A true Taos treasure is hidden no more

The first: How can a place where the owner is chef and, the night of our visit, waiter and busboy, provide such wonderful food? The second: How can he do it at such a reasonable price? The third and sweetest of all: How did he create that amazing homemade chocolate truffle served for dessert?

And finally: This little place has been open since 1994. Why did it take me so long to “discover” it? Without the acumen of the folks at the Dreamcatcher Bed & Breakfast and their generosity in making a reservation for me, I never would have eaten here.

	Restaurant Byzantium LOCATION: 112 Camino de las Placitas, Taos, 575-751-0805 HOURS: 5-9 p.m. Thursdays-Mondays BEER AND WINE

Located just around the corner from the Harwood Museum of Art, Byzantium offers an intimate dining experience without being either intimidating or precious. This restaurant is all about good food.

Our party of six knew we’d be running late, so we called and asked if the restaurant would be open until 9 p.m. (On slow nights, like many small places, they might close early.) Sure, owner/chef Skot Kirshbaum said. Come and eat. And eat we did.

From the outside, the restaurant resembles a typical Taos adobe with the exception of its Moroccan-style doorway and a neon beer sign in the window. Inside, you’re simultaneously greeted by brilliant orange walls and delicious aromas from the open kitchen. No ristras or coyotes here. The dining area consists of one large room with seven tables. (Reservations make sense.)

The menu is small, just 11 choices including a soup of the day. Everything we ate was delicious and beautifully presented. Everyone in our party of six left satisfied and smiling.

We began with crusty, nicely chewy house-made bread presented with soft butter and a bit of pink marmalade made on premises. We tried both salads. I loved the warm spinach salad with bits of bacon, poached pear slices and a pomegranate dressing ($9). It was a meal, and a beautiful one at that. The mixed green salad deserves a more poetic name. It arrived topped with a serving of seasoned goat cheese that looked like a plump, miniature flying saucer. Candied pecans and a light champagne vinaigrette added to the fun ($10).

We sampled the mussels ($14), beautifully plump Prince Edwards, served in a shallow clay dish that was a cross between a plate and a bowl. Presented in their shiny black shells with plenty of delicious white wine and garlic broth, they made a nice light meal. The “crossanti” that came with them were actually large pieces of toast, perfect for sponging up the last drops of broth.

From what could be considered main courses we ordered the grilled pork tenderloin. It arrived sliced and draped over a beautiful bed of sweet potatoes, apples and cabbage, a compote that suited the cold evening. The meat had a drizzle of chipotle cream sauce, tasty in itself, but I found it an unnecessary complication considering the lovely rich flavor of the meat. The pork is one of Byzantium’s most popular dishes, sharing top honors with the ruby red trout accompanied by a chile relleno.

Other options include a “surf and turf,” a Black Angus steak served with tiger prawns complemented by a fig glaze. You can order blue-corn chicken flautas, shrimp and polenta with a gorgonzola cream sauce, and a herb-crusted chicken breast served with garlic mashed potatoes. The menu changes about every six weeks, and Byzantium also offers specials.

We finished with one of most original and delicious desserts I’ve ever tried, a house-made chocolate truffle topped with a daub of whipped cream. “Truffle” sometimes connotes a big-size piece of candy. But not here. We shared (thank goodness!) two scoops of soft dark chocolate – rich, creamy and totally luscious. A cloud of whipped cream provided color and flavor contrast. Thank goodness there were six of us. It would have been a shame for even a teaspoon of this to have gone uneaten.

Other desserts include house-made ice cream.

Service was good and the place was quiet. Because of our timing, my friends and I had the dining room to ourselves.