Hungrygrrl

There seemed to be a warm glow surrounding “The Bohemian” when we stopped in this past Saturday. The place was packed, and the jazz trio (Owen Yen) was in full swing. We worried there would be nowhere to sit, but I saw two seats at the bar and we slid in.

The Bohemian has only been open a few months now, started by two brothers from San Francisco. It has a cozy feel, a mix of antique lamps and asian wood. Listening to “Take the A Train” I felt the week melt away.

Perusing the drink menu, my spirits fell a little. They had a perfect scratch margarita, but their best tequila was cuervo gold. It was almost an insult.

The wine and beer menus were more disappointing. The only wines by the glass were on the low end, from $10 bottles. They were cheap at 5$ a glass, but I will happily pay a few extra dollars for a good glass of wine. And the beers on draft? Alaskan. Red Hook. In a town with so many good microbrews it’s a shame. No Boundary Bay? Or Mannys?

I ordered a glass of Washington Syrah and it was harsh, too fruity, untamed. I pouted. Cobe’s Longhammer was watery, almost flat.

We both pined for Circa.

Then the food came and our fears were silenced. At first glance the menu is a bit odd. It seems to be all appetizers and I swear olives are listed 10 times. Are they a secret black market for olives? There were olives with roasted garlic, and olives alongside roasted garlic, and tapenade. There is also a lot of cheese.

But if you search you’ll find they have real entrees. I wish they would separate out the entrees, make a “daily specials” sheet or something. They are surprisingly good.

First came the olives, and we started to understand the obsession with olives. These were really good olives. Bright green and juicy cerignolas, fresh tart kalamatas, dainty nicoise. The meatballs alongside were solid, not amazing, but well done and accented by roasted garlic or pomegrante molasses.

Then came the scallops. In all honesty, they were a bit cold, which is inexcusable as they take 5 minutes to cook. But they were still beautifully tender. And we were so busy fighting for every last bit of the farro risotto underneath we almost didn’t notice. Chewy and wheaty with a touch of cream and accents of carrot and sage–it was perfect. I haven’t had a side dish so perfect in a long time.

The endive salad impressed me even more. I love salad. I have made an art of salad– its simplicity, its lightness. But few people do it well. Theirs was impeccable. A mix of endive and radicchio which had lightness and crunch, set off by sweet grapes, pear vinegarette and the sharp rogue blue. And on occasion, a hazlenut. It was just perfectly balanced.

A few additions to the draft list and some fancier wines by the glass and I would be a happy camper. Oh and a bottle or two of high grade tequila wouldn’t hurt.

Bravo, bohemian. Hope to see you soon.

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The Bohemian

3405 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
www.thebohemianseattle.com