Equinox fine dining

Went to Equinox for the third time last night, and with my fine epicurian background, and, um, interesting ability to mix flavors in my own kitchen. I feel compelled to write a review.

The food is all relatively hearty - lots of spices, usually served with garlic mashed potatoes and a heavy sauce. I've hit the specials menu (see blackboard, below) for Chicken Vesuvio, Chicken Korma and I can't remember the other thing.

My friend, Deidre, herself a restaurant manager. Stuck to the Weeds and Apps sections of the menu. She had the interesting habanero seasoned caesar salad. I didn't care for it, but she liked it.

My Chicken Korma was tasty, maybe a little peanuty, but the garlic mashed potatoes were certainly something you don't get at the Tandoori Hutt.

Oh, fuck it. I'm no good at restaurant reviews. My summary: I'll definitely go back. We got out of there for $43 including a couple of beers. The specials' menu makes each trip interesting. The service is slightly subpar, but they did accomodate my special water needs. (that's another post for another day). I'd recommend it, but not glowingly. Another Portland restaurant of interest.

Here's the review from Oregon Live:

oregonlive.com: Dining & Bars: "A few blocks north, just around the corner from Mississippi on Shaver, things are a little quieter. But not much. Equinox Restaurant and Lounge, inside a funkily rehabbed space that opens onto a serene courtyard, is dark and industrial and very, very relaxed.

All eyes, at one point or another, swivel to the hanging blackboard that lists a dozen or so specials, things that carry the promise of dexterity, spice, surprise. Equinox may look like a neighborhood bar, you suddenly realize, but it's much more than that.

A good bit of the Mississippi action's been built around eating places, the kind of gathering spots that spark a sense of community. But Hula Hands and Equinox raise the stakes, elevating their cooking to citywide status and giving the Mississippi revitalization a pair of culinary exclamation points.

More than that, they reflect a kind of handmade restaurant ethic that's taking Portland's east side by storm: casual, quirky, a little sassy, unpretentious, modestly priced but devoted to good (and usually organic or natural) food. It's as if they've taken the starch out of the restaurant game and decided to just have fun.

Equinox doesn't have Hula Hands' beguiling sense of place, but the cooking here is very good, and if it sprawls, it backs up its global ambitions with some very good chops. Chef Desmond Luesely's loose theme is food from equatorial regions, though it also wanders easily to cooler latitudes.

Luesely's picked up a lot of tricks in his vagabond career: His resume lists stints with Paul Prudhomme and Le Cirque, an apprenticeship at Maxim's in Paris and three years as Hugh Hefner's private chef.
What he's learned is on the plate: a creative mix of flavors, spicing that prickles but doesn't overpower, a fondness for peppers and a delicacy that makes possible the sweet/tart subtleties of dishes such as his winter pillow of pears, caramelized onions and blue cheese in puff pastry.

Oppositions of flavor and texture play big here: the softness and crunch of butternut squash/black bean/corn salad rolls with a spiky habanero yogurt dip; the dance of warm potatoes and manchego against smooth greens and a light shiitake vinaigrette; good grilled salmon with a salty kick from a prosciutto wrap. And that specials menu just keeps bringing new possibilities.

Grade: B Cuisine and scene: Exciting, map-hopping combinations (including vegetarian) in an industrial rehab

Sound level: Moderate

Service: Friendly and smart, but sometimes missing in action

Strength: Uptown cooking in a low-key space

Flaw: Space can seem drab; less-than-strategically placed bathroom door swings open to view from tables.

Price range: Inexpensive/moderate; entrees $7.50-$12, more for specials