Sunday, in celebration of this blogger's birthday, a few of the Lady Crows flew away from the nest and perched for the afternoon at the end of the Savant Project’s bar. Nestled next to Flann's and across from The Mission, the Savant project is frequently overlooked in favor of saucier locations. Fortunately, after the exciting culinary adventure we were brought on during the few hours we spent at the Savant Project it is unlikely that the lady crows will ever ignore this gem again.
Led by Captain (bartender) Daniel, we began our tasting journey with a round of champagne cocktails (after all; it was mid afternoon). Holly and I opted for the "Chuci Coo"; champagne served with mango juice and green tea. The drink was refreshing, but Miss Mo's choice was the clear winner; the "Old Wise," a ultra refreshing combination of champagne, lychee and fresh mulled mint. Bonus points for serving champagne cocktails with their own individually portioned small bottle; nothing is worse than a flat mimosa after the bottle has been opened for the entire brunch shift!
For apps (half price every afternoon!) we indulged in tuna sashimi, three cheese and pickled jalapeno empanadas and tempura veggies with mustard peanut sauce. The tuna was fresh but the salad and lime-wasabi vinaigrette fell a bit below expectations with the wasabi being represented only by the peas that topped the salad and the dressing's flavors disappearing almost entirely in the greens and not adding anything to the fish portions. The tempura veggies were done perfectly with juicy on the inside, crisp on the outside, bite-sized chunks of zucchini and a good portion of a fresh and complimentary sauce. Only complaint is that I feel there could have been more variety in the veggies offered. The empanadas were flawless though- light and savory with an excellent fresh salsa on the side.
The Savant Project scores major points for being exceptionally creative with their limiting cordial license. They infuse their liquors themselves right behind the bar and we were lucky enough to get a sampling from Daniel while we snacked. We tried their lychee infused vodka, the pear-infused dark rum and the peach-infused bourbon as well as their house red and white sangrias. All were delicious (although the rum and the bourbon made this crow breath fire). I particularly enjoyed the white sangria, which was crisp, fruity and light; perfect for summer sipping. We probably would have ordered the sangria for round two had there not been a chilled bottle of sparkling white already propped on the counter in front of us. Daniel tried to tempt us with whole lychees, pulled straight out of the vodka jar, but even the most hardened of us crows found them impossible to swallow.
Led by Captain (bartender) Daniel, we began our tasting journey with a round of champagne cocktails (after all; it was mid afternoon). Holly and I opted for the "Chuci Coo"; champagne served with mango juice and green tea. The drink was refreshing, but Miss Mo's choice was the clear winner; the "Old Wise," a ultra refreshing combination of champagne, lychee and fresh mulled mint. Bonus points for serving champagne cocktails with their own individually portioned small bottle; nothing is worse than a flat mimosa after the bottle has been opened for the entire brunch shift!
For apps (half price every afternoon!) we indulged in tuna sashimi, three cheese and pickled jalapeno empanadas and tempura veggies with mustard peanut sauce. The tuna was fresh but the salad and lime-wasabi vinaigrette fell a bit below expectations with the wasabi being represented only by the peas that topped the salad and the dressing's flavors disappearing almost entirely in the greens and not adding anything to the fish portions. The tempura veggies were done perfectly with juicy on the inside, crisp on the outside, bite-sized chunks of zucchini and a good portion of a fresh and complimentary sauce. Only complaint is that I feel there could have been more variety in the veggies offered. The empanadas were flawless though- light and savory with an excellent fresh salsa on the side.
The Savant Project scores major points for being exceptionally creative with their limiting cordial license. They infuse their liquors themselves right behind the bar and we were lucky enough to get a sampling from Daniel while we snacked. We tried their lychee infused vodka, the pear-infused dark rum and the peach-infused bourbon as well as their house red and white sangrias. All were delicious (although the rum and the bourbon made this crow breath fire). I particularly enjoyed the white sangria, which was crisp, fruity and light; perfect for summer sipping. We probably would have ordered the sangria for round two had there not been a chilled bottle of sparkling white already propped on the counter in front of us. Daniel tried to tempt us with whole lychees, pulled straight out of the vodka jar, but even the most hardened of us crows found them impossible to swallow.
All in all, the Savant Project left us with no reason to Caw. The service was top-notch (thanks Daniel!) or bar companions friendly, the food inexpensive and satisfying, and the drinks creative and free-flowing. The crows will definitely be seen roosting on this bar in the future.
Is this place new? I've never seen it before!
ReplyDeleteIt's been there a couple of years. Its right next to flan's!
ReplyDelete