A meal at Equestria Restaurant and Lounge is a Triple Crown
experience, though one that comes with a Triple Crown tab. So is it worth it?
Let’s just say the fare wins over the fee by a nose.
But enough with the puns and on with the review
Equestria is located at 3165 Forest Hill-Irene in Germantown and
has less a decor than it does a setting — that of elegantly rustic stables.
When we arrived, we were greeted and seated promptly. We had several questions
about the menu that our waiter could not answer, and to his credit, he
requested assistance from a more experienced waiter, and the chef graciously
left her kitchen to explain several menu selections to us.
To begin, we chose shrimp and crab cakes served with a corn
relish and black bean/serrano pepper (a hot green chile) sauce. The
combination of flavors exploded on the tongue with flares of sweet and sour.
We also tried the jumbo shrimp cocktail, which was served in a large martini
glass, and the Tennessee oysters, which were pecan-crusted, deep-fried, and
doused in a tangy rémoulade sauce. Our party inhaled those.
Salad selections included the Equestria salad — mesclun mixed
greens, Mandarin orange slices, pine nuts, bacon, and a blood-orange
vinaigrette. The vinaigrette was crimson-colored and sweet with a taste of
raspberry. The tomato-mozzarella stack proved that layers of marinated
mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a light pesto vinaigrette served in
a timely fashion can truly keep their goodness. (It doesn’t hurt that the
herbs are grown in the garden behind the restaurant.) But the smoked-trout
salad was the ultimate mix of greens and treats — Romaine lettuce, greens,
roma tomatoes, Mandarin orange slices, pine nuts, and purple basil topped with
chilled smoked trout. A barely needed sun-dried tomato vinaigrette came on the
side. The succulent pink flesh of the trout had been perfectly smoked.
Extraordinary.
For an entrée, one of our party ordered the linguine
Portofino — tossed linguine, mushrooms, and sautéed shrimp and lobster
in a sherry cream sauce that turned out to be a real lightweight. In direct
contrast, Polynesian halibut — a golden brown, lightly coconut-encrusted
piece of white fish served with a pineapple and red chile salsa and rice. This
dish, with its yellow and reds, was not only attractive, it was delicious with
its melt-in-your-mouth fish, sweet coconut, and tart salsa.
The roasted rack of lamb was encrusted with a white-wine-based
Dijon mustard and herbed breading and finished with a brown mint demi-glace.
The lamb, cut from the rib section into chops, was tender and flavorful, but
the brown demi-glace was heavier and had a stronger mint essence than the menu
described. Another entrée we liked: the 14-ounce rib-eye steak and
broiled lobster tail. The rib-eye was prepared to order, the lobster tail
generous and broiled to perfection. No argument here.
From the dessert menu: The blue-ribbon banana cream pie — rich,
creamy custard with fresh bananas folded in and a touch of ground cinnamon,
all presented in a graham cracker crust — was a true winner. Next up was the
tiramisu, described as an Italian cheesecake, with ladyfingers soaked in
coffee and Marsala, layered with mascarpone cheese and chocolate, and topped
with cocoa powder. Tiramisu is a particular weakness of mine though this
version was too soggy and not the rich dessert I’m used to.
Appetizers and salads at Equestria range from $8 to $16,
entrées from $18 to $40. Equestria is open for dinner Monday through
Saturday, 5-10 p.m. Reservations, though not required, are suggested. 869-
2663. n
food notes
by Hannah Walton
Hattley’s Homemade
“Everyone loves ice cream, and I figure there are not that
many other local places selling it,” says Hattley’s Garage co-owner Carol
Osborne.
At least not like this. For the last two weeks, Hattley’s has
been serving up tea- and coffee-flavored homemade ice cream. There’s Mean
Mocha, Chocolate Moroccan Mint, Camomile Lemon, Orange Chai, and Ginger
Peach.
This cool line is courtesy of Osborne’s partner, Michele Warren,
a regular culinary busy-body. From the sandwiches to the beverages, Warren is
forever combining flavors and experimenting.
Warren is now working on an Earl Grey flavor, as well as ice-
cream sandwiches.
Hattley’s Garage at 1761 Madison is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tuesday-Saturday.
Grisanti On Wheels
With something like 1,000 family-based restaurants in town,
what’s left for a Grisanti to do?
Take it on the road, of course.
Alex and Judd Grisanti have left Ronnie Grisanti & Sons
Restaurant to run the recently opened Grisanti’s Catering Company.
“We do it all,” says Judd Grisanti. “We’re
different from other catering companies because we come to you.”
Executive chef David Cleveland, along with Alex and Judd, design
the menu to fit each client’s needs. The team of chefs work in the kitchen of
Ronnie Grisanti & Sons during the day to prepare the food for the
events.
Grisanti’s Catering Company works luncheons, parties, weddings,
etc., starting with hors d’oeuvres and ending with dessert. When catering at a
client’s home, the chef comes with his own pots and pans and an adequate
staff, all of whom are professional chefs.
“We bring needed staff from the bartenders to the
dishwashers,” Judd says. “We like to leave the kitchen just like we
found it.”
The Grisantis started off doing events with only a day’s notice,
but now they’ve half of December already booked.
“This has been incredibly overwhelming and exciting all at
the same time,” says Judd.
For more information, call 323-8000.
Witty Work
Mother of Mother Witt, deejay of WRBO-FM 103.5, said to father of
Mother Witt: “Is that a possum?” Father said, “Possibly” –
– hence the dish, “Possibly Possum.”
“Possibly Possum” is no ordinary recipe. None of the
recipes Mother Witt broadcasts twice daily, at 6:35 a.m. and 8:10 p.m., on the
station is. The only requirement is that the recipes are easy to follow and
have few ingredients.
Witt, who says she rarely cooks these days, learned from her
mother and grandmother, who were in the catering business.
“My mother and grandmother were fine cooks,” Witt says.
“My grandmother was known for her wedding cakes.”
For her broadcasts, Witt uses recipes from her listeners, old
cookbooks, her family, and, of course, her own collection. Some of the
recipes, she says, are just from the simple days when she was a kid. One
example is the homemade Popsicle: pour Kool-Aid in an ice-cube tray, insert
Popsicle sticks, and freeze.
“The recipes get crazier,” Witt says. “Such as
today’s ‘Atomic Kool-Aid’ recipe where you mix Kool-Aid with orange juice and
Kahlua.”
“It’s so fun, and the feedback I get is so positive,”
says Witt.