A Familiar Table

[December 21st, 2005] When the owners of Lucy's Table decided to sell their upscale Mediterranean-inspired restaurant on Northwest 21st Avenue last May, well-heeled regulars were worried they would lose their cozy haven to owners who wouldn't respect the memory of the old Lucy's. Not to worry: New owners Pierre Zreik (former manager of the Avalon Hotel and Spa) and Mike Conklin (of the Benson Hotel kitchen) and his wife, Kay, bought the enterprise lock, stock and atmosphere.

As before, the same sultry amber lighting, copper walls and luxe velvet curtains and pillows create a space so dreamy it feels like the setting to a romance novel. The candles flicker, the smartly dressed patrons murmur over their Reidel crystal, and the attractive, black-clad waitstaff glide from table to table with aplomb. Everything is so charming it will be easy—for some—to overlook Lucy's occasional culinary missteps.

Some old Lucy's favorites featured on the restaurant's seasonal menu certainly have staying power: Take the rich goat-cheese ravioli starter ($9), with agreeably earthy filling and fried shallot topping. Likewise, the unusually heavy appetizer of fork-tender pomegranate-glazed pork ribs with juicy orange and onion salad ($7.50/$10) reappears from days of yore.

The kitchen's strong suit is its ability to cook meat perfectly, and most entrees feature a lion's share of protein, but what's served with the meat is often disappointingly out of step. The succulent braised rabbit hindquarter entrée ($18) is adorned with a nice enough Dijon mustard-tinged sauce, but the pile of carrot shavings and zucchini shreds alongside is perfunctory at best. The perfectly cooked Painted Hills rib eye ($24) with smoky onion rings and silky mascarpone cheese mashed potatoes is near perfect, despite being served with that familiar pile of zucchini-carrot blend (depending on the season). It's a shame a recent meaty, rich ostrich dish ($24) wasn't paired with the same potatoes. Instead "mashed purple potatoes" arrive, cooked to a frightening beige color.

In certain cases the menu strays from the standard meat-plus-three configuration, as with the seared ahi tuna ($24), subjected to an incongruous combo of mushy spaghetti squash, shrimp, mustard greens and a sea of coconut broth. The result is a confusing mix of textures and flavors, a shame for such a well-seared piece of tuna. Another creative fish dish, the trout and scallop roulade ($21), features more fish skin than dry flesh, with Israeli couscous and a bland liquid described as a "champagne fume." It sounds exciting on the menu but doesn't deliver on the plate.

On a more positive note, seasonal desserts are well executed with interesting twists. On our last visit, a classic crème brûleé ($7) was treated with banana for a nice American pudding-meets-French dessert combo. A pear and cranberry crisp ($7) had a gingerbread topping that perfectly matched the cinnamon ice cream resting on top, a nice tribute to all that is good about these cold, crisp months.

Those who have loved Lucy's Table for its opulent setting and excellent service will be right at home with the new owners—it's as if nothing has changed at all. Those who are out for a more cuisine-driven reverie may or may not be so fortunate.