Completely Composed

After handing off your coat to the hostess and the dark curtain is drawn, you'll feel like you've suddenly entered a swanky member's only club. There's a limited number of patrons that are seated around the big oval bar, which takes up most of the room. Don't feel uncomfortable! The space is tiny for a reason; Compose is a place to make an intimate connection with food and drink that will give you a deeper appreciation of anything you are about to consume. Unlike other restaurants, the mixologists and chefs at Compose treat each diner individually, asking questions and offering suggestions that will help them decide what to serve you for the best experience possible.

Within the first ten minutes of relaxing at the bar, you can no longer deny that mixology is a true art. It would be unjust to simply call the mixologists at Compose bartenders. They're far more than that. Every possible spice or herb that can be mixed into a drink is situated along the bar and has strong herbal aromas that let you know they've been freshly chosen. The assistant barkeep juices ripened lemons and limes every night and even the ice cubes are molded on the spot to fit the cocktail that has been decided upon.

After finding out what you usually order to drink and asking what flavors you enjoy, your mixologist begins to offer a plethora of suggestions that capitalize on your classic drink or that will lead you down a path you'd never thought you would enjoy before. Then it begins. After your ingredients are chosen and the unfamiliar tools come out, everything is crushed, grounded, and mixed; shaken and then stirred. No drink is concocted without a little muscle behind it; my mixologist shook my drink for about five minutes to reach a foamy perfection and ensure that all flavors were firmly embedded together. And that's not even where it ends.

The objective at Compose (even if you choose not to go with the tasting menu) is to match your drink and food exquisitely. This means that it is almost inevitable that you'll be trying a rare vintage of wine at some point in the night. Each bottle has a story, and you will leave with a larger knowledge of wine than before you came. After I tried a California vintage from 1995, I felt as if I was exploring someone's esteemed collection kept in their secret cellar. Sake and beer can also be chosen to pair with your food, resulting in an endless choice of beverages.

If you go with the bar menu as I did, you will be pleasantly delighted with the chef's choices without feeling overwhelmed or bloated. Each course is visually pleasing with just enough of a sample to really savor what you're trying. Expect to try something new, cooked in a playful way. Popcorn drizzled in rosemary flavored duck fat was the last thing I expected to try, but the small amount coating the popcorn tasted better than butter. Scallops cooked in a sauce made of apples and bacon shards came out before my favorite dish, mussels. Discovered by Chef Nick Curtin at a small restaurant in Corsica, they were large and tender sauteed in mustard and white wine. The sauce was so mouthwatering that it was impossible to not soak up the extra sauce with your bread.

Another playful dish was a variation on Philly Cheese steak, affectionately named by Nick Curtin "Gotta have it". And you really have to. Curtin took the classic cheese steak and transformed it into a gourmet dish by creating a delicious cheese whiz made with cheddar and jalapeno that sat in a large swirl on seared steak topped in an onion jam on top of warm baked bread.

To send myself off right, I had to try one of Compose's desserts paired with a delicious dessert wine. Usually, I don't indulge in dessert wine because the perfume aroma is almost always better than the taste, but the wine chosen for me was smooth and tasteful. Dessert was beer and pretzel flavored ice cream on top of a moist carrot cake and topped with a ball of caramel popcorn. I was so happy I didn't go with my natural choice of chocolate because this dessert was truly incredible. It was the perfect end to a creative line up of dishes that all had a surprising element.

— Written by Valerie Cario

Photo credit: Compose

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Tags : Compose, mixologists, fresh, Valerie Cario

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