The opening of Libertine has been on my radar for awhile, in part because I eye Uptown restaurant openings with a curious wonder-how-long-they'll-last pessimism and in part because news that Tim McKee was involved tweaked that pessimism to more of a hmmm-maybe-there's-hope feeling. I really have no reason to attach such hopes to McKee's guidance, at least not in terms of having experienced anything he has shepherded before. I've only had drinks at La Belle Vie, because my law school loans make restaurant price tags of that caliber seem somewhat ill-advised. But I've read a great deal about his successes, follow him on Twitter, and admire him from afar. Libertine's price point is much more attainable for we modestly budgeted folk and so I was happy to hear of his digging into a corner of Uptown real estate that has struggled to maintain a footing.
The space was fully transformed from its Cafeteria days. Where Cafeteria was all bright colors and plastic kitsch, Libertine is dimly lit with heavy metallic tones and soft glows of light. We sat at a half booth/half table combo near the bar and while the atmosphere was pretty lively, my friend and I were still able to have a rather hushed conversation without the need to constantly repeat ourselves. It's a restaurant where one can hold a conversation, raucous or secretive, and as some spaces I've visited recently have seemed impossibly loud, I appreciated the comfortable level of ambient noise.
First off, we started with rhubarb gin and tonics, as deliciously summery as they sound. My ladyfriend and I each had two and we remarked several times that they went down dangerously smooth.
There will be no pictures of food on this post. Not because the food wasn't lovely, but because my camera phone failed to do the plates justice. The lighting was dim and the flash bleached everything into wishy-washy boringness. There's something to be said for omitting pictures anyway, forces me to write more descriptively and forces the reader to imagine a bit more actively (or just visit for yourself, even better).
The waitress explained the menu was meant to be enjoyed as a series of shared plates. Plates would be brought out as they were ready, not in a specific sequential order. I love that kind of atmosphere but I think some more traditional diners may be frustrated by such a directive. The menu is divided between small starter-sized shareables, special extras, oysters, meats, and non-meats. Each section of the carnivorous section divides the dishes by reference to the part of the animal from with it originates (belly, back, etc., all pictured). I found that pretty fascinating, especially since I'm not generally someone who knows their cuts of meat. Beef is beef. Pork is pork. The menu itself was educational and exciting.
First up for us was a dish of caramelized cauliflower, served with capers and a delicious goat cheese fondant. If that dish was any indication, I think I could make a perfectly contented meal out of their vegetable options. So while the menu definitely skews heavy on the carnivorous side, vegetarians could certainly walk away with a delicious experience under the belt. The cauliflower were buttery and sweet, having been roasted to perfection, and the tartness of the goat cheese and tang of the capers was an expert balance to that caramel hint.
Next we dove into the bone marrow. Served with a bacon jam and small stack of toasts, this was a dish you could easily split between four people as it's richness was intense. My one real complaint on this dish is that the serving is large but the pile of little toasts is not near enough for the marrow. When we requested more toasts the waitress was happy to bring us another small plate for an extra $1.50. That just seems a bit excessive. If you need to charge more for the bone marrow dish in order to plate it with enough toasts, then charge $14 instead of the normal $12. Just seems silly otherwise. Toast deficit aside, the dish is fantastic and heavy, in a soul-sticking way. The jam, onion, and salts make for a wonderful bite with each marrowed toast. And if you're a brave soul, like myself, you will heartily accept the challenge to take a whiskey shot out of the cleaned out bone. No, it is not classy. But it is rather fun and in keeping with the decadence of the dish.
We next tucked into the Beef Bacon BLT, which was a messy but delicious dish to split. The thick potatoes were a welcome addition and by the time we were leaning back in our chairs, hands to stomach, I was wondering what a girl would have to do to get a bucket of those potatoes for the road.
We still had some time to kill before our movie started so we, of course, took a peek at the dessert menu. We split the Baked Alaska, complete with housemade ice creams and raspberry coulis that I would have happily eaten with no shame by the barrel. It was a dessert that we both kept saying, after each bite, was one of the best we'd had in ages. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, but light and airy with a creaminess that perfectly matched the tartness of the raspberries. It was a delicate, delicious end to a great meal.
I've grown somewhat skeptical of any restaurant's ability to make that corner of Calhoun Square come alive. Nothing seems to dig in and find a fit. But Libertine made for a great dinner and the menu makes me want to go back, try other exciting combinations. I'm interested to see how they tackle lunch and brunch, how that darkened space can be lit up with some sunshine and rooftop revelry. If dinner is any indication, I'll thoroughly enjoy exploring every menu.
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