What is a Vinotheque? If I base my definition
on W Vinotheque in Sheepshead Bay, I’d say it’s an attractive
restaurant-supper club with an impressive wine list (the W stands
for wine), a so-so menu and a somber ambience.
Let’s begin with mood. Upon entering the restaurant we were led
silently back with a nod to the coat check woman who took our
coats without uttering a word. We were then steered to a table
near the fireplace, sat and looked around. Near us a table of
pretty young women murmured to one another. At another table,
a family dined without a moment of conversation, and in the back
room, two private parties were in progress.
Parties?
Maybe.
But no partying. Not a sound emanated from that room just a few
feet from where we sat.
W’s owners, some of the waitstaff and much of their clientele
speak Russian, so conversing with us might be difficult, but
why is there such subdued conversation with one another? As far
as the hostess and some of the servers go, downcast eyes and
faces without expression don’t endear diners. I’m not suggesting
that anyone at W grin like a cheerleader on speed, but a pleasant
demeanor never hurts.
And the music. I assumed there would be music, but nothing prepared
me for the continuous soundtrack, just loud enough to be disturbing,
and the saxophonist wandering from room to room playing Kenny
G. and the theme from "Love Story."
There are four dining areas in the restaurant. The two main dining
rooms have fireplaces, rough-hewn walls and floor-to-ceiling
wine racks. Tables are wood and set with candles, oversized cutlery
and glasses. Chairs are upholstered in floral tapestry, and the
floors are laid with huge terracotta tiles. The back room continues
the English inn motif with three long communal tables elaborately
set with tiered serving dishes. The heated patio is darker and
more casual.
Our waiter was the one bright note in the room: warm and smiling,
he was a delightful change from the others, but he upsold the
wine and menu with a vengeance. After handing us the wine list
– a book with an impressive, if expensive, collection of 450
international bottles – he asked, "Red or white," then
suggested an $80 bottle before we could say we’d like it by the
glass.
He thought the foie gras, at $21, the most expensive appetizer
on the menu, was a good choice, and for an entree, we’d enjoy
the $43 Kobe beef, explaining how the cattle is massaged to affect
its incomparable tenderness.
The menu reads like a compilation of ideas culled from old issues
of "Bon Appetit." There’s the "Flame Hama-Hama,"
one of four oyster preparations described as "oven-broiled
oysters topped with scallops and toasted buffalo mozzarella cheese."
Perhaps you’d prefer the "Tuna Martini?" A preparation
of "fresh tuna with Cajun seasoning deep-fried in vegetable
oil and served with sesame-flavored sauce," or opt for an
all-out global melt-down with the "Jakarta-Style Chicken"
that is butter-fried, wrapped in "nori," a sheet of
dried seaweed used in sushi, and stuffed with mozzarella.
We took our waiter’s suggestion and gave the foie gras a try,
even though its "honey infusion" raspberry sauce and
fig tart seemed better-suited to a Valentine’s Day dinner. It
wasn’t bad. Chefs Jeff Kuncoro and Yanto Gumawan wisely added
an acidic note to the sauce that balanced the rich liver.
The "Wasabi Oyster," was the least adulterated of the
shellfish quartet. Five fresh, but not spectacular, Kumamoto
oysters were topped with a touch of wasabi but ruined by a crown
of pallid chopped tomatoes and green peppers – a bruschetta gone
awry.
As for the entrees, the skirt steak was served rare as we requested.
However, the most memorable aspect of the dish, was its bizarre
presentation. On one side of the tray-sized plate sat the steak,
on the other was a huge rectangle of dull-tasting mashed potatoes
mirroring the meat in size and shape. Because the dish did not
have a vegetable, there was not a spot of color on the platter.
Visually, it was as exciting as a column of newsprint.
Like a box of Cracker Jacks, the dish even came with a surprise:
hidden beneath the potato moat was another steak!
The generously-sized tuna steak was better looking but blah,
lacking the meaty taste that’s so delectable when tuna is seared
properly. Oddly sour jus was splashed over the fish, a dollop
of mashed potatoes and a small pile of mixed, julienned zucchini
and green peppers.
Desserts are courtesy of Payard bakery, and, thankfully, they
don’t budge from classic French recipes. A delicate, layered
pastry of raspberry cream and yellow cake was enhanced with a
lacy curl of white chocolate, and a tiny round of cheesecake
atop another round of fudgy chocolate cake was marred by too
much gelatin.
My advice: for W Vinotheque to succeed, it needs to turn down
the music, rethink the menu and smile, smile, smile.
W Vinotheque (2812 Ocean Ave. at Avenue
X in Sheepshead Bay) accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard
and Visa. Entrees: $16-$43 (for Kobe beef). As part of "Dine In Brooklyn,"
W Vinotheque will offer a $19.55 prix fixe lunch menu now through
April 20.The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily. For reservations,
call (718) 769-2222.
