[Pigging by Wilfrid: December 31, 2012]
It seems to have been a long road for Dave Santos, but maybe that's because I've witnessed it close-up. In addition to being a gifted chef, Dave is one of the few industry pros to have maintained a consistent presence in online food forums over the years.
I met Dave online before I met him in person. He sent out special dishes for me when he was in the kitchen at Bouley. I first met him when he took over 5 & Diamond from Ryan Skeen.
I witnessed first hand the diffiulty he had trying to shoe-horn his thoughtful cooking into the nightlife zoo that was Hotel Griffou. Dave had the smarts to use the period of unemployment which followed to leverage his personal profile through a series of dinners which started as a supper club in a private home -- Um Segredo. Like I said, it seems to have been a long haul -- as it probably does to Dave too -- but truthfully it was little more than a year from leaving Griffou to opening Louro -- now with the support and devotion of the hordes of eaters who succumbed to the Um Segredo treatment.
It's a success. At long last, Dave has a (small) team in place which can successfully put his distinctive cuisine in front of a full house of customers. I ate at Louro twice before Christmas -- once, undetected, at the bar; once -- because any other approach would have been silly -- at a table, having let Dave know I was coming in. Food and service were good both ways: one dish on my second visit was comped.
It comes with a heap of fennel-scented toast. Great as a bar snack.
vv
Meals start here with unusual bread service. The accompaniment is described, if I recall correctly, as Portuguese pork butter. Well, it's lard, and why not? But it's lard with a spicy kick to it, and a curious green hue (peppers?).
One night it came with Dave's fry bread (also available as a small plate, with smoked tomato, goat milk curd, pickle -- on another night, with warm foccaccia.
There has always been a whimsical side to Dave's culinary inventions. It was apparent in the deconstructed "cheesesteak" at 5 & Diamond. It emerged more vividly in the theme meals at Um Segredo (which he's continuing at Louro: on Christmas Eve he offered a dinner based on the movie "A Christmas Story").
You can get a glimpse if you order the veal sweetbread. It comes "chicken-fried" on a bed of collards, with a smear of gravy at the bottom of the dish. It's funny. It tastes good.
Even better is the duck egg dish which I ate at both meals. Simple, but sweetly executed. A poached duck egg (if you don't know, they have large, rich yolks) on soft polenta, crisp sage leaves as a garnish.
Stirring the yolk into the polenta is a simple, repeatably pleasure. The smart part of the dish, though, is the brown butter sauce.
The sauce was darker the second time I ate the dish, and all the better for it. A true beurre noir. Eggs with beurre noir were Nero Wolfe's favorite breakfast. I see why.
Oysters are another simple pleasure. The tasting menu began with a single Malpeque, flanked by an honestly delightful pumpkin salad.
The oyster was capped with an icy, bracing, Limoncello granita.
Bay scallops, scattered with chives, hinting at white truffle, followed the oyster. The celery was a little chunky, given the delicacy of the seafood.
Idaho trout, sitting on wild rice, moated by a sweet potato purée. Solid dish.
The rib steak was the planned meat course in the tasting menu, two medium rare chunks.
Dave guessed correctly that my head would be turned by a meat special. This was bone-in lamb belly, slow-cooked, then flash fried: crispy surface, molten interior. It had a real wake-up, sit-up, where's-the-water? pepper rub.
Dessert was a comforting peanut butter pain perdu with ice cream. Sweet, crunchy, refreshing.
Louro is in the space recently vacated by Low Country, better remembered as the home of Bar Blance. That's a busy, popular restaurant strip (a step from Highland) and the crowds have been coming. The restaurant takes reservations (thank goodness) and you should make one.
This should be a keeper. Go, Dave.
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