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Tomme is hitting some of the right notes and has potential. (Eddie Moore/Journal)
Operating a restaurant is a juggling act replete with opportunities for dropping the ball. When done perfectly, like juggling, running a restaurant looks easy. Tomme owner Maria “Max” Renteria and chef Mark Connell proved this at their recently departed restaurant, Max’s, which I loved and which gave the impression of effortless excellent.
I’ve looked forward to eating at Tomme ever since it opened in October. Recently, I had dinner and lunch there, and both experiences combined a touch of the best, some of the good, too much of the bad and a big dose of the new restaurant jitters.
First, the good:
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Tomme LOCATION: 229 Galisteo St., Santa Fe, 505-820-2253 HOURS: Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays BEER AND WINE |
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Tomme does a fine job with beef. The Steak Frites, a pan-seared loin steak, was juicy and tender. I liked the presentation in thick slices. The accompanying Brussels sprouts, an unusual and neglected winter vegetable, added originality as well as deliciousness, a good choice of a side and an fine, understated preparation. My friend’s rib-eye got a big thumbs up, too. It came with another orphan vegetable, braised kale, deep green and delectable. Tomme knows this kale is a winner and offers it as a side dish, too. Try some! (The waitress didn’t ask how we wanted the steaks cooked, and both arrived medium rare, a little undercooked for her, a little overcooked for me but still great.)
At lunch, I loved the Frisee Salad. The frilly, fresh lettuce had been lightly tossed in a lovely subtle dressing. The chewy, salty, flavor-rich bites of crisp thick bacon hid like jewels beneath the greens. The poached egg sitting atop it all added a lovely finishing touch, as though the plate of greens were a bird’s nest.
For dessert, the passion fruit tart with its meringue topping and cookie bottom was light, just sweet enough, and worth every calorie.
Let’s get the bad out of the way:
Service was the major problem the night of my first visit. Our friendly waitress did a good job of telling us how irresistible the appetizers were, especially recommending the blood sausage and the pozole, presented here as a layer of corn, almost a soufflé, topped with meat and served with a sauce at the base.
She sold us. We ordered them. And waited. And waited. We asked about our food and she said just another few minutes. But instead of appetizers, our entrées arrived. (The waitress apologized and didn’t charge us for the missing dishes.)
My friends finished their wine during our wait and sat with empty glasses all night long, never asked if they wished a refill. We had to ask several times for more water.
At lunch, we had a different waitress and service was great. The problem this time was the food. Two of the five dishes we ordered, the famously beautiful pozole and a baby greens salad, were so salty we couldn’t eat them. The third, a white bowl of vegan pasta, sat in an unappetizing pool of green oil.
We also tried the cassoulet, a hearty dish of white beans, a duck leg and sausage with a hint of anise, and the fried chicken, which several friends had recommended. They were both OK. The pot caramel dessert was OK, too, although the custard was too sweet for my taste. I found the presentation puzzling – a bit of toast, a bit of cheese and the custard in one of those little jars with a lid with a clamp.
Tomme’s downtown location, at the corner of Galisteo and Alameda, offers the option for plenty of on-street parking and is just a couple of blocks from two city parking garages. When the weather warms up they ought to be able to put the patio to good advantage. If the owner and chef can keep doing what they do best, Tomme has great potential. I wish them well.
RESTAURANT WEEK: Santa Fe Restaurant Week, through Sunday, March 11, is bigger and better than ever, with close to 60 restaurants participating. The Santa Fe week launches the statewide event, which includes Las Cruces (March 11-18), Albuquerque (March 18-25) and Taos (March 25-April 1). This year’s event includes fixed-price lunches as well as dinners. In past years, many places have filled up, so reservations are a good idea.
For information take a look at the Restaurant Week’s website: http://santafe.nmrestaurantweek.com.
