Varanese exceeds high expectations

I finally got a chance to go to Varanese last night and I was very impressed. I went for a "girl's night out" with two friends, (in part drawn by the 1/2 price wine ). The makeover of the location renders it one of the classiest and most comfortable (not stuffy) spaces in town. With the wall open to the outside and a jazz ensemble, the atmosphere was wonderful.

I expected great things of the food knowing John's previous work, and the food was as good as I expected. We started with a complimentary amuse bouche of an excellent Bruschetta with olives, which were accompanied with tastes of a superb drink special. Stephen D. can explain it in full detail, but it was a martini made with the juice from the bruschetta. Incredible tasting and really unique. We shared several appetizers and salads, plus their Chicken Wrap, which came to our table beautifully presented and plated for three without us requesting. The Lentil Lamb Curry soup was excellent; I loved the spice combination. My other favorite was the Chicken Wrap with feta on their housemade flatbread, very substantial portion and accompanied with excellent tzazaki sauce.

Stephen D. spoiled us with incredible service (thanks again!), and even brought out one of his Tobacco-infused Bourbon drinks to try. I was highly sceptical at the combination (tobacco is not a positive flavor in my mind) but found that I really loved it! Stephen, you are an amazing artist with flavors: your skill just bowled us over.

I was very pleasantly surprised at the pricing: I had expected a more expensive menu and found their pricing and portions to be extremely reasonable, particularly given the caliber of the experience. There were several sandwiches on the menu ($9-$11) and the entrees were $16 to low $20's. We will definitely be back.

Deb

I sure am glad you enjoyed yourself and am looking forward to seeing you again, Deb!

Stephen D. can explain it in full detail, but it was a martini made with the juice from the bruschetta.

The drink is called the Dirty Bloody Martini and was the result of many trials. Our standard amuse bouche is a grilled crostini topped off with chef's recipe for bruchetta. It contains pepperoncini, two types of spanish olives and kalamata olives in addition to the usual ingredients. We make it by the gallon, and when it sits for any period of time, the tomatoes release some of their juice. We strain the juice and pass it through a coffee filter to remove the EVOO and tomato solids. We then use it to make a dirty martini variation. On the occasion I have served it with an olive foam, but I am still playing with producing a foam that has optimal shelf- life while still behaving the way I want it to in the drink.

In all fairness, I knew you were a foodie, which took the guesswork out of whether to apply my touches to your meal. I had a lot of fun with it.