It's still expensive, but it no longer feels like a private club. And service is more even. Regulars and big shots still get the coveted front dining room, but the veranda doesn't feel as much like Siberia as it used to. Changes in Mr. Fearing's lifestyle and pace are reflected on the menu. His food displays the assurance of one who has little to prove to anyone but himself.
Asian accents pop up all over the menu.
But the Southwestern ingredients and flavors that first brought acclaim to Mr. Fearing are more evident than they were several years ago, when he seemed infatuated with Asian tastes and techniques. Yet the food is not constricted by blind allegiance to genre. Surrounded by a colorful but subdued red currant sauce, the dish was a wonderful combination of velvet and silk. Even accompanying scalloped potatoes failed to balance the flavors. Despite imperfections, it still was a dish to be reckoned with.