foodie-meets-crunchy (tilth, wallingford)

Tilth is the kind of restaurant I want to love -- upscale food, comfortable atmosphere, and local, (mostly) organic ingredients. I've dined here a handful of times since its opening several years ago, and I've often been impressed with chef Maria Hines' interpretation of a foodie-meets-crunchy restaurant (you may remember Hines from Season 2 of Top Chef Masters). Unfortunately, the dishes tonight were highly variable -- a big disappointment and something I hope is remedied quickly considering Tilth is listed in this month's Seattle Met as one of the top 25 restaurants.

Tilth: 1411 N. 45th Street

The restaurant is located in a quintessential Craftsman bungalow in the heart of Wallingford. This house-turned-restaurant features a dining area in the two front rooms of the house, and the enclosed front porch offers a narrow strip of bar-type seating for eager diners to share drinks while waiting for their table. In the summer, the front patio offers outdoor seating. Altogether, the restaurant exudes a very comfortable, familiar atmosphere -- whether sitting indoors or out, Tilth gives the impression that you are enjoying dinner at a friend's home, albeit with servers bringing out the food.

A table set for four on one side of the dining area.

Tonight we opted to order individual items from the seasonal menu rather than going for one of the multiple tasting menus (5-course, 8-course, and vegetarian options for each). Each menu item is available in half or full-size portions, great for sharing family-style or if you want to try several dishes in one meal.

After being seated and ordering a bottle of wine, we were presented with the amuse-bouche of the evening: chard seasoned with vinegar and house-made Worcestershire. This tiny bite was a burst of flavors and a nice start to the meal.

Amuse-bouche: Chard seasoned with vinegar and Worcestershire.

Given the chilly weather and my love of fall soups, we decided to start with the Hubbard squash soup. At Tilth, the soup arrives at the table in two parts -- 1) a bowl, with some type of garnish in the middle, and 2) a tiny pitcher containing the soup. Tonight was no exception. The bowl placed in the middle of the table contained a small heap of house-made cinnamon apple sauce, brown butter, and small dices of apple. The server then poured the soup from the small pitcher, causing the garnishes to slowly rise and peak through the middle of the yellow-ish orange liquid. The result was deliciously smooth and creamy, with a delicate buttery squash flavor. It could have been served a little hotter, but otherwise was an excellent soup.

Hubbard squash soup with brown butter, apple, and cinnamon.

Next up were the infamous mini duck burgers. Served on a fluffy brioche bun with mildly pickled cucumbers (?), arugula, and house-made ketchup and mustard, this little burger is a wonderful combination of sweet and spicy. On the side was a scattering of crispy fingerling potato chips, just enough to satisfy your desire for more but not so many to fill you up before your next dish arrives.

Mini duck burgers.

For entrées, we selected the Skagit River Ranch pork belly and slow cooked beef cheeks. The pork belly was outstanding. The outside fat was nicely crisped, and the middle was tender and juicy. It was just the right amount of salty and served on a bed of poached pear, farro, and black garlic. The pears were poached just enough to be soft but still hold their shape to enjoy with the rest of the dish, and the farro contributed a warm, nutty crunch to the dish. And look at that gorgeous presentation!

Skagit Valley Ranch pork belly with poached pear, farro, and black garlic.

On the other side of the table, the beef cheeks were a huge letdown. Although beautifully colored and nicely plated, the dish was bland and the meat maintained none of the natural beef flavor. I kept eating it, thinking that it would surely get better -- maybe the right amount of polenta or house-made Worcestershire in each bite would do the trick! Or perhaps more piperade! (You know, that colorful mix of onions and peppers piled on top.) But sadly, there was no saving this dish.

Slow cooked beef cheeks with polenta, piperade, and
house-made Worcestershire.

I couldn't leave Tilth with this bland beef taste in my mouth, so took a leap of faith and ordered the Theo Chocolate ganache cake to end our meal. Thankfully, chocolate is something Theo and Tilth do well. The ganache cake was just a small part of the dessert. It was topped with a Chantilly cream dusted with cocoa powder and served with drops of chocolate cream artfully dotted next to the cake. The ganache was creamy and rich, while the Chantilly cream added an airiness to each bite. I'm not sure what the small chocolate shortbread cookie added to this dessert, but it was also pretty tasty.

With our bill arrived a ramekin of chocolate dusted hazelnuts. They don't look very exciting, but they're a much nicer treat than generic after-dinner mints.

After-dinner chocolate dusted hazelnuts.

The skinny: The creative flavor combinations and artistic plating are clear evidence of Maria Hines' skill as a chef, but tonight wasn't the stellar performance I was expecting. Even the amazing pork belly dish doesn't make up for the lukewarm soup and under-seasoned beef. It'll be a while before I return, but I'd give Tilth one more try before writing it off for good.

Manolo Blahnik black suede heels.

Shoes: A simple black suede pump with a softly pointed toe by Manolo Blahnik.