Our reservation was a 9pm on a Saturday night, when we arrived, the restaurant was busy, but not filled. We were seated in a small window seat, the window box actually being part of the seating. It was stuffed with oversized pillows that made seating somewhat less than comfortable, and wrangling the falling pillows became a chore of which both of us would have to participate.
Our server was quite attentive; He even brought a small flashlight so that we could see the menu in the dimly lit dining room. He described the specials, and the Soup du Jour; Vegetable Beef Barley, which I found to be a very odd selection for this caliber restaurant. There was a big push on the Dom Perignon, on sale for $190, a significant savings we were told. During the course of our meal we were helped by several members of his support staff. They engaged us, and made us feel welcome, without being imposing.
Looking for a light starter we opted for the Grilled Artichoke; Dungeness crab salad, lemon vinaigrette, lemon-thyme aioli $13.50. The half artichoke was grilled nicely, while there was no noticeable grill marks or char, the smokiness was evident. It was filled with a salad of Dungeness crab that was fresh, and flavorful, and the vinaigrette was the right balance of acid to the sweet, rich crabmeat. The problem here was the diced red onion. In fact, the raw onion flavor destroyed the balance of the crab salad, and completely overpowered the delicate flavors of the dish. It was served with some undressed field greens, and the aioli was very heavy, similar to gloppy, whole egg mayo that you might find on a deli sandwich. When asked, I was truthful about my opinion of this dish. Our server thanked us for the feedback.
The main courses were next to arrive. My dining partner chose the 16oz Bone-in Rib Eye $48. Served with whipped garlic mash, and sautéed mixed vegetables. I chose the Heritage Pork Medallions served over creamy polenta, shitake mushrooms, bacon, fresh peas, red wine reduction $27.50.
The Rib Eye was cooked perfectly; it had a great char, and was well seasoned. This was the highlight of the meal for sure. The whipped potatoes were OK, and that's about it. They seemed a bit watered down, well seasoned, but lacking in substance. The texture was definitely the flaw, as was the case with the vegetable. I like an al dente, veg, a little tooth to the carrots, and broccoli. These were downright crunchy. You know, when your knife makes that clinking noise as it hits the plate as the carrot finally lets it through!
The pork medallions were also just OK. Now I'm a lover of all that is pork, and this dish was like a marquee of Oscar winning names to me; Pork, bacon, polenta, peas, wine reduction. How could this go wrong, I love every element described! First and foremost, where is the bacon? I'm not even sure I taste bacon in this dish. Don't say bacon, if it's going to be hidden! Second; why are the medallions of pork pounded paper thin? Points for not drying them out, I guess. The mushrooms in red wine reduction with the peas were delicious, but the same crunchy veg was on my plate. The real tragedy of this entire dish was the polenta. It was as if someone had taken yesterday's polenta and crumbled it on my plate, then tried to hide it under the pork. I even tried to reconstitute it by stirring some of the tasty wine sauce into it. The menu said creamy polenta, could you at least have to courtesy to stir a little cream or butter into it to make it edible! Once again our server was thankful for the feedback, but did nothing to correct the culinary faux pas.
Dessert comprised of a simple crème brulee, and two spoons. The top was layered with sliced strawberries; white, flavorless, and crunchy. Guess what, strawberries are not in season! The custard was nicely flavored, with a great texture; however, it was presented in a very thin ramekin, so the ratio of bruleed sugar to custard was complete off. Most of the topping was peeled away and discarded.
In summary, Grasing's in Carmel, with all of its accolades, celebrity Chefdom, and awards was somewhat disappointing. While the service was good, and the staff was very friendly, they failed to make us feel like they were taking responsibility for the kitchen shortcomings. The food was clunky and lacked finesse. The finer and not so finer details that could have made our dining experience remarkable were completely overlooked. Sorry to say that Grasing's Costal Cuisine truly missed the mark.
