Its growing pains over, Café Mira a knockout
Food for Thought - 5/1/05
Watertown Times Staff Reports
First published: Sunday, May 1, 2005
ADAMS, NY - A little over a year ago, the headline in this column read "Café Mira in Adams a work in progress."
I, for one, gasped out loud.
Knowing the reputation of executive chef Howard Post, formerly of the Greystone Manor in Martinsburg, I was expecting nothing less than a stellar review from my predecessor.
But a young restaurant - Cafˇ Mira opened in January 2004 - can have its growing pains. So we thought it was time to check things out at this classy eatery in the small village of Adams just south of Watertown.
Ladies and gentlemen, the work in progress has been completed. This is a five-fork restaurant from start to finish.
The lighted canopy over the entryway set the tone for the evening. The baby grand piano just inside continued the elegant theme, along with bold pieces of artwork lining the walls. A vase of beautiful calla lilies was visible on a large glass-top table toward the rear of the dining room next to the small but well-stocked bar. Even the flatware was several grades above standard restaurant quality.
Creative appetizers, at $4.50 to $7.95, were very reasonably priced, we thought. Old favorites like jumbo shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushroom caps and escargot shared the stage with artichoke hearts vinaigrette, battered and deep-fried mushrooms with horseradish sauce, and roasted artichoke dip.
Stuffed mushroom caps ($5.75) were full of fabulous flavors, thanks to a succulent sausage-Parmesan stuffing prepared in the kitchen.
The roasted artichoke dip ($5.95), also obviously prepared in-house, was a winner. Artichoke hearts were baked with roasted garlic, fresh basil, Gorgonzola cheese (a little milder than blue cheese), mozzarella and parm, served with pita chips. This was one delicious appetizer!
French onion soup gratinee ($3.95) boasted a hearty beef stock packed with savory onions and topped with homemade croutons and bubbling cheeses direct from the broiler.
A large basket overflowed with an assortment of breads cut into various shapes and sizes, accompanied by a small crock of whipped unsalted butter.
Salads were made with a delightful assortment of crisp, fresh greens and crunchy homemade croutons. Howard's dressings were simple yet flavorful, perfectly complementing the salads themselves. His house dressing was a palate-pleasing balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. Our other choice, classic Caesar, had subtle hints of lemon, garlic and anchovy infused in a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
I even took advantage of the "extra anchovy" option. OK, I know you're making a face. But I was brought up eating anchovies on saltine crackers on Sunday mornings. Weird, huh?
Owners Scott and Leta Bodine spent a minute visiting with us between courses. They arrived in the north country from the West Coast a few years ago with no experience in the restaurant business. They found their location in Adams via the Internet. They landed the talented Howard Post as their chef through a series of coincidences.
Scott and Leta are gracious hosts. Actually, they were doubling as waiter and waitress the evening we were there. Leta answered our food preparation questions with knowledge and enthusiasm. Scott accommodated our wine needs. At one point, he actually brought two bottles over to our table for an impromptu tasting.
By the way, the wine list is well thought through, with two dozen offerings nicely priced by the bottle or the glass.
Entrees are also nicely priced ($9.95 to $21.95) with everything from a steakhouse burger to lobster, filet mignon, Thai shrimp, king crab, duckling and more.
Café Mira's version of osso buco ($15.95) is made with pork shank, rather than the more common veal or lamb shank. It was a marvelous presentation, with the shank standing on end, surrounded by a luscious dark-brown sauce. The slow-roasted meat literally fell off the bone into the rich, savory sauce.
I just made my mouth water.
Equally impressive was the rack of lamb, a bargain at $19.95. This was a culinary masterpiece, charbroiled to a perfect medium-rare. Howard's use of garlic and rosemary was subtle, taking care not to overshadow the flavor of the lamb.
Salmon steak ($14.95) appeared to be a filet, draped with a sophisticated dill sauce. The fish was extremely mild-flavored. Once again, the sauce complemented rather than overpowered the dish.
A lot of people don't order chicken in a restaurant because they cook chicken a lot at home. We tried the Tuscany chicken ($14.75), a Romano cheese-encrusted breast served in a portobello and port wine cream sauce. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
The chicken was remarkably tender, probably because restaurants use smaller breasts that are more tender than those tough 9- or 10-ouncers you see in supermarkets that come from giant chickens on steroids. I'm not sure about the steroids, but the chickens must be bigger than Big Bird.
Impressive desserts included a fresh berry cobbler served like an old-fashioned ice cream sundae, peanut butter ice cream pie in a chocolate graham cracker crust topped with hot fudge, and the classic Greek pastry baklava (nuts, cinnamon, sugar and honey rolled in phyllo dough).
Our coffee was also excellent. The perfect ending to a perfect evening.
How much did this fabulous feast cost? A total of $143 for our foursome before gratuity and, as you can tell, we enjoyed exceptionally well-prepared food in an elegant and comfortable setting.
How do you feel about anchovies?
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Fine dining is alive and well in Adams. Dress for your personal comfort.
Our appetizer pick: Roasted artichoke dip.
Our entrée pick: Pork shank osso buco.
Dinner is served from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Mike Tyo performs at the baby grand piano Friday and Saturday evenings
Rating: 5 forks