In This Issue

Fifty-six Union - Neighborhood Feel, 5-Star Cuisine

You never know who you’ll run into at Fifty-Six Union.  We’ve met political pundits and pirates, celebrities and local working stiffs.  The meek and the mighty, all are drawn to this island eatery for the way owners Peter and Wendy Janelle present fine dining in a fun and quirky manner that gives it the feel of a neighborhood hangout with a five-star rating.

There’s a spirit and personality at Fifty-Six that makes this restaurant a first choice for many who are dining out.  Wendy and her staff truly welcome their guests.  They enjoy what they do and it shows: “We have a great time,” Wendy commented, “it’s like getting ready for the prom every single night, getting dressed up and having fun...and we want our guests to have a great experience from start to finish.”

Much larger than it appears from Union Street, Fifty-Six has several very different seating options.  Sunshine streams in the front windows of the main dining room when the bar opens at 5 pm.  Seats at the bar are in high demand, especially during the off-season “Friday Night Club.”  It’s a favorite stop for local businesspeople after a hard day’s work, and singles find the bar a friendly and comfortable place to dine and chat.  There’s a level of relaxed comfort here that instantly breaks down the usual barriers: it’s not uncommon to end up spending a pleasant evening chatting with someone new who happens to be sitting next to you.  Conversations that begin at one end of the bar often end up including everyone seated there. 

Dinner begins at 5:30 pm, and the front dining room with its chic café ambiance is a favorite for gatherings of friends and family. The back dining room is quieter and more sedate. The back patio is a shady enclave shielded from the street by a tall wooden fence and strategically placed hanging and potted plants.

And there’s Table 56.   Set apart from the rest, but not a traditional “Chef’s Table,” Table 56 is one of Fifty-Six Union’s appealingly quirky concepts.  The table, which seats from 6 to 12, is festively set and positioned by itself in the lush, well-tended garden.  Request Table 56, and your group has it and the garden for the evening, though some who come for an early seating do encourage Wendy and Peter to rebook it.  There’s no additional fee for this special spot, and guests can order off the regular dinner menu or arrange in advance for a special tasting menu.  We can’t think of a better location for an intimate celebration that won’t break the bank.

You can tell a regular patron at Fifty-Six from a newcomer by their first order placed.  Patrons often ask for the Truffle Frites before they even peruse the menu and the wine list.  A few other island restaurants have added a similar dish to their menus, but none quite match the version prepared by Chef Peter Janelle.  Thin, crisp, hot, and aromatic with truffle oil and asiago, these shoetring fries are habit-forming.

Thoughtfully designed by Wendy Janelle, the wine list at Fifty-Six started as a 50-bottle list and has grown to include 160.  “There are so many good wines out there!”  Her goal is to make the selection interesting, unique, and affordable for everyone.  “I try to make sure it doesn’t intimidate or overwhelm anyone,” she explained.  And she’s done it by including enough big names to please the experts along with some very good wines that are approachable.

