Datebook Diner: Chef brings Dish close to earlier mojo

Beef and Shrooms, with Maytag Blue Cheese and house made worcestershire sauce, served at Trostel's Dish. (Credit: Bill Neibergall/The Register)

Trostel's Dish opened with aplomb in 2005, but after a while, something happened. The overall energy flagged and the food began to lose its luster. I pretty much gave up on the place and hadn't been there for ages.

Recently, however, chef Jed Hoffman, who has had stints in Minneapolis as well as at the former Torroco restaurant, took over the kitchen. The restaurant seems to be getting back on track.

Ambiance: The plush, thrilling room succeeds at being utterly modern without resorting to the cold minimalism that many contemporary venues do.

Menu: Though divided into five globe-trotting sections - American, Latin, Mediterranean, Asian and Pizzas - the small-plates selections stay in somewhat well-known territory. With items like Graziano sausage sliders, fried calamari, nachos, Cajun sirloin bites, chicken pesto pizza and tempura-style shrimp, there are few ingredients that will seem too far off the beaten path to frequent restaurant diners.

Best Bites: The Beef & Shrooms dish melded robust, meaty flavors of top sirloin, portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions and Maytag blue cheese; the crispy fried avocado, with pico de gallo, jalapeño sour cream and cilantro aioli mayo, proved fun and 100 percent successful. Likely designed with huge appetites in mind, the three little Italian Sliders, with Graziano sausage, prosciutto, and mozzarella, satisfied in a big-food way. A bonus of Greek sausage added heartiness to the Saganaki-style flaming cheese dish.

The Jury's Out: The Fontina Cheese and Wild Mushroom pizza brought a crust the texture of a brittle nacho. This may delight some, though fans of traditional thin crusts will miss the balance of crispness and chew. Anyone looking for the promised "wild" mushrooms will feel slighted.

The tequila-lime shrimp and the wasabi-pea-crusted seared sea scallops brought spot-on presentations, but mediocre seafood.

Bonus Points: This restaurant has something not enough fine-dining venues do: A confident maitre-d' in a dashing suit who can step in if things go awry. Which is exactly what this guy did when the experience at our table faltered.

Bottom Line: While not quite at its post-opening peak, it's safe for former fans to venture back.

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