A life less ordinary

Club 4ul. Zgoda 11Tel. 827-1817Hours: noon-3 a.m. dailyCredit cards accepted

I experienced a bit of a quandary last week while dining at Club 4, Warsaw's newest playpen for the young and beautiful. While part of me wanted to join the high-fashion crowd sitting in a corner taking in the club's neon glow and ambient trance music, an even larger part of me wanted to loosen my belt a notch, tuck my napkin into my shirt collar, and holler out for another helping of viddles. Because whether the club's pose-striking clientele knows it or not, Club 4 serves up more than just good looks. It also houses a damn fine restaurant.

I was, however, a bit skeptical when Beata, Mateusz and I arrived at the club's entrance on ulica Zgoda. Greeting us at the door were two hulking members of the fashion police who gave us the once over before reluctantly granting us entrance. But any doubts we may have had as to Club 4's culinary ambitions were quickly dashed when the waitress handed us our menus (available only in Polish). In addition to a wide selection of appetizers, pastas, meats and salads, the restaurant also has a substantial wine list and we wasted no time in ordering a bottle of French Merlot.

Before fetching our wine, the waitress left us with tiny plates of flavored olive oil and a basket of bread - a compliment that has become to international-cuisine restaurants what chips and salsa is for Mexican eateries. Nonetheless, the oil and bread held our attention as we waited for our wine to arrive.

For starters we ordered salmon tartar and an order of wild mushrooms wrapped in ham. These goodies arrived from the kitchen so quickly that I had forgotten we even ordered them. Although the salmon tartar was a bit too chunky for our liking, the smooth mixture of meat, chives and basil was still tasty. The wild mushroom appetizer, on the other hand, was nothing short of spectacular. Served on toasted baguettes and sprinkled with parmesan, the mushroom mixture was rich and garlicky and its slightly gritty taste suggested that the fungi were fresh from the forest.

With our appetizers finished, we took some time to get to know our neighbors. "That's the third bottle of Żubrówka that's gone to that table," said Mateusz in astonishment. Behind us a party of Japanese businessmen and their Polish associates sat laughing and threatening to launch into song and hearty praises. Proof of their good time came when one inebriated member nearly knocked over our waitress during his infant-clumsy totter to the toilet.

It was a good thing our waitress was more nimble than he was. Had she spilled our suppers, it would have been a tremendous waste. Perhaps I'm being a bit self-congratulatory when I say that I may have ordered the best meal; all of our dinners were excellent.

My pork tenderloin marinated in honey was tender and the creamy Camembert sauce that accompanied it provided the perfect compliment.

Mateusz's order of duck in plum sauce came with a side of potatoes and red cabbage. It didn't take him long before he, too, was singing the praises of his meal. The duck was good, not fatty, and the crispy skin tasty. Beata also scored with her order of a grilled chicken salad. The bright salad was served with red and yellow bell peppers, in addition to lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and basil.

Full, yet intrigued by what Club 4 might offer in the form of after-dinner sweets, we decided to share a couple of desserts. The toronicio, a zabaglione custard dripping with strawberry sauce and chopped nuts, and the cheesecake topped with caramel, were both garnished with mint and presented on plates zigzagged with chocolate sauce and powdered cocoa. The whole mouth-watering affair left us dazed and contented as we settled back in our seats to observe the stream of club-hoppers who sauntered across the second-level balcony that could have doubled as a modeling runway.

Downstairs, the crowd was younger and more candy-apple sweet than the fashion TV contingent upstairs. With guys made up like the Backstreet Boys and their girls Britney Spears' sidekicks, the party was just beginning on the dance floor as we made our exit. Perhaps a few years ago I would have joined in on the fun, but after our big meal I wished only to emulate our Japanese dining companion upstairs, who for the past half hour was slumped over asleep in his chair. Although the food and the atmosphere at Club 4 are tops, let me be the first to warn you that by going there you run the risk of feeling old and oh so ordinary. Our meal with a bottle of wine and three espressos came to a reasonable zł. 245 ($60).

On the menu:

Bottle of Arabesque Merlot zł. 70

Wild mushrooms with

ham and parmesan zł. 16

Salmon tatar zł. 25

Duck breast in plum sauce zł. 31

Pork tenderloin with

Camembert sauce zł. 29

Salad with grilled chicken zł. 20

Toronicio zł. 16

Cheesecake with caramel zł. 18

William Nichols