	Chef Peter Janelle updates the menu at Fifty-Six according to the harvests, taking full advantage of the freshest available ingredients.  Bartlett Farm greenhouse tomatoes are at their peak, and the simple and simply delicious Farm Tomato Salad showcases them beautifully.  Ruby red, thickly sliced, and running with juice, the tomatoes are layered with snowy-white fresh mozzarella and topped with drizzles of balsamic, toasted pine nuts, and fresh basil.  This salad will only get better as the summer sunshine ripens the field tomatoes.  Suggested wine pairing: Mumm Napa, 'Blanc de Noirs', NV, bubbly and fun with ripe fruit.
	Beets are the star of another salad on Peter’s current menu.  Roasted Beet Salad is more beets than greens.  Red and golden beets, steamed in orange juice then roasted to intensify their sweetness, are diced and served with tarragon vinaigrette, spiced and toasted pecans, cheese studded with black truffles, and baby mache. Sweet, clean-tasting, and fresh, this salad is a sublime summer starter. Suggested wine pairing: Sancerre, 'La Croix du Roy', Dom. Lucien Crochet,  Loire, '06. Refreshing and clean.
	Another perfect hot weather appetizer is the Antipasto Plate for Two.  This platter of eight different savory treats with a medley of tastes and textures:  salty, spicy, sweet, pungent, soft, firm, crisp, crunchy, and creamy.  Because everything on this platter is served naked, it needs to be and is of the best quality, from the marcona almonds to the fresh figs draped in proscuitto to the marvelous Saga blue. Suggested wine pairing: Caymus Conundrum. '06, medley of varietals, fun, mouth pleasing.
	The garlicky goodness of the Escargot Bourguignonne is undeniably sensuous, the tender morsels bathed in the perfect balance of garlic, parsley, and butter.  Warm slices of Texas toast are served along side to mop up any spare butter, good thing, too, because you’ll want every drop.  Who wouldn’t love this French classic! Suggested wine pairing: L'Ostal Cazes, '02, big Syrah blend.
	Entrees at Fifty-Six are designed to please a wide range of palates in fewer than a dozen dishes.  If you like it hot, there’s the Javanese Spicy Fried Rice.  Vegetarians will adore the Grilled Portabello Mushroom with roasted garlic and creamy marscarpone polenta. And both the Grilled Sirloin with pomme frites and bourbon demi and the Grilled Veal Chop in sauce forestiere with roasted yukon creamers are sure to please the meat-and-potatoes devotee.
	We like to try Chef Janelle’s specials when we dine at Fifty-Six; they often showcase fish fresh from the docks in deliciously inventive preparations.  At our recent meal we enjoyed a Japanese Seven-Spice Dusted Tuna that was the perfect entree for a warm July evening.  The spice blend was seared into the edges of the sushi-grade tuna, which was cool and raw through most of its interior.  The sliced tuna was nestled against a cold tangle of soba noodles in mango vinaigrette with mint, cilantro, jalapeno, and sweet juicy chunks of papaya, mango, and pineapple.  Nuoc cham prepared in-house with fish sauce, brown sugar, chili, and cilantro was the flavorful dipping sauce with an appealing afterburn.  The accompaniments were far more complicated than the main ingredient, but taken together the dish was sensational. Suggested wine pairing: Boxhead, (Shiraz, Cab), Australia, '05.
	Scallops in Molé was the other outstanding special entree we sampled.  We are usually a bit wary of scallops in anything, preferring this shellfish simply sauteed.  Trust Chef Janelle to concoct a dish that features a bold sauce of dark and smoky flavor yet doesn’t overpower the sweet, delicate scallops.  Perfectly seared, the scallops are served on (not in) the velvety molé and are topped with raisins plumped in sherry for added bursts of sweetness. A chilled orzo salad with crunchy bits of poblano pepper and onion is served alongside and even better swirled into the molé. Suggested wine pairing: Rombauer Zinfandel, '06.
	The Salmon en Papillote is seriously good.  Presented in the packet of parchment that was its cooking vessel, the salmon is moist and clean-tasting, its fresh flavor highlighted by the crisp-tender julienne vegetables —leek, carrot, and snow pea—cooked overtop.  A swirl of baked mashed potatoes and green beans are well-matched accompaniments. Suggested wine pairing: Flowers Pinot Noir, 05.
	Sophisticated, succulent, and satisfying, we adore Chef Janelle’s Rack of Lamb.  The thick chops are glazed with a blend of dijon, honey, and whole grain mustards then coated in herbed panko that forms a crisp, golden brown crust.  The lamb is served on a bed of tabbouleh flavored with mint, bell pepper, jalapeno, and a just a spark of habanero, and with a nod to the classics, a luxurious bearnaise is poured overtop. Suggested wine pairing: Meerlust, 'Rubicon', South Africa, '03.
	Just as they know to start with Truffled Frites, Fifty-Six patrons know not to skip dessert.  Whether you drink it in the form of one of bartender Anna Worgess’ top-notch Espresso Martinis made with freshly brewed espresso or if you decide to order one dessert with two spoons, you don’t want to miss this final indulgence.
	Our favorite is the Butterscotch Brownie Sundae, a moist blonde brownie, topped with plenty of toasted coconut, caramel, and vanilla ice cream,
	but on a warm summer evening, the Toffee Sundae is just the ticket.
	The Berry Shortcake is full of plump ripe strawberries and blueberries over a tender orange-scented biscuit with a sweet crusty top.
	But if all you want is chocolate, Fifty-Six can accommodate with their Chocolate Special.  We sampled a chocolate cheesecake that was nothing short of sinful.