Restaurant Tallent
208 North Walnut
Bloomington, IN 47404
http://www.restauranttallent.com/
Bloomington is very different now than the one that I left in 2001. There are two restaurants that are getting some press, Farm Bloomington and Tallent. I went to Farm on my last trip and really enjoyed it. Casual, fun and great food.
Tallent is a touch more formal, business casual attire and a more contemporary minimalist interior. Ambiance was not aggressively artistic, if you like Crate and Barrel, you would feel comfortable here.
What I Ate:
First:
Moules Frites – Red Wine & Tarragon Broth $14
Casserole Trio – White Truffle Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potato Duck Confit, Broccoli Casserole
Entrée:
Long Farms Elk – Newsome Ham, Chestnut Grits, Mushroom Ragout $36
Indiana Duck – Sweet Potato & Duck Confit Gratin, Broccoli Rabe, Preserved Lemon Jus.
In the beginning:
Service was attentive at the start, reviewed the specials and I ordered a glass of wine. Bread came and we scarfed it down. The whipped butter was amazing. Probably the best butter that I have had in a long time. Bread and butter is usually a good indication of how the rest of the meal is going to go. Amuse-bouche was a bacon doughnut. Dry and bad.
Appetizers:
Moles Frites. The Frites were great, but the mussles were just average. The broth was a little heavy. The taste came from the frites, it should be the other way around. Casserole trio was hit and miss. Mac and Cheese should’ve never left the kitchen, the sweet potato gratin was good. The broccoli casserole was my favorite.
Entrees:
The Elk was recommended at medium rare. I am usually a rare guy. The elk was on the low side of rare, but I enjoyed it. Very lean and flavorful. What I didn’t like was the chestnut grits, bland and lacked flavor. I can understand why they are on the plate to add a little fat and creamy goodness, but some flavor would’ve been nice. The odd combination was ham and Elk on the same plate. The ham was diced and chewy. It took away from the elk in a major way.
The duck was solid. Cooked well and flavorful. The problem is, the sweet potato gratin was in the casserole trio and a side here as well. Flavors were clean.
Ratings:
Taste: 30 points/ 4 Items = 7.5 Each
Moles Frites = 5/7.5
Casserole Trio = 4.5/7.5
Elk = 5/7.5
Lamb = 6/7.5
Total Taste = 20.5/30
Service/Management: 5/10
We noticed that tables around us received more visits and were catered to more. I didn’t like my first wine selection and I asked for something else. This should automatically come with a recommendation. Instead I was just passed the wine list again. We didn’t catch the gratin in the app and with the Lamb, but I think that the server should’ve mentioned it. Sorry. The meal was paced nicely. I never thought “they are on it here…” as far as service. It was average.
Originality/Execution: 8/10
Interesting menu and wine list. There is a bar menu for half of the restaurant. The burger looked great. The menu changes often and you can have a completely different meal here at least 10 times a year. However, the menu on the website was entirely different than the one presented to us at the restaurant. There were a few items from the web that I really wanted to try.
Overall: 33.5/50
Would I Buy It Again? Yes. Great potential and originality. I left wanting bigger and cleaner favors. The elk by itself was great, add ham and cheesy grits and it brought it down. There were moments of greatness, but at times those wow moments were a little sparse. I would give it another try because I left knowing they can do better.
-WIBIA
