- By Allison Veaner
- Around Town
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Watercress-the plant- is a vibrant, fresh, crisp, wild green, full of nature’s best nutrition that packs a resonant, earthy taste with a surprising back note of heat and vigor. Watercress- the restaurant- is aptly named, because Hans takes the freshest, organic ingredients, locally grown (when possible) and spins them- with well trained talent and not a little mystery- into dishes that take you on a colorful, delicious, trip far from home.
In May, my husband and I dropped in to Watercress because we had received a gift certificate at a non-profit fundraising event. We also wanted to check out the food without anyone knowing about a possible review.
Upon entering the restaurant you are struck by the rich warm wall colors: Italian gold, sienna, and orange hues. There is a small intimate bar off to the left, well appointed with a wide range of wines ($15-90), imported and microbrewery beers, and top shelf liquors, where the bartender will whip up any of a number of whimsical martini offerings or mixed drinks. To the right is a generous dining room that would accommodate a large catered affair, or equally well, an intimate dinner for two. The atmosphere is unpretentiously elegant and calm, the chairs quite comfortable, and the wait staff: cosmopolitan, friendly, and well-trained.
Everything is made from scratch at Watercress and the brightness of the flavors clues one in immediately. Hans calls his style ‘fusion’ cooking. The recipes and flavors are harvested from around the Mediterranean Rim: country French, Spanish, Moroccan, Egyptian, Greek, and Italian and even further a field. On the house to start is a Thai chili humus with a choice of fennel seed flat-bread crisps or ciabatta crostini. Olive oil and herbed balsamic vinegar for dipping are present as well. I am a big fan of bread in any form, but as good as the crostini is , the flatbread is even better with the humus. One tastes the sweet chick pea and olive oil at first. The warmth is accurately gauged striking a gong in your taste buds and brain seemingly simultaneously and coming to completion with the tangy bite of the fennel seed. Crunch pleasure sites in the brain awaken followed by an awareness that a little crostini dipped in lavender enhanced olive oil and sweetly reduced, balsamic vinegar, will cool it all down so you can start again- full circle. Save your appetite though, each step of the way surpasses the previous one.
Hans will say up front that seafood is his love and specialty, although he does no disservice to the vegetable and meat fare. That night we ordered the signature watercress salad arranged with walnuts, and a compelling smoked blue cheese, followed by two of the seafood specials: a Mahi Mahi served with caramelized cauliflower in a mint, mustard and watercress cream sauce served with cottage fries and also large, tender, Ocean Scallops on Fettuccini with an arugula pesto – heavenly. The watercress, as well as the other greens and some herbs, is provided by Finger Lakes Fresh Greens- a hydroponics greenhouse run by Challenge Industries. The blue cheese was smoked on site and is a ‘must taste’.
Our dinner was so delightful we asked the waitress right then and there if they were interested in a full review of their food. She disappeared into the kitchen and was back with an invitation to walk right back into the kitchen to chat a bit with the chef. We couldn’t have been more surprised at the time but now we know that Hans has the kitchen well in hand; it was so clean you could eat off the floor and the atmosphere was calm and orderly. Hans explained that he has worked in a lot of kitchens where the chefs were high intensity, often angry or bossy, and he decided that his kitchen would never be that way because it affects the staff, then the food, and ultimately the customers in a negative way. It is obvious that he treats the food in the same way he treats people, with great care, respect, and attention to detail. Combine this with a love of cooking, a sense of fun, and a true artistic eye for presentation. I could find no area for improvement. So we returned…
The day of our review dawned bright with anticipation. We arrived at Watercress a bare fifteen minutes in front of the expected Tompkins County ‘tornado’. Sitting at the bar looking out the windows at that leaden green cloud in the sky did nothing to soothe my nerves and ready my appetite. But as the wind and heavy rain blew, we finally relaxed and put our mind on food that would transport us to sunny climes and faraway places.
For starters we tried the ‘Lively Run’ goat cheese appetizer, wrapped in a fresh basil sleeve and drizzled with the reduced balsamic vinegar. The light, almost whipped texture of the goat cheese had a fresh lemony foretaste that was counter pointed by the slightly bitter basil note and the sweet balsamic finish. Following this Hans proffered a special calamari dish, not heavily blanketed and deep fried as one frequently finds them in restaurants, but here in their altogether, lightly sautéed in a delightful sherry vinaigrette with fresh chives, laid on a bed of delicate hydroponic arugula, with the squid tubes stuffed with rich, tomato and dill risotto. The calamari was a breath of freshness with not a hint of the overdone ‘rubberies’ that many cooks impose upon them. The risotto had a surprising almost pate richness to it, yet only vegetable stock was used in its creation. Although we knew we had to conserve our appetites, we were unable to resist finishing this fine offering.
