Woodland Gardens' arugula dressed with olive oil which is good, but just cannot compare to the sheer perfection and butteriness of this delicious fish. I am in love with this fish. I returned the plate with the central bone only as usual (and some arugula...) and called it for the night.
I was nice enough to get a side order to go of that luscious asparagus for Josh. He doesn't even know how spoiled he is!
Going to Floataway is a different experience now since most of the staff has turned over and we don't know anyone in the kitchen, but the food is still as delicious and consistent as when Drew was in the kitchen. I'm not sure how I will handle the balance when Drew's new place opens (No. 246 in Decatur) but I'll trudge through it somehow! :)
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