| « Mmm, Midweek Links | Contest: Bobbles for Earth Day » |
Review Wed Apr 21 2010
Jam Offers Dinner and a Taste of Spring
Two weeks ago, the popular East Village brunch spot Jam started serving dinner. The new offerings, like their breakfast and lunch menus, are playful yet refined, classic and evolving. Exotic Hawaiian Walu Sashimi with fennel seed lavash, radish and ginger currently share the à la carte bill with more familiar dishes such as Amish Chicken with truffled Pecorino risotto, English Peas and Maitake mushrooms. Evening visitors to Jam also have the option of a changing four-course tasting menu, in which I partook recently.
To start, Asparagus Soup proved a warm-up both literally on this blustery April day and figuratively in terms of the tasting menu overall. The smooth vegetable purée poured over an assemblage of asparagus tips and ribbons, prosciutto chips and pieces of lemon made for a handsome start to the meal, but ultimately the components proved too disparate. The purée was under-salted and made the bursts of lemon found therein too bright. The prosciutto added welcome textural contrast but not much else.
Whatever the shortcomings of the soup, I saw the hope of spring in what came next. Foie Gras Tortellini adorned with English peas and green onion were exceptionally artful and balanced. I love foie gras, but just as impressive here was the craftsmanship of the pasta--its bite perfectly matched to the texture of the peas. The green onion added an unexpected aromatic dimension, a compelling coda to the course.
Next, Seared Pacific Escolar with ricotta, fresh basil and basil oil, candied pecans and pineapple taken together were expressionistic--salty and sweet--like Kandinsky on a plate. The gnocchi, unfortunately, lacked density and could have been left out of this dish but were a minor disappointment overall.
To end, Buckwheat Shortcakes and Strawberry Conserves with crème fraîche, rhubarb smear and basil chiffonade were served like dessert sliders. The shortcakes were akin to toasted bun, crisp and secondary to all of the other elements, but pleasant nonetheless.
The tasting menu is a deal at $25. Given the seasonal focus of Chef Jeffrey Mauro and his team and the restaurant's patio, the next few months will be a particularly exciting time to dine at Jam. Breakfast and lunch menus are available at dinner as well. Jam is BYOB and cash only. (There is an ATM inside.) It is located at 937 N. Damen Ave., 773-489-0302.