The Summer Vegetable Salad was excellent. Almost gave one the feeling of minus calories. An antidote to any overfed day, it had chilled sautéed fennel bulb, roasted peppers and eggplant with olives on a bed of mixed greens, lightly accompanied by a serving of tender bulghar (underused) and dressed with an addictive mint/lime vinaigrette ( I would take a case home). Hans explained.” Mint is one of my favorite herbs to use”. The pepper was notably flame roasted, a very different taste from the citric acid preserved peppers that one finds in most restaurants these days. You could almost end the meal with this salad, due to a satisfying dessert-like sweetness.
The next offering was from the main menu, the Morrocan Style Boneless Lamb Loin, any meat eater will be happy with this, even if you do not usually care for lamb. Rubbed with an incredible mélange of mid-eastern spices (25) called Ras el Hanout, the lamb was redolent with aroma and taste, sweet, and cooked to perfection. It was served with a large, succulent Israeli cous cous, grilled baby summer squash, topped with home made compote of fig, apricot and citrus. Heavenly! We will have to return for a taste of the Black Angus Strip Steak if the lamb is any indication.
Hans described his creative process in a little more detail. He imagines each dish, each meal, as a circle. The flavors catch your attention and draw you along a path, one- to the next, and finally back to the starting place again. That is indeed what happens. You must reserve enough time for your meal to allow this to happen. Sometimes even the conversation gets in the way of savoring each bite, so you find yourself silent and reflective embracing the full experience.
Following the lamb we were served a ‘granita’, which to the uninitiated is an Italian flavored ice. A granita can be a refreshing palate cleanser between courses, or a delicate, lightly sweet finish to a meal. This one was a melon/pineapple granita with just a dash of tequila drizzled on top. You question this, but whatever Hans offers, you accept with trust. Cool, clear, slightly pulpy with oddly enough- a vanilla note. Calming. All is well with the world. Leave your psychiatrist at the door. This will cost you less and leave you with a greater sense of well-being.
The final main course was one of Hans’ favorite fish- the Black Cod. Now typically, I steer well clear of cod, but Black Cod is from Alaska and is still in a renewable state-no guilt there (guilt can ruin one’s appetite). And we were not disappointed. Of all the delights, this was my favorite. The cod was cooked to perfection, just barely firm, and was served on herb smashed potatoes with asparagus, gently dressed with a very light, cream, mustard, and dill sauce. Anything would have been a success with that sauce on it, but the flavor of the cod was excellent. This one was Matthew’s rave as well. It is a good thing we were quite full at that point or we would have had words over it.
No dessert. Couldn’t positively…. Well perhaps just a taste for our devoted readers.
Wise Hans sent another granita our way. This one was orange/chipotle. Now chipotle is not for those with a delicate stomach to whom the fiery pepper is a painful guest. Cool, sweet 1,2,3..faint bite..4,5,6..fire balanced with fresh orange-ness. Need a remedy? Another piece of bread dipped in olive oil
Now ready for dessert- a homemade stone fruit strudel. The flaky crust, thin, buttery, and barely there, gently drifted with powdered sugar. Inside apricot, every bite is fruit with a bit of purity vanilla as contrast. We were finished, gently full, invigorated and sleepy at the same time. Funny though- if you sit there a while at the bar with an after dinner drink, the crazy thought will eventually enter your mind, “gee, the smells wafting from the kitchen could make you hungry again”… full circle.
So there you are. Save your pennies. Pick someone, or a group of someones, to share a meal with (emphasis on share) so that you can taste many dishes as we did. You can have a vacation without even leaving town. Watercress serves lunch (11-3) and dinner (5-9) currently, and is available for special catered events. Lunches run a limited appetizer menu, but a nice variety of salad, sandwich, and entrée offerings from 7-11$. Dinners run 5-12$ for salads and 16-28$ for entrees, every bite worth it. Note* Watercress will be closed for vacation from July 28th thru August 8th.
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