Rustica Review Final

            Rustica.  The restaurant’s name has as much flavor as its food does.  All it takes is one bite of the pillow of chocolate luxury that is the callebaut chocolate brownie to know that this is more than a restaurant: it is an artist’s studio.  Its delicate crumble-to-the-touch quality creates a texture only capable of the truly gifted.  In this one simple dessert, the artistry is there, just begging you to take a bite.

            Rustica is located downtown on Kalamazoo Mall, within walking distance of Kalamazoo College.  The entire layout of the restaurant can be seen simply by walking through the door.  It is narrow and small, perhaps a bit too small. There is no music to set the mood for the meal, which is for the best because it is already so loud it is hard to hear the server as she pleasantly greets the table, her formal attire matching her professional demeanor.  Although Rustica is snug, it is very pleasant.  Not many details cover the pale walls, giving the place an honest quality. The food and service speaks for itself without needing posters on the walls or catchy titles of entrees to distract from the product.  Tucked away in the back is a bar serving a wide variety of wines and beers, both local and European.  Rustica is known for its quality alcoholic beverages, being owned by the man who owns Tiffany’s liquor store.  In the middle of the dining area is the clearly visible kitchen so you can see your food as it is being prepared.

            At first Rustica’s fine dining may seem intimidating.   While the culmination of the candlelit tables and the short menu adds intimacy, it gives the impression that this is the sort of restaurant that is going to have more than one fork.  Getting a table is a battle on its own.  The venue and the hours of operation are both very small, doors not opening until 5 pm.  The menu may be short, but good luck understanding half of the words on it. I had to use my iPhone to look up almost every word, though the server was more than willing to answer any question I had.

            But after being seated and dictionary.com-ing every word on the menu, the dining experience is nothing short of fantastic.  What the menu lacks in length, it makes up for in variety of flavors and options.  The food is seasonal and local, and it shows. One of these seasonal items that is sure to leave the tongue begging for more is the duck breast.  The meaty marsala sauce prepares the taste buds for the delight to come: the meat.  It tastes like a perfectly cooked chicken and a tender steak mixed into one.  It is as soft as butter, practically dissolving with each bite.  The flavor of the duck stuffed puff pastry is at first overwhelming, but after eating it with a bed of refreshing spinach, the greens and meat combine into a combination that is earthy and invigorating.

Don’t let the extra room on the plate fool you.  The size and shape of the meal is not just for the aesthetic pleasure it supplies; it is small but it is hearty.  The mastery of the chefs can be observed while eating the meal, and it is clear they are capable of providing just enough to fill and satisfy.

After embracing the roller coaster of tastes provided by the duck, a side order of grilled asparagus provides just the break needed.  It is topped off with a poached egg that pops upon biting into it.  The egg as smooth as glass juxtaposes the crunch of the fresh-from-the-garden tasting asparagus.  For the brave souls venturing the seas of the baked seafood tagliatelle, consider yourself warned.  It is not for the faint of heart.  While the seafood itself tastes like a day at the beach, the sauce it is prepared in is reminiscent of a man’s shoe after running a marathon.  The cheese is potent and funky.  Not bad, but not for most taste buds.  That being said, finding anything on the menu that hasn’t been masterfully crafted would be a challenge, regardless of the season the menu is in.  Watching them fry and sauté as your mouth reaps the benefits of their gifts is like being able to purchase a painting as the artiest creates it.  The menu and techniques are as honest and open as the restaurant’s basic design.  They have nothing to hide, and so they don’t.

            If you make the wise decision of walking into Rustica, no matter what you do, do not even think about leaving if you have not tried the desert.  Undo the top button of your pants, don’t eat the entrée if you have to, just save room for dessert.  Particularly the callebaut chocolate brownie, topped with chocolate ganache and hazelnuts alongside a bed of chocolate gelato with caramel sauce.  It is the crack of dessert foods.  As you eat it, everything turns to slow-mo.  Your teeth hit the top layer and crack through the rich ganache, descending into the warm cloud of the brownie and finally cool down with the rich and smooth chocolate gelato.  It is warm and cool, crunchy and soft.  It is God’s gift to mankind.  Get it.

            After finishing dessert, the formal attire of the staff mixed with the obvious quality of the food may leave college students biting their nails as the check makes its way to the table.   Save your nail beds; it isn’t worth the stress.  The duck entrée, half of the brownie and tip allowed me to walk out of their only thirty bucks poorer.  The restaurant may not reach its goal as outlined on the website of being your every occasion meal, but when there is a special occasion that deserves to be celebrated, Rustica is a magnificent option.  The dining experience in all aspects lives up to the richness of the restaurant’s name.  It is affordable, it is classic, it is fantastic.