May
8, 2003 — I've
found a place that could
— just maybe
— topple the Calumet from its place atop
my list of favorite Bellingham restaurants.
Don't get me wrong: I'll never abandon the Calumet
altogether. But I may have to start going out more often, so I
can divide my time between it and my new obsession, Nimbus.
When a St. Patrick's Day celebration with friends found our
desired destination, the Temple Bar, closed, we put our heads
together and decided to walk the short block to Nimbus, the new
restaurant perched atop the Bellingham Towers building.
Entering the newly decorated dining room on the 14th floor, I
was instantly struck by the colorful changes. Taking its cues
from owner Rick Hillyard, who studied environmental science at
Western Washington University, the décor balances fire, water,
earth and air
— reflected in the warm orange and
yellow walls, the astounding water and mountain views and the
name and cloud-like logo of the restaurant itself.
According to the Nimbus Web site, www.nimbus.to,
Hillyard learned the tricks of the restaurant trade at Robert
Redford's popular Zoom eatery in Park City, Utah. Executive Chef
Jim Kowalski is also highly qualified, graduating from the
Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1993. Like
many of my favorite area chefs, Kowalski respects and welcomes
seasonal and regional influences on his creations and plans to
change the menu four times a year, at each solstice and equinox.
|
Nimbus |
|
Location:
119 N. Commercial St., 14th Floor
Phone: 676-1307
Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight, Monday through
Wednesday 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday through Saturday
Serving: Fresh Northwest cuisine created with
imagination and style.
Menu items sampled:
Spinach and duck salad $9
Popovers $7
Braised lamb shank $14
Filet mignon $22
Squash risotto $7
Mushroom tart $6
Wild Pacific salmon $18
Lemon ginger crème brûlée $5.50 |
We were there for an after-work drink that, upon looking at
the intriguing menu, quickly became a full-on meal of
appetizers. My husband, as per usual, went bigger and better,
ordering the braised lamb shank to accompany his cocktail.
After our drinks arrived and we placed our orders, our
friendly server brought four round hot rolls, punctuated with
decorative flowers of butter and a dusting of parsley.
Taya and I ordered the warm spinach and duck salad, faintly
heated spinach leaves mingled with a hazelnut-pear vinaigrette
and topped with a generous helping of duck confit. Encircling
the edges of the plate were five crisps of crostini, topped with
sweet slivers of Yakima Valley pear and decadent, melted brie.
Kris started with a simple Caesar salad of crispy romaine
lettuce, rich Asiago cheese, crunchy croutons and Nimbus' own
tangy Caesar dressing.
She also ordered magnificent manchego cheese and honey
popovers, which we all shared. The trio of traditional popovers
were served atop a layer of honey and finished with a savory
contrast of shredded, mellow manchego cheese and basil, rosemary
and sage oils.
My husband's braised lamb shank was a sizeable hunk of lamb
on the bone, topped with sage pesto, served atop apple, fresh
sage and toasted walnut stuffing. He enjoyed the entire entrée
but couldn't stop raving about the stuffing in particular.
We stayed and enjoyed the magnificent view and ambience until
well after dark.
I returned the following week for another round of drinks
with my girlfriends. Again, the menu tempted us into ordering
more than we had intended. This time, I went for a dazzling
bacon-wrapped filet mignon.
The ample tenderloin of beef was stuffed with fresh spinach
leaves and gorgonzola cheese and then wrapped in bacon and pan-
seared to my medium specification. The steak was set atop a
piped mound of fabulous, flavorful roasted garlic mashed
potatoes, which in turn rested among a flavorful tomato
demi-glace. Spears of asparagus made a tasty garnish, topped
with cubes of tomato.
My dining companions were all delighted with their choices,
including a New York strip steak with wild mushroom and bourbon
demi-glace, organic greens and goat cheese salad with
blackberry-cider vinaigrette, and saffron-seared scallops served
with arugula and lemon-thyme salad.
More recently, my husband and I played host to a group of
friends who were helping us move. We took everyone to Nimbus on
a Friday night, where it was immediately clear that word has
gotten out about this gem.
The music was a bit louder, the bar crowded to capacity, and
every table full. If you prefer your restaurants on the quiet
side, Nimbus on a Friday night might not be for you. The
atmosphere was electric.
And because we were a larger party trying to converse over a
long table, the uproar was occasionally distracting
—
but I've endured far worse for food that's nowhere near as
fantastic.
We started with drinks and appetizers, cooing over a
delicious squash risotto with toasted pine nuts and basil oil.
The creamy arborio rice was finished with a flavorful squash purée
and given additional oomph with Asiago cheese.
We also sampled a starter of wild mushroom tarts, two savory
shells filled with sautéed wild mushrooms, grilled tomato and
aged cheddar. The plate was filled out with greens topped with a
divine dressing that was heavy on the garlic.
The only thing missing this time around were the delicious
dinner rolls we'd enjoyed on our previous visits; none were
brought before our meals.
As far as ordering entrées, I couldn't deviate from the
filet mignon I'd enjoyed at Nimbus on my previous visit. Wes had
the New York strip steak, while Tasha went with the lamb shank
on my husband's advice. Patrice tried the Dungeness crab and
fresh pasta alfredo, and my husband branched out and ordered the
wild Pacific salmon. All were, as I fully expected, delightful.
Again I was impressed with the breadth of Nimbus's elegant
repertoire. Each dish was presented with attention to detail
that made already extraordinary entrees shine all the more.
Although we had no room for dessert, we each took a bite or
two from a ramekin of lemon ginger creme brûlée. The candy
crust atop the custard was exceptional, made even more so by the
pleasing lemon and ginger flavors.
The serving plate was dusted with powdered sugar and
garnished with fresh whipped cream, a thin twisted lemon slice
and fresh mint leaves. Drizzles of creme fraiche and raspberry
sauce added a final flourish.
The bar menu also tempts and teases, with lemongrass shrimp
skewers and a saffron mussels. Visit the restaurant's Web site
to peruse all of its menu offerings.
