TILTH

She says:
Tilth is the kind of restaurant that you still talk about years after dining there.

Our dinner at this Seattle newcomer was a highly anticipated event. Ever since Frank Bruni, the New York Times food critic, selected Tilth as one of the top 10 new restaurants in America in 2008, Downtown Boy has been pining to go. I was also eager to eat at a restaurant committed to using only local, organic ingredients, which is exemplified both by its name (“tilth” refers to nutrient-rich soil) and the fact that it is one of only two restaurants in the country to receive organic certification from Oregon Tilth. Housed (literally) in the renovated first floor of a small Wallingford home, Tilth accommodates only 40 people at a time. This charming intimacy is enhanced by the waitstaff, who offer intelligent advice about the menu. Our waitress helpfully pointed out that it was common for guests to strategically order several half-dishes to maximize the number of entrees they could try. This is just what we did.

He says:
The simply-named "Hor d'Oeuvres" appetizer was anything but -- rather, it was simply marvelous. A gumdrop-sized ball of homemade mascarpone cheese sat on a crisp parmesan cracker, garnished with a fresh slice of fig. The ensuing synthesis of creamy, salty, and sweet notes had the entire table breaking into spontaneous smiles. This might have been the finest appetizer I've ever had.

My first half-entree, the smoked heirloom bean cassoulet, was surprisingly excellent. A bean stew rarely gets me excited, but Tilth's version came with wild mushrooms, truffles, and oven-dried tomatoes. An incredible, smoky earthiness infused every bite of this dish -- I never imagined such intensity could be wrung from such humble ingredients. The rich porcine flavors of my second entree, the slow-cooked pork cheek, were less unexpected but just as wonderful. The chefs at Tilth have mastered pork, retaining its subtle gaminess and keeping it tender enough to split with a fork. I mopped up every last piece in the pancetta-parmesan broth.

Last but not least came the Alaskan sablefish, a type of cod, which had been cooked sous vide. For those who do not know, the sous vide method allows for pressurized cooking at very low temperatures, which preserves the delicate texture of meat. For me, Tilth sets the standard for this kind of culinary magic. My first bite of sablefish literally melted on my tongue. My second bite, accompanied by a fennel salad and picholine olives, was even better. At this point, I was becoming convinced that this restaurant could do no wrong.

She says:
I agree, that sablefish was incredible. My other favorite, as odd as it sounds, was the cauliflower flan. The truffled flan was so rich you'd never guess that it was made from cauliflower. Drizzled on the side was a puree with meyer lemon, capers, and tarragon. I have seen many restaurants use artsy drizzles of sauces or purees to make their dishes appear fancy, but these usually don't add much to the dish. On the contrary, this puree provided a tart contrast to the creamy flan. In fact, each bite got progressively better as the various flavors fused on my tongue.

Less noteworthy was the sockeye salmon tartare. It's not that the mixture of raw salmon (of the quality you only find in the Pacific Northwest) with cornichon, endive, and dijon wasn't delicious ... it was just less impressive than the sablefish and flan.

As we ordered desserts, our waitress once again came to the rescue, insisting with surprising assertiveness that we include the cheesecake. Her advice was spot-on. It was unlike any other cheesecake I have seen or tasted... far less sweet, with the freshness of the cheese standing out. The little balls of sweet fromage blanc sitting atop a tiny crust of feuilletine had us all fighting over the final bites. We also had to try the avocado mousse, for novelty sake. I don't think it'll be replacing chocolate mousse anytime soon, but once again the unique combination of fluffy, lightly-sweetened mousse, candied ginger, and cilantro syrup had our palettes spinning.

He says:
The cheesecake was indeed on its own level of awesomeness. The almond brown butter cake paled in comparison -- it was too plain -- but the blood orange creme brulee held its own. Uptown Girl found it too sweet, but the rest of us swooned over the candied citrus rinds and silky custard.

We say:
Many other restaurants focus on local, seasonal fare, but Tilth takes it to new heights. With startling flavor combinations and top-notch service, Tilth is truly one of the best restaurants in America. We can't imagine having a better meal this year.




Tilth
1411 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103
tilthblog.wordpress.com