If a focus group of young professionals
living in Fort Greene were asked to describe an ideal neighborhood
dining spot, the participants would come up with someplace like
Veliis.
They’d dream up proprietors like Kicca
Berre and Misha Chiporukha, an attractive couple who cater to
regulars and newcomers with equal warmth. Veliis, which opened
in 2003, is their first entrepreneurial effort.
The team created an enormously appealing
space with a view of Fulton Street. The big rectangular room
has the earmarks of a French bistro with a brick wall, gilt-framed
mirror and comfortable wooden tables and benches. It’s spare
yet warm, comfortably intimate but not confining. Atop a wall
above the open kitchen, there’s a screen where black-and-white
subtitled movies play soundlessly throughout dinner. It’s an
amusing touch that appeals to the crowd.
The name, according to the restaurant’s
pr, "is based on the Latin "velis," meaning "pleasure
found through all that is rare and exquisite." The two "i’s"
transform the "me" into "we." The "we"
being the owners and the community.
Marcus Olson (formerly of the Cumberland
Hotel in London) was hired in November to serve as the executive
chef. His well-written menu of French and Italian fare is enticing.
Who wouldn’t want to taste braised short ribs with chocolate-tinged
"espagnole" sauce? Or lusty pappardelle with porcini
mushrooms, mascarpone cheese and shaved white truffles? And can
anything be more alluring to a carnivore than Angus steak with
"pommes frites" and bone marrow reduction?
Olson’s menu writing is well honed; what
emerges from the kitchen, though, could use editing. Take a starter
of crisply sauteed, prosciutto-covered scallops. They’re salty
on the outside with a moist, briny center – and very rich. Accompanying
them is a dollop of parmesan-corn mousse with a touch of sweetness.
Separately, each partner is delicious; together, they’re overkill.
A little circle of shaved asparagus and dabs of sweet saffron
sauce are superfluous.
I have a similar objection to a salad of
roasted beets. The thick slices of the earthy vegetables, splashed
with a bit of chive-goat cheese sauce and paired with greens
dressed with a slightly sweet beet vinaigrette, have enough going
on for one dish, but an unctuous asparagus mousse crowds the
plate.
The smoked trout terrine is on the ornate
side too, but all the elements in this stack of moist fish –
layered between well-seasoned soft discs of potatoes; pieces
of tart, braised escarole; and bits of creamy goat cheese – harmonized.
Lots of components need a suitable base
to sit upon, which brings me to the food’s presentation. If a
restaurant focuses on small-plate dining, where there’s no set
first, second and third course, then serving each dish on the
same size plate is acceptable. If an eatery has a standard appetizer,
entree and dessert format, like Veliis, then the starter should
be plated on a smallish dish, the entree served on a larger plate
and dessert on a little dish for practical reasons: the biggest
plate signals the most important course and its size allows for
a generous serving of food.
At Veliis, everything appears on appetizer-sized
plates, which poses a problem: many entree components piled precariously
on an undersized plate makes for messy dining.
One of the simpler entrees of pork loin
with warm apple-fennel salad, for instance, needs to be cut carefully
to avoid splashing a light sherry-laced sauce.
On a larger plate, splatters wouldn’t be
an issue.
Otherwise, the meat glazed with mustard
and flavored with lavender is boldly seasoned, with the herb
lending an arresting floral note.
I like slices of rare tuna dusted with
ground porcini mushrooms, too, but the melange of broccoli rabe,
slivers of asparagus, wild mushrooms and cannelloni beans taste
flat.
I’d re-think the warm banana cheesecake.
There’s too much fruit, not enough cheese and the preparation
doesn’t work. Olson rolls the filling in a crust and fries it.
It’s served in large, diagonally cut pieces over very good, vanilla-laced
creme anglaise.
The crust is crisp without being tasty,
and the filling edges into baby-food territory.
As lovely as the honey-lavender creme brulee
sounds, it’s dense, not creamy.
The sophisticated clientele that Veliis
attracts looks for a bistro that serves familiar dishes with
some flair. Generous helpings at reasonable prices are important,
too. My guess is they’d still be pleased if Olson took a less-is-more
approach to food pairing and cut back a bit on portions, a change
that would make his dishes more appealing.
Employing larger entree plates wouldn’t
hurt either. Where they’re concerned, the bigger the better.
Veliis (773 Fulton St. between South
Oxford and South Portland streets in Fort Greene) accepts MasterCard
and Visa. Entrees: $10$25. The restaurant serves dinner
Tuesday through Sunday. Brunch is available from noon to 4 pm
on the weekends. For reservations, call (718) 596-9070.
