Three Hours at Tilth

Tonight we spent 3 hours at Tilth in Wallingford, enjoying amazing food and amazing company.

Our friend Ruth took care of our house, garden, and (most importantly) our cat Caesar while we were out of town for the wedding, and we wanted to do something to thank her. We decided a nice dinner out for the three of us would be a fun way to say 'Thanks', and to catch up on everything. We were waffling between Tilth and Nishino, but ultimately wanted to go to Tilth. They were all booked up initially, but we ended up scoring a 6pm slot after all (and cancelling the reservation we had at Nishino - another time).

Dan & I arrived a little early (after a stop at the Hawaii General Store) and they seated us right away. We perused the cocktail menu, and I chose the Rhubarb & Rhye ($10) and Dan went for the El Diablo. Mine was served up, and featured rhubarb simple syrup combined with whiskey. Dan's was served on the rocks, and paired up tequila and creme de cassis in ginger ale. When Ruth arrived, she went for an El Diablo, too - and we were all pleased by the drinks.

While we were looking over the menu (and catching up), our very patient and knowledgable waitress gave us an amuse bouche, courtesy of the chef, which combined watermelon, apple, and parsley in an Asian soup spoon. It was very fresh, clean and crisp tasting, and the watermelon flavor wasn't overwhelming, so Dan enjoyed it.

All the menu items are offered in small and large portions, giving you the option of a more family style tasting menu - which is the way we went. After answering questions about the soup of the day and explaining what sablefish is, our waitress gave us guidance on what sizes of the items we decided on to go with. Most notably, she was kind enough to adjust quantities (and costs, accordingly) of menu items so that there would be an appropriate number of items for the three of us (for example, the duck burgers come 2 on the small plate, and 4 on the large, but she was able to give us three). She also helped us select some wine to go with the meal, starting only with our vague descriptions of what we wanted. I wanted something crisp, with apple or pear notes, and she delivered brilliantly. It was the perfect wine for what I was craving... I only wish I could recall what it was.

Our first course was an hors d'oeuvres of blue cheese mousse, smoked date, and crostini. It was my favorite item, perhaps because it was first? But the flavor and texture was amazing and complex. Smokiness lingering with the ripeness of the blue cheese and the sweetness of the date. It was two spectacular bites that every inch of my tongue reacted to.

Next we went for a shellfish course of mussels in a chicken and tomato broth. We struggled a bit with which silverware to use for what, but all of us succeeded in getting mussels from the bowl to our plate and to our mouths - and we all enjoyed the dish. To me, the flavors weren't as complex as the crostini, but it was cooked wonderfully and fun to eat. I like that eating mussels, clams, and some other seafood feels like a craft project.

Our fish course was two small albacore tuna steaks over sous vide corn, with a corn milk and green sauce. This was Dan & Ruth's favorite dish, and a definite close second for me. The fish was light and simple, but the corn and sauces elevated it (literally and figuratively), adding hugely to the flavors.

For our poultry course we went for the mini duck burgers, which are a signature dish at Tilth, from what I understand. They were the item that Dan knew he was going to order before we even stepped foot in the restaurant. They weren't oily at all, as duck can get, and they had a homemade ketchup, which was a far cry from the corn syrup laden stuff you buy at the store (in a very good way). Plus, they came with mini potato chips on the side!

For the beef course, we had the grass fed hangar steak, served over a polenta. I was most excited about this, having not eaten much steak in the past several years. The beef was cooked to perfection, in spite of our odd 'halfway between rare and medium rare' doneness request.

For dessert we each went our separate ways, though we shared bites. I couldn't resist the whiskey ice cream with bacon cookie, and ordered a great kombucha soda to go with it (initially thinking I was ordering rambuchan soda, but quickly realizing I had no idea what kombucha was). Ruth ordered a dessert with fresh cherries involved, and Dan had the browned almond cake. He also had some Sambuca, which was incredibly intense.

Finally, as a parting gift from Tilth, we were given tall shot glass sized watermelon drinks. Unfortunately, this was very watermelony, so Dan didn't enjoy his. I also regretted that being my final taste at Tilth, but appreciated that most people consider watermelon to be refreshing. I think I find it a bit to gritty tasting, even when juiced. Perhaps not a gritty texture, but a gritty flavor - if that makes any sense.

Our experience at Tilth was wonderful. We were definitely all satisfied, though not overly full at the end of all the courses, and were greatly inspired by the food. It will definitely not be our last time at Tilth. My only regret is that I failed to bring my camera - so I have no pictures of the dishes to share. Next time I'll be sure to go prepared.