Downtown 140 has been in my top 3 restaurants 3 years running. When I was a fish eater it was because of the tuna tacos. Bites of deliciousness that jump start any meal perfectly. These are not California style tuna tacos, these are small house made “hard shells” filled with fine chopped raw tuna, set on top of a mound of Guacamole. I stopped eating fish in 2009 and this may be the only dish I truly missed! As 2009 wound down we hit Downtown 140 for Amy’s birthday. She got lamb chops that looked out of this world. The meat was tender and cooked to perfection. There is something strangely exciting about bones cris-crossed, begging for you to abandon your fork and knife and eat with your hands.
I started with a cheese plate of Oregonzola and cloth wrapped Cabot Cheddar. Their house made toasts and balsamic reduction are always delicious, this time I got to try a pear compote that was spreadable like jam without the sweetness. It contrasted the bite of the cheese perfectly. We drank a bottle of Paraduxx, zinfandel blend from Duckhorn, that was maybe a little to rich for my cheese plate yet smooth, silky and easy to drink. I was not inspired by the veggie offering, although I was very appreciative there was a veggie offering. Fire and DT 140 are not only fine dining experiences, they both consistently offer food that I can eat despite my restricted diet. I asked for a double order of the Mushroom Turnovers and a side of sauteed swiss chard. I love this dish! The scent of Truffle oil, flaky crust, finely chopped mushrooms mixed with Goat cheese is so good I eat slowly, lamenting my shrinking plate with each bite. Chard can replace spinach for me any day, it is more flavorful and the dark greens are appealing to both eye and stomach. Dessert happened but I don’t remember it. Drop me a line if you want to meet up at DT 140 for dinner…
