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In Fine Spirits Revisited
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Even Better Than It Used To Be Last year, early in the summer, I reviewed In Fine Spirits. I spoke highly of the beverage service and kind of downplayed the food. I did note, however, that the "new chef will be broadening the menu" Well, that's just what Chef Marianne Sundquist did, and it's time she got her due. Because In Fine Spirits is now the kind of place where even teetotalers – poor dears – could go and be completely happy with the evening. First of all, let me say that everything good I said about the beverage service is still true. In fact, there's even more to love now. First of all, there is now, miraculously both a brewery and a distillery in Andersonville, within a few blocks of In Fine Spirits, and their products are featured prominently. This is a place that sets great store in the locavore movement. During the summer months, there was a Wednesday farmer's market just a block from the bar, and Thursdays saw food and drink based on what was good that week, with the addition of some tomatoes and greens grown right on the patio behind the bar. The menu is divided into a number of sections. There are some "Small Pots," suitable for those who just want a munchie with their drinks. The selection when you're there might include nuts, caponata, olives or pickles. A pot of pickles with your drink? Don't laugh until you've tried it. There are cheeses and charcuterie. Choose a selection of either or both, and they come out with some good bread and other accompaniments. Don't miss the fresh ricotta with truffle, thyme and honey or the bourbon/brown sugar cured salmon. There are always three or four flatbreads. The latest addition is a chicken confit flatbread, with a base of mushroom puree. Then there are cold plates and hot plates. The menu selections change seasonally, and they just changed as I was writing this, so I can't give you a full tour. But I will single out one dish. In September, Chef Sundquist was a runner-up in a contest to create a new dish with Alpine Char. (Yes, Alpine, not Arctic.) Her creation is now on the fall menu, featuring Lake Superior whitefish. It's grilled and served on a bid of maple scented polenta with bacon. Spinach finishes the dish. She should have won the contest. There are also ricotta gnocchi carried over from the summer menu, and they are worth a trip. Light and fluffy, they literally melt in the mouth, and they tempt you to place another order as soon as you've finished your first. The menu is not exactly the currently popular "small plates," and I don't recommend getting more than two items off the menu. But if you go there with friends, you can get a supply of clean plates and sample a number of different items. That's the route to take. Food service doesn't begin when the bar opens, but starts at 5 each evening. I will warn you that if you order at the stroke of 5, there may be some items not available. The kitchen is sometimes still doing prep work then. No problem; sip some wine and get your stomach ready for the treat that awaits. In Fine Spirits |
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