Ten Ten
Last week was my birthday, and as a family, we held off on a celebratory dinner until my brother could join us for the occasion. So several days late and a few candles too short, we dined at Ten Ten. No, I’m not referring to the time, and although it would have been quite appropriate to eat at this restaurant on that actual date, October 10 (the day after my birthday), I’m not referring to the date either. The name Ten Ten alludes to the address of the restaurant: 1010 Fleet Street. How clever! A passive clue to patrons that minimizes the likelihood of getting lost!
Owned by Bagby Pizza Co., Ten Ten is a sister restaurant adjacent to its pizzeria sibling and its finer dining relative, Fleet Street Kitchen. The exposed brick interior, classy lighting, sleek white-leather-backed chairs, monogrammed wine glasses and cocktail napkins, glazed oak tables, and a chainmail curtain separating the bar from the main dining room perfectly set the ambiance for the evening.
After perusing the rather limited menu, we were each able to find an entrée that spoke specifically to our taste buds. As an appetizer for the table, we shared a dish of fried green tomatoes lightly coated in cornmeal and topped with a whipped ricotta cream – a Southern classic executed well. The baby arugula tossed in balsamic was a tasty accompaniment to the $10-dish.
After the spotless appetizer plate was cleared, fresh focaccia bread was brought to our table in a tiny vessel of a basket. There were indeed four slivers of bread, but all together, they would have formed a satiable portion for anyone with a modest appetite. By all means the bread was delicious; we just had to ask for several baskets of it in order to tide us over until our other entrees arrived.
Next our greens came. My mom and I both ordered small mixed greens salads ($4), and my brother and my dad each ordered a large Caesar salad ($8)….guess they felt they had to out-do the ladies. The ever unpretentious title “mixed greens salad” hardly describes this outstanding, and very generously portioned, combination of field greens, roasted cashews, golden raisins, spiral-shaved carrots, radishes, and spiced tarragon vinaigrette. (Even though the “small” salad was actually a considerable portion, I wish I had ordered the large. It was that good.) The Caesar salad my dad and my brother ordered was equally delicious – a bowl filled with enough baby romaine and arugula to feed three people, long, abstract shavings of Grano Padano, and crushed, homemade croutons all tossed in a flavorful, creamy Caesar dressing. Once again, all four members of the clean plate club had our plates cleared as we waited excitedly for our main entrees.
Finally, our dinners arrived, piping hot and artfully presented. My dad order the seared Viking Village sea scallops assembled on top of a lima bean-corn-bacon sautee, on top a bed of creamy cauliflower puree ($26); a meal he deemed “impeccable.” My brother ordered the grilled steak and duck fat frites with a bourdelais drizzle ($23). (Needless to say, he devoured almost everything on his plate in utter bliss.) My mom and I, again, ordered the same dish: grilled salmon laid gently overtop a yellow-and-green lentil confetti, accompanied by a smear of lemony dill crème fraiche and a tomato-cucumber garni ($23). We did exchange a few words during the brief lapse of time our food remained on our plates, but for the most part, we were too busy savoring each and every bite.
Surprisingly, it was us ladies that still had just enough room for dessert. A small candle adorned the top of my single-scoop spiced pear sorbet ($2.50), and after I blew it out, I indulged my sweet tooth in not only my dessert, but my mom’s meyer lemon and mascarpone sherbet (also $2.50). The pear sorbet, although creamier on the palate than a traditional sorbet, tasted exactly like a fresh, juicy pear, with a subtle, warmth in the aftertaste, and the meyer lemon sherbet, more sorbet-like than a sherbet, had such a potent, delicious lemon flavor – like fresh lemon Italian ice on steroids!
Prior to dining at Ten Ten, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard positive word-of-mouth opinions and read a few optimistic online reviews, but you can’t always trust another mouth….literally. Sometimes you just have to taste for yourself, because you are the ultimate judge of your palate. Whether we got lucky and caught the kitchen on a good night, or every night is filled with this incredible food, I would definitely recommend eating at Ten Ten. Give it a try and let me know what you think too!