Liking Luxe All Over Again

Brian Okin has been running the kitchen at Luxe since June. The husband and I were on hand for tasting last week of his new fall menu organized for staff and few friends of the house. After making my way through samples of fourteen sides, salads, small plates, pizzas and entrees it's quite clear to me that this skilled chef has settled in and hit his stride. He's putting his mark on this restaurant, which has been around since 2008, and diners have reason to rejoice.

 Okin likes to promote himself as a serious carnivore cook, with a special interest in a certain unconventional protein, and the braised pork shank osso bucco (with cheesy polenta) leaves no doubt that he knows how to handle a piece of meat to bring out its finest qualities. Pork belly and garlic sausage are used to good effect in place of duck in a riff on cassoulet. Earthy porcini spaetzle, made with a powdered from of the mushroom, are dotted with what Okin calls "his best friend," bacon. And the prosciutto and fresh mozzarella stuffed chicken breast is pure poultry comfort food. But what really grabbed my attention was his ability to add real va-va-voom to veggies.

I went crazy over the salads. Really, no exaggeration. The wedge features small baby head lettuces and a fantastic smoked blue cheese dressing made with creme fraiche and a malt vinegar aioli they prep in house. Another is a combination of roasted cauliflower, butter lettuce, chickpeas, and pickled red onion, all set off by a raisin-sherry vinaigrette. But my personal favorite, as well as the entire table's pick for best, was the winter squash. Slices are coated in panko and toasted in clarified butter, paired with arugula, and drizzled with truffle oil and a wonderful Gorgonzola fondue.

A cauliflower gratin in gruyere crema was rich and satisfying. Squash with risotto and raclette cheese finished with brown butter and sage was an autumn on the plate feast. And then there were the fried brussels sprouts tossed in a lemon rosemary vinaigrette with capers and toasted almonds. Simply and yet perfect. Possibly the best version of these little cabbage cousins I've ever had.

One feature of the menu I really like is the family meal option (minimum of two people): $28 per person gets the table a  customized, three-course selection of dishes for sharing. Another noteworthy aspect is the array of options for vegetarians and vegans. 

Luxe has been around long enough to be a Gordon Square neighborhood fixture. But there are all kinds of new reasons to check it out now thanks to chef Brian Okin.

Let's Make a Dinner Deal

The first sighting was in February in the Canadian press.
Pay what you want in this Montreal restaurant
Crescent St. Tavern hard hit by drop in business tries something new

Tough times, I thought to myself, demand unusual and inventive responses.

Three weeks ago, I saw the following headline from the Dallas Morning News in food industry newsletter: Arlington cafe serves gourmet food and lets customers pay what they want .
I read the article, which described a lunch spot that eschews fixed prices, and then promptly forgot about it. Then I saw an AP piece titled Spanish restaurant lets diners pay at will, and another from Reuters: At Sydney bistro, you decide what you pay which also mentions a London restaurant doing the same thing. The following week, I got a press release about all this from The National Restaurant Association announcing that dining establishments in Australia, Spain, and Texas- an interesting and unlikely geo trio- are telling patrons to pay what they can afford or what they think the meal is worth.

Do I smell a trend brewing?

Pondering this question, I suddenly remembered a conversation I had with Marlin Kaplan, the last time I visited Luxe Kitchen , his place on Detroit. It seems that as the world goes, so goes Cleveland. Because he told me that on a whim one night he randomly picked two tables- a group of ten, and a party of four-and offered to cook them a variety of dishes, served family style, that did not appear on the menu. Both accepted his offer of a multi-course meal. He collected some information about their preferences- pasta, yes, fish no, and headed for the stove. Money was not discussed. When the dishes were cleared away and it was time for the check, he surprised everyone by asking them to come up with a per person amount they felt was appropriate for the food they had eaten. (Beverages, tax, and gratuity were not part of the offer). Needless to say his customers were shocked.

“I trust patron’s better natures, and their impulse to do the right thing,” said Kaplan in a follow-up phone call yesterday. “They paid a fair price and we all felt good.”

If you go to Luxe and ask for the same treatment, he might be in the mood to say yes. Or he may just pick you out of the crowd, sidle up beside your seat, and make you an offer only a fool would refuse.