Welcome to the club Welcome to the club (October 29, 2004)

John Bentley's impresses with its refined food, decor and service

By Dale F. Bentson

When a new restaurant opens it often takes time to generate buzz from the community. Restaurateurs wait patiently for word-of-mouth to bring in new customers.

It didn't take long for diners to discover John Bentley's, a snazzy new restaurant that opened in June on El Camino Real in Redwood City. Owner and executive chef Bentley, who also runs the eponymous decade-old Woodside restaurant, decided to open a second location on the site of the long-lived but now closed Fabbro's Restaurant.

Fans of Fabbro's won't recognize the interior; Bentley completely rebuilt the structure. The decor has a chic club-like feel, refined but not stuffy. Polished wood wainscoting abounds, subtle lighting adds an air of romance and etched-glass partitions divide the bar from the dining areas. Tear-shaped tables line one area, while eclectic art festoons the walls throughout.

The food is excellent, the service stellar and the prices civilized. No wonder it is one the hottest tickets around.

Trained in classic French technique at the California Culinary Academy, Bentley apprenticed at a handful of top-notch Bay Area eateries (Lipizzaner restaurant and the Clift Four Seasons hotel in San Francisco, Michael's in Sunnyvale and Los Altos Bar and Grill) before nailing his own name above the door.

"I believe in simple foods that are handled by a minimum number of people during preparation. Keep it simple, clean and, above all, fun," Bentley said. "We also make a conscious effort to avoid overuse of cream and butter. Instead we cook with stocks and vinaigrettes."

Bentley also noted that the menus at his two locations differ (sweetbreads in Redwood City, ostrich in Woodside, for example), but both restaurants reflect seasonal market availability of ingredients and support healthy eating principles.

The interesting appetizers make choosing difficult. I was intrigued with the beet ravioli ($8). The delicious ravioli was not pasta at all, but rather roasted golden beets, cut square and stuffed with roasted eggplant. The ravioli was topped with a roast carrot vinaigrette and served amid a swirl of basil, red beet and tomato essences. It resembled something Jackson Pollock might have created had he any culinary interest.

A carefully constructed baby artichoke and grilled zucchini salad ($7) was topped with lip-smacking black olive vinaigrette. The dressing incorporated kalamata olives, shallots, garlic, chervil, olive oil and white balsamic vinegar -- fresh tasting and low in calories.

Spicy tuna tartare ($9) came with wasabi cream sauce (powdered wasabi, soy, sugar, sour cream, lime and salt). The pungent sauce was balanced with pickled cucumber. The tuna was melt-in-your-mouth delicate, and the wasabi sauce was just piquant enough to breathe life into the dish.

I loved the watermelon crab salad ($9). I don't recall ever encountering watermelon used this way. Thin slices of avocado were topped with deviled Dungeness crab and crowned with a round slice of seedless watermelon. The crab was bound with white balsamic vinegar, chervil and olive oil.

In many local fashionable restaurants, the appetizers frequently are more interesting than the entrees. Maybe we are just tired of meat, fish and vegetables, but at John Bentley's the entrees are equal to the task. Marinated lamb sirloin ($23) featured generous slices of lush, thinly-sliced lamb layered atop Moroccan couscous (studded with red onion, roasted red bell pepper, toasted cumin and chives).

Wild salmon ($22) was beautifully charred on the outside, pink and flaky inside. Tomato, basil and beet essences were aswirl on the plate while sauteed kale lay beneath the fish. The plate needed a starch to balance it out. My diminutive companion didn't think there was quite enough sustenance on the plate. Of all the dishes we tried, this was the only one wanting in any way.

Poulet Two Way ($18) showcased a sauteed golden chicken breast and a confit of leg. Confit is a Gascon method of preserving meat by slowly cooking it in its own fat, then storing it covered with the same fat. The result: rich, juicy bites of chicken. The poulet was served with haricot beans and deliciously crisp shallots that had been coated in buttermilk then sauteed.

Duck breast ($20) had been marinated in orange juice, zest of orange, olive oil, a hint of garlic and salt and pepper. The sliced bird was succulent and tender, with just the right amount of pink showing. The generous portion came with creamed cauliflower and broccolini (baby broccoli).

People either love or hate sweetbreads (the thymus glands of calves, lambs or hogs); there is no middle ground. Along with foie gras, tripe, liver and tongue, sweetbreads used to be a staple in finer French restaurants. For the past two decades restaurant trends have steered away from preparing these labor-intensive foods for a variety of reasons.

At John Bentley's, veal sweetbreads ($20) had been blanched, pressed, sliced, dusted with flour and sauteed until crispy. They were then mixed and served with shallots and smoked bacon. The result were luscious morsels of meat that nearly dissolved on the tongue. The sweetbreads were accompanied by Yukon Gold potatoes and a grainy mustard sauce.

Desserts were equally alluring. I was enchanted with the strawberry-rhubarb pie ($7), in which the natural sweetness of the berries was nicely balanced by the tartness of the rhubarb. The iridescent crimson pie was topped with a scoop of buttermilk gelato. Peach tart ($7) resembled a sweet dessert pizza with a plug of cinnamon gelato.

Lemon curd and raspberry Napoleon ($7) featured puff pastry layered with custard. The lemon curd was more a pie-filling type custard than the lighter lemon curd I associate with "High Tea" and scones. But I was compelled to scrape up every last trace of the warm, spicy toffee cake ($7) with caramel gelato.

I was impressed by the service. Not only was the wait staff knowledgeable, the execution was nearly flawless: pacing the courses, waiting until all diners had finished eating before picking up plates, ensuring the correct silverware was distributed for each course, constantly but unobtrusively refilling wine and water glasses. These are all details that define an excellent restaurant.

The bar is discretely partitioned off from the dining area yet is not removed from the hubbub of the dining room. The wine list is well-priced and is a decidedly -- but not exclusively -- West Coast affair. More than a dozen wines are offered by the glass, and more than a dozen half-bottles are also available. Vine Cliff, 2002, Chardonnay ($32) was ripe and golden, fruity, with a hint of oak -- perfect with most of the appetizers, fish and fowl. The fruity, medium-bodied Skewis, Salzgeber, Russian River Valley, 2001, Pinot Noir ($67) exuded earthy aromas of plum, pepper and spice. It's ideal with the sweetbreads, red meat and fowl. Corkage fee is $20.

John Bentley's has everything going for it: a handsome decor, an intriguing menu, delicious food and excellent service. Even the portion sizes are commendable -- plenty but not preposterous. The public may be fickle with its dining habits but I believe this restaurant will remain fashionable for a long time.

Dining Notes

John Bentley's Restaurant
2945 El Camino Real, Redwood City
365-7777
www.johnbentleys.com

Hours: Lunch Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Bar menu Monday-Friday 2-4 p.m.;
Dinner Monday-Thursday 5-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 5-9:30 p.m.

Reservations: yes
Credit cards: yes
Parking: rear lot
Alcohol: full bar
Children: yes
Outdoor dining: no
Party and banquet facilities: yes
Take out: yes
Catering: no
Noise level: moderate
Bathroom cleanliness: excellent

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