First Impressions
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Tomboy proprietor Jody Andre has teamed up with chef Gil Langlois (Technicolor Kitchen, Pepper Lounge) to debut THE ROOM, an Edgewater eatery serving Langlois’ eclectic contemporary American cuisine. They’ve transformed a corner storefront into a large, stylish dining room with amber faux-weathered floors, salmon leather banquettes, exposed brick walls, and graceful floor-to-ceiling silk curtains dividing the bar from the tables. The music and art are more subtle than that at Tomboy, and the food is decidedly more sophisticated. Dishes are intended to be ordered tapas style: the menu offers a dozen intriguing small plates (dubbed either “petit” or “mid”), like seared scallops–three nicely browned tender morsels, one resting on a round of silky sweet-pea custard, another on a disc of polenta, and the third drizzled with a sweet balsamic reduction and dotted with sirachi chili sauce for kick. Another capable small plate is the poached lobster in orange butter–set on a sensuous pool of caramelized balsamic anglaise, an interesting twist on the classic custard sauce–that’s strangely mismatched with a salmon tartare topped with caviar. There’s also a grilled pear and asparagus salad with creamy Gorgonzola sauce and chopped walnuts. The entree-size “grand” plates include several more approachable dishes; there’s an herbes de Provence roasted free-range chicken with smoked cheddar risotto, a New York strip, and a slightly doughy but tasty wild mushroom and fresh herb Wellington served with sauteed spinach and a savory mustard hollandaise. Most servers spent the past month training at Tomboy, and they’re friendly and efficient. It’s BYO indefinitely, but there’s a decent wine shop only blocks away. The Room is at 5900 N. Broadway, 773-989-7666.
–Laura Levy Shatkin
