Wild
Garlic serves flavorful feast
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Stacee
Sledge
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Jan
31, 2002 — I'm
a total garlic fiend. It wasn't always this way. My husband used
to beg me to try garlic on pizza or in a chicken recipe he was
cooking. I just couldn't. But he persevered, I finally gave in,
and now I can't get enough of the stuff.
So it's only natural that the Wild Garlic has long been a
lunchtime favorite for a group of girlfriends and me.
But I'd not yet experienced the nocturnal version of Wild
Garlic. So, with my mother- and sister-in-law visiting for the
holidays and tickets to a show at Mount Baker Th eatre,
my husband and I picked it for a pre-performance dinner.
Dark green walls hug the narrow
dining room, which is lined with plush booths. A brick half wall
adds interesting texture, while wood panels near the kitchen lend
an upscale feel. Track lighting is kept comfortably low, adding to
the formal ambience.
I'm convinced that Bellingham has a
much higher ratio of friendly wait staff than other cities. The
staff at Wild Garlic is no exception. Even on the bustling night
of our visit, when each table was filled with theatregoers, our
server was welcoming, informative and attentive to our every need.
The first of many special touches
came with the serving of the bread. Bottles of balsamic vinegar
and garlic-infused olive oil sit on each table, next to a stack of
small plates. When the crusty bread was served, each person
doctored up their favorite combination of oil and vinegar, then
double-dipped to their heart's content.
We began with the shrimp cakes,
seared in brown butter and served with roasted garlic aioli. With
baby greens and sprouts piled high next to the crunchy cakes, the
presentation was as striking as the taste. Fresh dill was
sprinkled around the rim of the plate for added interest and
flavor.
Wild Garlic
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Directions:
114 Prospect St.
Phone: 671-1955
Menu items sampled:
Seared shrimp cakes
$7.95
Mixed greens $3.25
Braised pork tenderloin
$14.50
Garlic and herb shrimp sauté
$18.25
Chicken fettucine $13.50
Chocolate truffle torte $4.95 |
Salads were served alongside the shrimp
cakes, a toss of crisp mixed greens and a subtle herb-Parmesan
dressing.
Pork tenderloin is a favorite dish of mine,
and Wild Garlic does it with a tantalizing twist. Pan-seared pork
tenderloin was encrusted with hazelnuts and drizzled generously
with a bing cherry demi-glace. Sliced into bias-cut pieces, the
tender, savory meat was a succulent success.
Six tiger shrimp lined the plate in a
half-moon shape for the garlic and herb shrimp sauté. Garlic,
basil, oregano, parsley and lemon combined with a sherry wine
butter sauce to give the shrimp a decadent touch.
These entrées were served with thick
garlic-mashed potatoes and sliced steamed carrots. My only
grievance of the entire evening was with the mashed potatoes. They
tasted delicious, but were served on the plate in a severe
fashion, as though plopped on with an ice-cream scoop in a school
cafeteria. It's a small complaint, but all agreed it detracted the
tiniest bit from the elegance of the meal.
The chicken fettucine arrived mounded high
in a pasta bowl and sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese. The
slices of chicken breast were moist and tender, tossed with fresh
cream and surrounded by garlic (natch), sun-dried tomatoes,
artichoke hearts and mushrooms.
We shared a dark chocolate truffle torte for
dessert. It was served in high fashion, decorated with a flourish
of crème anglaise alongside a gorgeous design of marionberry
coulis and more of the crème. The dense, sinful cake was made of
several different textures of chocolate, including ganache and
truffle. My husband decreed it was in the running for best dessert
in town (and he's tried practically all of them).
Later, as we sat in the ornate and formal
Mount Baker Theatre, I fear the four of us may have been
noticeably odiferous. If you were seated anywhere in our proximity
that night and noticed a powerful perfume of garlic in the air,
please forgive us. Next time, head to the Wild Garlic before the
show and join in the garlicky gastronomy. Then you won't even
notice.
The Fine
Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine alone,
not the Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop me a
line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.
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