Crush has the potential to be exceptional

SEASIDE – Seaside restaurant Crush bills itself as a vintner’s café.

It offers a good variety of wines by the glass, small plates, sandwiches and sushi. I visited for lunch and for dinner, and found consistency on some counts, and a very different restaurant on others.

The consistency had to do with the atmosphere, and it was all good. Crush has a large, covered dining area outside, and a handful of tables and seating at the bar inside. The restaurant is attractive and comfortable. Service was outstanding.

Where the restaurant varied was the differences in the quality and value of the food on the lunch menu, and the tapas menu.

Eating at Crush is never an inexpensive proposition. But I felt that my $12 braised beef short rib panini served with a generous portion of papas bravas (fried potato cubes with a sriracha aioli) was a decent value. The lunch portions are all appropriate for a meal, and the prices are in keeping with the portions and quality of the food.

The sushi was also good, and also priced appropriately.

On the other hand, the small plates were small, but they were priced much higher than I would expect for the quantity and quality. Five crostini topped with hummus and a round of sausage each was $10.75, as were goat cheese-stuffed piquillo peppers.

The wine prices are marked up considerably, and the biggest shock was the small wedge of lemon cream tart with four blueberries that was $8.75. The prices equaled or exceeded those of my favorite tapas restaurant, Jose Andres’ Jaleo in Washington, D.C. But the quality of the ingredients did not come close.

All of the food I had tasted good, but many of the dishes didn’t live up to the flavors described. I really enjoyed the hummus crostini, but the chorizo sausage used had none of the smoky paprika flavor that I expected from a good Spanish chorizo (it had more characteristics of andouille). I was told that this is because it is a fattier type of chorizo. It was just not the type that I am used to having at restaurants or cooking with.

The same went for the piquillo pepper dish. I adore the lovely piquant quality of good piquillo peppers. While the dish tasted good, the peppers used tasted more like standard roasted red bell peppers, and was flat in flavor. Likewise, the gruyere cheese used on the short-rib sandwich didn’t have the characteristic nuttiness of a good quality gruyere.

I also was disappointed to find that two of the dishes I ordered that were described as being served with arugula instead came with mixed greens. The greens were good, but not a good substitute for peppery arugula.

The best thing I tried on the tapas menu was an order of lump crabcakes. They were mostly crab, and were served with a crunchy Asian-style slaw and sriracha aioli. My server also recommended the flat iron steak, and the seared scallops with ponzu glaze.

For lunch, salads include Thai chicken salad, and lump crab with avocados and bibb lettuce. Paninis at lunch include hummus and vegetables, and Serrano ham with manchego cheese, and are served with a choice of a salad or the delicious papas bravas.

In addition to the lemon tart, Crush also offers zeppole (doughnuts) for dessert. Each of the three doughnuts in an order rests in a pool of chocolate sauce. A root beer float is also on the menu.

Wine pairings are easy with a good selection of reds and whites by the glass. I enjoyed the Stags Leap viognier, Stump Jump shiraz and Bodega Tamari Reserva Malbec.

Crush is a lovely place, and has a comfortable, intimate and fun atmosphere. The menu is interesting and appetizing.

With some attention to matching the flavors to the descriptions, and making the portions and prices more in line, Crush could go from being good to being exceptional.

QuickBites

Restaurant: Crush

Location: 25 Central Square, Seaside

Telephone: 468-0703

Hours: Open daily. Lunch, noon to 3 pm. Small plates, 5 pm to close. Sushi, noon to close.

Handicap accessibility: good

Children’s menu: no

Reservations: not accepted

Price range: Lunch, $6.75 - $15

Small Plates, $6.75 - $16

Sushi, $8 - $13

Desserts $6.75 - $8.75

Payment: major credit cards