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Marisol gets high marks in every
category
From the moment
you enter Marisol, it’s clear you’re in a temple o of haute
cuisine. Instead of a menu and a glass water, as soon as
you sit down you’re presented with an extensive hardback-bound
wine list and the news that an “amusement bouche” (French for
“mouth treat”) is on the way.
Your
friendly waiter promptly presents you with a solitary dressed
with a cherry vinaigrette, sitting in the middle of a huge
plate, dusted with a flurry of fresh parsley flakes. I
was, in fact amused, an so was my palate. It’s only
after you’ve slurped that down, lathered the herb-crusted
focaccia with sweet butter and ordered wine (if you choose to
and it’s pretty hard to resist) that the menus
come.
And what a menu. For
starters: crab cakes, carpaccio, lobster tails, caviar,
escargot, calamari and asparagus. Then you can move on
to the salad course, a half-dozen preparation most as
elaborate and innovative as the silver-queen corn and tomato
salad I has ($10). The sweet corn, barley balanced, was
balanced against tart pear tomatoes to which the chef added
pungent arugula and chunks of blue cheese-a dazzling
combination of fresh, seasonal ingredients.
In the entree department, choose from salmon, red
snapper, duck, veal chops, sea bass, steaks, tuna, pork
tenderloin and lamb, and of course, beef, among others, all
floating elaborate sauces prepared from multiple, and often,
exotic ingredients.
I, for instance,
enjoyed an enormous serving of grilled halibut (35) flanked by
a gargantuan prawn, all topped with a sauce of sun dried
tomatoes, bacon and balsamic vinegar. Again, a zesty
combination of tangy, smoky and sweet notes, anchored by a
terrific piece of seafood.
That’s just
the menu. As you’re absorbing the dizzying array of
choice, your server tells you there are 16 specials-eight
entrees, four salads and four appetizers. From this
list, my guest ordered rabbit ($35), which had been dusted
with bread crumbs and lightly pan fried before being finished
off to crunchy perfection in the oven, complemented with a
Marsala/cherry reduction sauce.
Exquisite.
That’s the food. Well,
almost. We also split a delicious white asparagus
appetizer ($18), dressed with mustard-and-rice-wine
vinaigrette. A soup of crab and lobster ($10), accented
with pesto, was the only dish of the evening that proved
disappointing. The basil, either dried or overcooked,
rendered what could have been and excellent stock somewhat
bitter.
Did I mention that the place was
packed? And that I had to call at least five nights
before I could get a table? And that the eight
executives next to us came from Winston-Salem? Do I think
Marisol is doing so well because it’s Greensboro’s latest,
greatest temple of haute cuisine?
No.
Granted, Marisol is buzzing because it’s novel and someone’s
doing a very good job in the kitchen. But more
importantly, in front of the open kitchen, the wait staff is
not just personable but attentive and, above all else,
professional.
It’s well-spaced tables,
excellent service coupled with superb food makes Marisol
perfect for wining and dining client. Plus, the setting
itself has a distinct California accent that says: Here’s
where cosmopolitan types congregate to kick back and enjoy the
good life. So what if it costs and arm and a
leg.
With its great location in a
fast-growing and upscale part of the Triad, you’ve got a
winning combination. Considering it’s fine wine list and
sophisticated cuisine, you almost expect to see vineyard
outside the windows-instead of Mercedes and BMWs.
Taste
of the triad is written every other week by a triad-based
critic and serious eater who, in order to avoid special
treatment, prefers to write anonymously. Send comments
or suggestions to
TasteoftheTriad@goplay.com.
Taste of the
Triad
Marisol
Address:5834 High Point Road, Greensboro
27407
Phone (336) 852-3303
Distance: About 10 miles from
downtown High Point, 25 miles from downtown
Winston-Salem
Appetizers: $10-$45
Entrees:
$26-$45
Reservations:
Recommended
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