In Pursuit of Food Mimi Zaborowski is determined to leave no dish un-eaten as she embarks upon her quest to become a foodie Most people think of the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and the Sistine Chapel when they think of great art. But who says food can’t be art? Dan Celucci, proud owner and chef at The Roots Café, creates unique, mouth-watering pairings that are often unexpected but always delightful–like a good piece of art. Originally located at 8 West Gay Street, the café’s moved up the street to 133 East Gay Street, and they’ve upped the ante, serving dinner on weekends. What may be most interesting about their dinner menu is how much it’s subject to change based on the availability of local, seasonal ingredients. It may seem that by using fresh, local, ingredients whenever possible, Dan has limited his palette, but it hasn’t stopped him from crafting masterpieces–it may even have inspired him. Chalkboard panels in the café feature daily specials and rustic, flower-covered tables fill the dining area. John Hannafin art covers the walls. My family was so excited looking over the menu that we couldn’t decide what to eat, so we just ordered a little of everything. We started off with prosciutto skewers, a light dish with the perfect amount of sweet from the melon mixing with the salty from the prosciutto, plus a bit of feta cheese. While I stuffed my face with skewers, my mother opted for a salad generously heaped with bleu cheese, candied walnuts and julienned apples. She wasn’t too keen on sharing her greens with me, so I only managed to steal a few bites. We then ordered three different entrées and passed them around family style. I tried the striped bass over a mixture of mashed turnips, parsnips and celeriac with baby bok choy on the side. Not usually a big seafood fan, it surprised me how much I enjoyed the fish, which flaked apart and meshed with the flavor of the sweet root vegetables. Next up was spinach pasta in a chanterelle cream sauce with shiitake and royal trumpet mushrooms, topped with a fried egg. Hot, heavy pasta sounds unappealing on a summer day, but this was light, with a sweet glaze of sauce and the subtle taste of shiitakes. The fried egg on top was unexpected but added a saltiness the pasta yearned for. Back when I was a vegetarian, the pasta would have been my dream, but my veggie days are gone, so it was the duck with appleberry compote and jalapeño polenta with dandelion greens that stole the show. The duck was crisp and seasoned outside, tender and juicy inside. The apple-berry compote added a slight bitterness with a sweet aftertaste complementing the smoky duck. The kernels of corn made for a perfect textural balance with sweet to match the spicy polenta. We finished out the meal with a simple but sweet dessert: rightfrom-the-farm fruit with ricotta cheese and honey. The freshness of the fruit and ricotta made for a light dessert that’s satisfying after a filling meal, especially on a hot summer night. The Roots Café serves as proof that food can be art. Dan Cellucci just plies his trade with pans instead of paints. His dishes convey his vision as surely as any great art: being environmentally conscious and eating responsibly doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice great taste. mimizab@thewcpress.com
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august 2013 | thewcpress.com
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