Delpha's missteps perhaps mirror his enthusiasm. A wonderfully succulent veal chop is served with marbled mashed potatoes, rich and cheesy. But what may have been intended as a touch of nutmeg screams out of control, and the potatoes are inedible from the spice overload. The wild mushrooms overflowing in a well-made risotto couldn't have been better, but the dish is so salty that it's hard to concentrate on their virtues. By the time one gets down to the buttery rich mashed potatoes, it's overkill.
Desserts hew more closely to an American theme.
On a first visit, the offerings seem a little clumsy in appearance, but that smooths out admirably by the second time. A banana split with a stuffed roasted banana, a very chocolatey brownie concoction, and ice cream is sweet and rich, but too cloying and in need of a burst of color to brighten the brown and yellow hues. A lemon meringue tart billows with meringue, but the crust is too stiff and the lemon curd too thick. A malted milk chocolate semifreddo is the best dessert, a pretty oval mold surrounded by white and dark chocolate sauces. The malt tempers the chocolate, making it at once heady and sophisticated.