Organic food has long been identified with a kind of Spartan disregard for taste and technique-what's important is not how it tastes but whether it's good for you. But food is a matter of pleasure as well as nourishment. It might seem like a backhanded compliment, but it's a tribute to Nora that if you didn't know it was organic, you might think you merely had wandered into a New American restaurant of imagination and ambition. The menu changes daily, depending on what's available, so the dishes mentioned here might not be available on a night you go. The first thing to be said is that the raw materials are wonderful.
Salads are vibrant.
Greens are fresh. A classic combination like Stilton and pears is brought to life by combining the two with baby greens, Belgian endive, and toasted almonds, all brought together by a port-wine vinaigrette. Smoked trout from Mount Walden Farms is combined with crisply fried potato slices and a salad of celeriac and watercress in a lively horseradish dressing. Meats taste the way they might have tasted on your grandparents' farm. I hesitate to order chicken breast at most restaurants for fear that it will be tasteless.