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Entourage Restaurant Review
From the street, Entourage creates a rather interesting impression. From the front, the building itself doesn't seem to be very big, but there is a tall windowed structure facing the street that is a very prominent feature of the building; it looks almost like a cocktail shaker. Approaching on foot, the structure makes perfect sense, as one looks in to see an incredible display of bottles behind a very impressive bar and lounge area. Upon entering the building, the ambience and richness of the decor is immediately obvious; the entryway displays an area with the deep tones of mahogany, the coolness of a steel stairway winding its way to the second floor guided by two immense waterfalls, and the of the amber-colored lighting that gently warms the walls that are similar in color. The same comfortable feel is found throughout the well-appointed restaurant - which is actually quite large inside - from the lounge to the dining room. Decorations are almost austere, yet still manage to elicit a feeling of calm. On the night we visited, the place was anything but calm. Interestingly enough, closer inspection would reveal that it was only the thirsty and hungry patrons who were not calm; the staff was running like a well-oiled machine.
We arrived a bit early and decided to relax in the lounge with a cocktail prior to being seated. The drink menu prominently displayed our favorite spirit: Grey Goose. However, it was billed as being delivered from the tap, already chilled to a cool 200 Fahrenheit. The choice irresistible and easy, we ordered a pair and discussed the day's events. A short time later we were seated in a comfortable booth near the kitchen, able to watch the incredible pas de deux that was taking place as dinners were assembled and sent out to the dining room.
Waiting for our entrees, I noticed that the kitchen was working at a fever pitch, yet no one seemed to be anxious. There were at least ten people behind the line: cooks, sauté cooks, grill cooks - even the executive chef - working at peak capacity but all collaborating as if they were a single unit of perfection. The wait staff worked in identical and highly-synced fashion, with the kitchen staff and with each other. The little things I mentioned? well, how about the drink stirs that disappeared moments after I took them from my cocktail glass and placed them on the table? Or the water glass remaining filled despite my efforts to drain it? Or the used silverware that was replaced with clean silverware prior to each course? These are but a few instances, but important to note is that these seemingly trivial yet important tasks were executed without the slightest pretense or flare and were barely noticeable - and not just at our table and not just by our waiter - throughout the dining room as if every table were the personal attention of every member of the wait staff! The entire wait staff was professionally attired and performed their tasks in a manner that made it quite obvious that intense and thorough training was an extremely important aspect of Entourage. It may or may not have been coincidence but our waiter Jesse seemed to be the epitome of what I would like to expect in all wait staff: polite, knowledgeable, at ease and enjoyed his work.
If I were want to subtract at all from a superior rating for this wonderful venue, it would be for a minor wait between appetizer and main course and for a noise level that was at times not conducive to low-level conversation. But I am not. The short wait was hardly noticeable and came at a time when about a hundred dinners were coming out of the kitchen - hardly a reason for annoyance. And although I would normally prefer quiet over noisy, no one in the packed dining room seemed to mind. I can easily award Entourage a rare Five-Zin rating and highly recommend that you put it at the very top of your list of places to dine.
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Often it is the little things that make
the biggest difference - especially when it comes to a restaurant. And
that is definitely the case at the restaurant at which Lauren and I had the
pleasure of dining just the other evening... 
The menus presented a dilemma for both
of us - an amazing array of tantalizing appetizers and entrees greeted our
eyes and made decisions difficult. For instance, appetizers like
Hoisen-Serrano Chile Calamari with Peppers, crispy garlic and scallions,
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Fuji apple salad & citrus butter sauce,
Smoked Chicken, Andouille & Spinach Crispy Roll with Smoked red pepper
emulsion or Tuna Tataki with Wasabi, ginger, sweet & sour vegetables,
& mustard soy sauce created the first conundrum. If that weren't
difficult enough, Entourage Signature dishes like Wild Mushroom &
Parmesan Stuffed Breast of Chicken , Macadamia Nut Crusted Tilapia,
Grilled Skirt Steak and Entourage Filet & Crab Cake Medallions
were competing with some mouth-watering Steaks, Chops and Prime Rib
available with finishing touches like Horseradish Crust, Wild Mushroom
Truffle Crust or creamy Stilton Bleu Cheese Crust. And of course there
was an array of artisan sandwiches available, lots of tasty soups and salads
and myriad desserts to tempt the taste buds. I left off the
palate-teasing descriptions of many of the entrees... but just to give you
an idea, how does (with the Grilled Skirt Steak) Chipotle mashed
potatoes, seasonal vegetables, tobacco onions & jalapeno sour cream demi glace sound? These are but a few of the items available and the
decision was one of the most difficult I have had to make.
We finally decided on the Hoisen-Serrano
Chile Calamari with Peppers, crispy garlic and scallions and the Tuna
Tataki with Wasabi, ginger, sweet & sour vegetables, & mustard soy sauce
for appetizers. Lauren selected the Macadamia Nut Crusted Tilapia:
Dried fruit jasmine rice & coconut banana butter for her entree, and I
decided to go with the Entourage Filet & Crab Cake Medallions:
Grilled 3oz. filet medallions & lump crab cakes with citrus butter & sage
veal sauce.
Oh yes, I bet you thought I forgot about
the food. That would be impossible - to forget that is. The Calamari was crisp and very
tender, the Serrano peppers adding just a hint of spice, while the Tuna
(sashimi grade) may have been some of the best I have ever had - the
mustard-soy sauce was heavenly and the tuna about melted in my mouth.
Lauren's Tilapia had a marvelous and delicate nut crust; she went crazy for
the Jasmine Rice - sweet and tasty. My Filet Medallions were grilled
to perfection and very tender, and the Crab Cake toppers were moist and
thoroughly delightful in flavor - the citrus butter and sage veal sauce were
simply a perfect compliment. We were both stuffed, but were I to even
think about dessert - it would have definitely have been the Baked Alaska. Portion sizes were ample and the plating
was done with elegance and style. My guess is that any items on the
menu would be as good, and I would go back to Entourage in a heartbeat just
to make certain of that! Oddly, the price points are very acceptable
for such a high-class restaurant.