Bellemore is a large place on a corner, with two sides having windows looking outside and an open kitchen in the back corner. The wide wood plank floor is matched with exposed duct work in the ceiling. Rock music plays in the background and there is a large bar area as well as a number of different seating options. Tables are fairly large and the place is well lit, but then we were there during daylight. The striking design is highlighted with by two large birdcages with good sized birds. Also the second room we saw had huge mural of owls. Chef Jimmy Papadopoulos has been the Executive Chef since 2017 and wanted to create a dining experience that would resemble eating at a friends house. I think I’d like to have a lot of these friends that would invite me over! It is food full of flavor and texture. At lunch there is a smaller menu with lots of plates meant to be shared. All the staff were really friendly and provided efficient service. The pacing of the meal was good and the staff were willing to bring out each dish as a separate course with clean plates and flatware.
We started with a glass of Langlois Chateau Cremant while we considered our options. The waiter was helpful in making our selections.
The Sweet Potato Tots came with parmesan aioli, espelette chile and lemon. They were really crisp on the outside with a nice creamy inside. The tasty aioli and lemon were good enhancements to the sweet delicious bites. They had a nice chew – texture in the mouth – and a good balance. A fun way to start the meal.
The Kona Kampachi Tartare came with shoestring potatoes, citrus ponzu and basil. The sauce with the dish contained a bit of soy sauce which really complimented the tasty small chunks of fish. The shoestrings were really thin and crisp and since the sauce was served on the side they could stay crisp thoughout the dish. The sauce was key to really bringing out the flavors in this nice plate.
The Steak and Avocado Salad was mixed with butternut squash, toasted sesame, buttered cashews, cubanelle pepper dressing and basil. The steak pieces were excellent – tender and bursting with flavor. The greens however were a bit underdressed for my taste but nevertheless the avocado and cashews were quite flavorful. The nuts added a nice crunch but the squash was a tad undercooked and lacking in flavor even though it had a wonderful color. The greens included some baby arugula that was really good. With a bit more dressing this dish could be out of sight.
The slow roasted Short Rib Mafaldine was made with maitake mushrooms, smoked tomato butter, parmesan breadcrumbs and parsley. It was long perfectly cooked noodles topped with crispy breadcrumbs. The tender meat was tasty as were the mushrooms and all were nicely coated with the lovely peeled tomatoes. It was nice to not have the dish covered with tomato sauce. There wasn’t a lot of meat which made this a perfect lunch dish. This was a very good dish with great texture and flavor.
The ‘Fire-Bird’ Chicken Sandwich was topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayonnaise and fried-onion ranch and served with chips. It was a fun spicy piece of crispy, juicy boneless chicken topped with a lot of dressing and vegetables. The bun was really fresh and doughy and had been perfectly toasted. The thick housemade chips were crisp and nicely salted for good flavor and texture. Another fun and tasty offering.
For dessert we had the Affogato that was a combination of toasted ice cream, mascarpone cream, crispy cinnamon tuile and a single shot of la colombe expresso. The sweet creamy ice cream was perfect with the shot of strong coffee. The crisp cinnamon cookie was a winning touch. It was a perfect ending for a fine meal.
