Posh nosh by design
We're in the market for some new furniture. But do you think David and I can agree on what to buy? No. The selection in Warsaw can be a bit thin on the ground. While neither of us can warm to the chunky rustic look of Polish furniture, what's left is either seriously expensive Italian, French, Spanish or Swedish design. And by Swedish design I mean Ikea. I was hoping I'd seen the last of Ikea when I graduated from college and threw away the collection of leftover Allen wrenches I'd been keeping in the bottom kitchen drawer. But it looks like we'll be sharing our home with a number of creations from this Scandinavian country's pine-and-pin selection for a while yet. Now, there's one other thing we can't agree on: Warsaw architecture. We had dinner recently at Biblioteka. It's considered one of this city's premier eating establishments for those in search of some posh nosh. And it just so happens that the restaurant is housed within Warsaw University's library. David reckons the building is great. I think it looks like a pile of concrete disguised behind some backyard lattice and a spindly vine that sprouted from a cutting taken from Nanna's. And what about all those faux green columns? Inside, it only gets worse. The interior looks like a half-hearted "hanging-gardens-of-Babylon-meets-Panorama-shopping-mall."
But if you ignore the library lockers at the front door of Biblioteka, the miles of exposed air-conditioning ducts, and the concrete walls disguised with reproduction furniture and fixtures, it's really quite a nice place to spend a glam night. After we ordered our meals, we received a little taste from the chef: a sliver of veal in a tuna sauce - a subtle rendition of the Italian dish, veal tonnato, and a nice way to whet the appetite. Moving on to our entrees, I started our meal with a venison loin salad with fresh raspberries, while David chose the parsley-flavored homemade taglioni with chanterelles. I was thoroughly enjoying my salad - slivers of rare veal on a plate of coral lettuce laced with raspberries, jewel-like cubes of peeled tomato and a dash of raspberry vinegar. Then I offered some to David. He curled up his nose at the rather gamy smell of the venison, and then, suddenly, all I could smell and taste was a furry Bambi. I have a similar experience whenever I eat too much goat cheese - it tastes, well, goatey. Suffice to say, I only ate half of my entree.
David devoured his pasta, but he described the texture as "being like a Friday night chow mien reheated on a Saturday night, but I'm sure it's fresh." The mushroom sauce was light and fresh, but neither of us could work out where the parsley had gone. Next came our main course, which proved to be a far more enjoyable experience. My marinated duck in a light sour Dijon sauce with mushroom ragout was scrumptious, if a little rich thanks to the naturally fatty quality of duck and its skin. But it looked a treat: slivers of succulent duck breast, cooked just so, and fanned atop a light mushroom ragout with a drizzle of tart Dijon-mustard sauce.
David's lamb fillet in rosemary sauce with crispy spuds was a study in tenderness: Lamb that was cooked until it was the lightest of pinks, dressed in a wonderfully light sauce with just a hint of rosemary and spuds that were really crispy. We were both impressed with our mains, in a posh sort of way. For dessert, we shared a chilled nougat with chocolate and cedar berries. It was part panna cotta, part mousse, and 100% cream. It was rich and mildly sweet, and delicious, with little lemon balm leaves. Dinner for two, including drinks, cost zł. 378 ($94).
On the menu: Parsley-flavored taglioni with chanterelles zł. 29 Venison loin salad with fresh raspberries zł. 35 Delicacy of spinach with cheese fondue and fresh chanterelles zł. 29 Ravioli of salmon in red pepper sauce zł. 29 Marinated duck in a light sour Dijon sauce with mushroom ragout zł. 65 Sea bass with tomatoes and basil zł. 75 Lamb fillet in rosemary sauce with crispy potatoes zł. 75 Rabbit with red beet and chanterelles zł. 55 Champagne and forest fruit jelly with milk ice cream zł. 29 Caprice of white chocolate with pineapple leaves and Cointreau ice cream zł. 29 Chilled nougat with chocolate and cedar berries zł. 25
