Molive´
The Whitehall gets an epicurean makeover, with inspired cuisine at its new American bistro By Nancy Ross Ryan
Food photography: Laurie Proffitt
Interior photography: Stuart-Rodgers Photography
When the restaurant first opened, the name "Molive´" was created for reasons that I'm certain seemed lucid then, but seem obscure now. Because it sounds like olive there was the connotation of a Mediterranean menu -- and the first menu seemed to fulfill that expectation. Rosetti is grounded in Italian cooking -- "My grandmother came from Marches, east of Rome, and she was and still is a great cook" -- but his food at Molive is more than Italian, broader than Mediterranean. At the same time it is very focused and personal, and it is the chef's personal style that gives Molive's menu its appeal. I find the food and the restaurant -- whatever its name -- captivating.
Rosetti's food presentations are very pretty but approachable, easy to deconstruct with a knife and fork. He originally studied graphic art and design at Northern Illinois University and cooked for a caterer, first during college, then later full time. Food gained the edge over a career in art and Rosetti went to Walt Disney World in Orlando where he completed the food and beverage management program and for seven years was part of the opening teams for eight upscale resorts and restaurants. Back in Chicago he was the opening chef de cuisine with the well-known New York chef David Burke at Mrs. Park's Tavern here, and afterward was corporate executive chef with Burke at Smith & Wollensky. Prior to Molive', Rosetti was opening executive chef at Gioco, and his food put that restaurant and Chicago's South Loop on the city's culinary map.
The 33-year-old Rosetti has already restructured the restaurant's breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch and bar menus, and aside from daily special seasonal specials, plans to change the menu twice yearly. One or two items remain the same, among them the tantalizingly fragrant three-compartment dish of marinated warm mixed olives that comes to the table at the beginning of every meal. Another stellar holdover from the first menu is the dessert Fire Roasted Strawberries, Cabernet Syrup & Black Pepper Ice Cream. The strawberries are halved, seared over the grill, then sauteed in brown butter and cabernet syrup. The sweet-smoky berries, wine syrup and spicy pepper ice cream are a beguiling combination and not your ordinary dessert.
For the rest of the menu Rosetti has created new menu items or else put his own inimitable spin on previous items, such as the Oaked Dayboat Scallops ($17) which were featured one day as a luncheon main dish. Three husky wood-grilled scallops, seared outside and just-cooked inside, sat atop tender Bibb lettuce leaves, rounds of sweet orange, and were garnished with fresh French-cut green beans, toasted hazelnuts and a Romesco sauce (a Spanish sauce of finely ground almonds, garlic, onions, red bell peppers and olive oil that traditionally accompanies grilled seafood). Among favorite, and alas, seasonal lunch starters was the Maryland Lump Crab Gazpacho with Cucumber, Vine Ripened Tomato & Poblano Pepper ($8). The Gazpacho -- composed of wonderfully fresh, ripe red tomatoes and crisp green seedless cucumber, floated with chunks of sweet, juicy crab meat, was served in a bowl-sized white China cup. The heat of the poblanos, which curled around the edge of the tongue, was cooled by the creme fraiche in the soup.
Where appropriate on the lunch and dinner menu, a wine suggestion follows the menu item. At lunch one day I ordered the recommended Spanish Albarino with Grilled Asparagus, Prosciutto di Parma, Roasted Peppers, Organic Sunny-up Egg ($9). The asparagus spears came, nicely grilled, and lined up together on a rectangular white plate. roasted red and yellow sweet Bell peppers and caramelized onion added color and flavor as did the large flakes of Parmesan, and prosciutto and the creamy, sauteed egg with its molten golden center gave a whole new definition to ham and fried eggs.
Grilled Octopus,Quinoa Tabbouleh, Watercress and Cumin Oil ($7) is a splendid pairing with the Loire Valley Muscadet that the menu recommends. The slight sweetness and fresh acidity in the wine complemented the whole grilled. lightly charred tiny, tender octopus straddling a quinoa salad like king of the hill. The quinoa was mixed with parsley, olive oil, fresh lemon juice , white onion, and chopped tomato. A garnish of peppery watercress and a drizzle of house-infused cumin oil unified the flavors of this savory, seductive dish.
