Room Four (yes, again)

Maybe it's the time of year, what with the holidays making me feel all splurgy and in need of awesome food, or maybe it's just that we'll use any excuse to go there (as I mentioned in my last RF post), but Tim and I found ourselves back at Room Four again this past weekend.  We knew we wanted a nice date night dinner, and when I spotted boneless pork ribs with an Asian preparation on the RF menu that afternoon we had to look no further.

I started with the salad--Romaine formed the base, with giardiniera veggies, grated manchego cheese, and an amazing citrusy vinaigrette ($10).  This salad was so. good.  The description doesn't do it justice--romaine and giardiniera, what?  I think I've only had hot giardiniera, because I had reservations thinking that it'd add a bit of heat to the salad, which just seems wrong.  But I decided to trust in the chefs, and I'm glad I did.  For one, the giardiniera was just pickled veggies--not hot at all (researching it, I see that it does indeed come in spicy and "traditional" varieties).  The veggies plus the vinaigrette worked well together to give the salad a tangy kick, while the manchego added a nice saltiness.  All-around, a great salad, and beautifully presented with the whole leaves of Romaine topped by all the veggie and cheese goodness.  I've already purchased some giardiniera and romaine so I can re-create this salad at home next week.

Tim started with one of the tacos on offer that night:  braised chicken thigh, avocado, grilled red onions, and cilantro jalapeno salsa ($6).  It was delicious.  The chicken thighs were juicy and full of flavor, the avocado provided a creaminess, and the salsa added a little spice and freshness.  I was sad that I only got one little bite!

Tim once again went with the burger for his main, but this time it was a bit different from others we've had.  The (Fisher Farms beef) burger was topped with smoked mozzarella cheese, roasted then pressed san marzano tomatoes, pickles, onions, and dijonnaise ($16).  I again only had a little bite, but man, was it good.  Tim was very happy with his choice and said he liked the smokiness of the mozzarella and the roasted tomatoes.

 The piece de resistance for both of us, though, was the Berkshire boneless pork ribs I had.  They were served over wild rice with shitake, pistachios, and scallions ($12).  The sauce definitely had an Asian influence, with a heavy salty-soy base.  My server mentioned twice that there were cherries in there--the sauce was dark, so not sure if they were in the sauce or in with the rice, and I did detect a slight hint of fruitiness, but didn't notice any large pieces.  I really loved the bites with pistachio in them, because they added a nice crunch. Though the dish was listed in the appetizer section, my portion was plenty for a main--I received three sections of boneless ribs over a nice amount of wild rice.  Super yummy.

We finished our meal with cookies.  Tim said he couldn't possibly eat a whole one, but somehow managed to.  The 'famous' candy bar cookies had peanut M&M's in them this time, along with some other bits and bobs of candy--not as awesome as when they have a lot of heath, or butterfinger, or snickers in them, but still a great way to finish the meal when dipped in the wonderful whipped cream. 

Website:  Room Four