Citricos

 

I will preface this review by saying that prior to this dinner I was not a fan of Citricos. I had dined there twice previously, both times were a bust. :( The food was good but not good enough to make up for the poor service that we received. The first time was bad, the second time was worse. Yet I had decided that I should give Citricos one more try before permanently crossing it off my list and this was it…the last chance. It’s now or never again.

{How’s that for building up the drama and suspense?} :lmao:

So here is how it all went down for me that night.

I met up with my dining companions, which for this dinner were Paula & Hunter, Brenda & Emily, and Beth.

Hunter and Paula had arrived early so sat at the bar and enjoyed a little snack to tide them over until the rest of our group arrived.


Charcuterie Platter – Serrano Ham, Sopressata, Dry Pork Coppa, Beef Bresaola, Palacios Chorizo, Duck Rillette, Violet Mustard, Pecorino Romano, Medjool Dates, Bread and Butter Pickles, and Marcona Almonds (Photo by Paula)

Once the rest of us arrived we were seated and began to peruse the menu…

 

 

I started out by ordering this light and fruity cocktail…


White Wine Sangria
Then our Complimentary basket bread (a multi-grain and a kalamata olive) and butter topped with sea salt arrived… (Photos by Paula)

 

I remembered how much I like the kalamata olive bread that they serve here.

 

Hunter and Paula decided to share one of their favorite appetizers, the Pork Belly…


Tamarind-grilled Bershkire Pork Belly with Hominy-Cheddar-Potato Purée

 

I knew that I really liked their Sautéed Shrimp appetizer, but decided to try something new (for me)…

 

Arancini – Crispy Risotto with Italian Sausage, Mozzarella, and Poma Rosa Tomato Purée

It was tasty and I’m glad I gave it try but next time I would stick with the shrimp. ;)

 

And the shrimp appetizer is what Beth started with, and also what Brenda had as her entree.

SORRY NO PHOTO

Sauteed Shrimp: Lemon and white wine, tomatoes, and feta (Photo by Brenda)

Brenda said, “I’ve had the sautéed shrimp before; however, my memory of this dish wasn’’t as wonderful as the reality of how tasty it was this time. I was really, really, REALLY glad that I had ordered this light alternative that was delicious. The pungent feta was perfect for the lemon/white wine sauce. There was nothing wrong with this dish.”
Beth also really enjoyed this.  She said, “This was delicious. The sauce was so good…. and the shrimp was perfect.”

For their shared entree, Hunter and Paula had another of their Citricos’ favorites, the Short Ribs (split for them in the kitchen!)…

Madeira-braised Short Ribs Golden Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Ragoût and Piccante Gorgonzola (Photo by Paula)

 

Emily ordered this for her entree…

 Oak Grilled Filet of Beef: Hominy-cheddar potato puree, balsamic caramelized onion, Peppadew Peppers, arugula greens, and Cabernet demi-glace (Photo by Brenda)

 

Em ordered her filet medium-rare which was exactly how it was served. She was a little worried that she wouldn’t like the hominy-cheddar accompaniment but she thoroughly enjoyed this.
Beth and I shared the filet for our entree, and it was brought to the table already split.

My 1/2 share of the Oak-grilled Filet of Beef served with Hominy-Cheddar-Potato Purée, Balsamic Caramelized Onions, Peppadew Peppers, Arugula Greens, and Cabernet Demi-glace

This was absolutely delicious, so very tender and flavorful. :thumbsup2  Beth thought the same about her share of this entree.

Through Hunter’s connections with the chef at this restaurant we were served their house-made Limoncello in cool little glasses…

I’m not a fan of Limoncello so had only a few sips before passing my glass over to Hunter to finish.   However, they definitely get points for the presentation and the chef coming to the table and presenting and pouring the drinks. Well done!

And then just like the previous night, Hunter talked to the chef and we were served this delightful assortment of desserts!

 

Seasonal Berry Gratin with a Champagne-Grand Marnier Sabayon, Lemon-scented Cheesecake with a blanket of White Chocolate Ganache, Warm Chocolate-Banana Torte with Vanilla Ice Creamand Handcarfted Belgium Couverture Chocolate Crown, Tiramisù with Italian Galbani Mascarpone and Chocolate Sauce

While I was partial to the Warm Chocolate-Banana Torte, the Berry Gratin, Tiramisu, and Cheesecake were all quite tasty too. This dessert platter was better than the one from Flying Fish. Could it get any better than this? ;)

Another wonderful meal in the company of great people. :goodvibes

 

With the exception of my arancini, the food here was excellent and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.  Plus, this time…

THE SERVICE WAS GREAT!!! :thumbsup2

So thanks Citricos, and in the words of the Terminator…”I’ll be back!” ::yes::