Down another path altogether was the Seared Foie Gras and Tuna with Fig Chutney on Brioche ($15) The foie gras was perfectly crispy outside and creamy inside, and the brioche was golden, egg-rich and tender. But the flavor and texture surprise was the fig chutney -- quartered, stemmed dried figs that had been plumped in cabernet. The menu changes from week to week and on another occasion the foie gras appeared on a square plate sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with thyme syrup. The Seared Foie Gras served atop French toast brioche and accompanied by Caramelized Fresh Peaches and Moscato Syrup ($14)
A starter course that reminded me of one of my favorites that Rosetti served at Gioco: Carpaccio "Mare Monte", Tuna & Filet with Arugula, Caper Berries & Basil Aioli ($12). The uncooked thinly sliced tuna and beef filet were spread on two sides of a large white platter, garnished with crisp, biting arugula, bright green basil aioli, and stem-on caper berries the size of large hazelnuts.
There are three to four seafood selections among the eight or nine main dishes that range from Pan Roasted Halibut with Shaved Fennel, Cracked Olives & Oranges ($22), to Spiced Tuna with Tuscan White Beans & Balsamic Demi-Glace ($23). The tuna -- a large rectangular fillet -- is crusted outside in black pepper, coriander, fennel and brown sugar and quickly seared so it remains rare in the center. It's a surf rendition of the traditional peppercorn-crusted turf filet, not only clever but tasty. Rosetti's beans are stewed perfectly -- tender, each one whole, and not a hard, raw legume among them.
The adage, "Don't change horses in midstream," may apply to a variety of life's circumstances, but it rarely rings true when it comes to changing chefs. Joseph Rosetti, the new (since May) chef at Molive, the new (since April) remarkably stylish restaurant in The Whitehall Hotel, has steered the menu in a new direction and revved the foods, flavors and presentations full throttle.
Left: "French Toast Brioche" with Seared Foie Gras, Caramelized Peaches & Moscato Syrup.
Right: Fire Roasted Strawberries, Cabarnet Syrup & Black Pepper Ice Cream.
My dinner companion on two occasions was a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. He swooned over the Hickory Crusted N.Y. Strip with Fried Oysters, Bacon & Cheddar Twice Backed Potatoes ($26) and even ordered a glass of the Reserve Merlot "96, Mark West, Alexander Valley-Sonoma ($12) that the menu recommended. On his second dinner with me he wanted to order the steak again (this time it came with Caramelized Onions, Foie Gras-Corn Pudding & Watercress $28), but reading my stern glance correctly, he settled for the Oaked Duck Breast with Preserved Lemon Polenta, Pea Shoots, Black & Green Peppercorn Duck Jus ($24). The duck breast, grilled until the skin was crisp over wood, was sliced and served with a triangle of polenta flavored with chopped preserved lemons (a Middle Eastern condiment here paired with an Italian standard to good effect). The peppery duck jus was emphatic and flavorful enough to hold its own and complement the strong flavors on the plate.
When it comes time for dessert, because portions are generous, I have never been able to have both cheese and dessert. The Selection of Domestic Artisan Cheese with Crusty Bread & Fruit ($12) varies from week to week but usually includes a cow's- goat's- and sheep's-milk cheese, that come in the form of a blue-veined, a soft, ripened cheese and a couple other well-chosen cheeses. My advice: order the recommended Quinta do Noval "Old Coronation Ruby" Port ($8), a three-ounce pour, and call it a day. But if you are a chocoholic, Molive's rendition of the soft-centered, warm chocolate cake is worth every rich, molten, dark and seductive bite: Valrhona Chocolate Lava Cake with House made Tarragon ice Cream ($8). Don't be put off by the tarragon ice cream -- it tastes delicious, a little like a kinder, gentler licorice. I love the Fire Roasted Strawberries mentioned above and once I had Rosetti's crostada of the day, Fresh Fruit (it was blueberries) Crostada with house made vanilla gelato. The pastry was special -- a tender buttery dough with biscotti crumbled inside the dough to give it a nice crunch.
Molive is a very sexy restaurant with its faux-mink headrests on banquettes upholstered in printed and textured fabrics, dark rich colors that echo the dark, polished woods that are a traditional part of the hotel's decor. The end wall of the dining room has a racy mural and there are special touches such as fresh food displays in the atrium dining area and a jumbo martini glass with a fresh lemon on each table instead of flowers. Rosetti's food would be worth finding in any setting, but here it is the crowning touch.
Ever find yourself at loose ends in that awkward cluster of hours after lunch and before dinner (2:30 to 5:30 p.m.) or you craving a really good meal after the dinner bell has rung its last ring? Do what I do: drop into the lounge where the non-stop menu runs from 11:30 am. to 1 a.m. You will find Rosetti's fine touch on soups, salads, starters, steak-frites, burgers and club sandwiches, pastas, cheeses and desserts. You can start with one of Molive's Alize cocktails or martinis, have a glass of wine or Champagne with your meal, and end with a dessert wine or a digestive. To paraphrase Shakespeare, who once wrote that "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet": Molive´ by any name is one hell of a restaurant.
