152 Water Street
Ph. 579-8900
A cranky elevator took us to the fourth floor of a nondescript building on the east end of Water Street. It’s an odd location for one of the best restaurants in St. John’s, especially one called The Cellar. But as you may or may not know The Cellar began in the basement of a building at the corner of Baird’s Cove and Water. That’s when restaurateur Chef Harold Brown packed his trunk and moved back here from Toronto.
Stepping off the weary elevator we found ourselves at the entrance to a labyrinth of rooms that make up the latest version of The Cellar Restaurant. We were seated at a corner table in the main dining area of the restaurant. The room, indeed all of the rooms at the restaurant, had a masculine feel to them. There was dark mahogany wainscoting below beige wallpaper. Comfortably spaced tables featured white tablecloths and napkins above which hung heavy nineteenth century style chandeliers. Shards of light cut across the room through slits in the dark Venetian blinds that covered The Cellar’s large fourth floor windows. Unfortunately, the room did not provide much of a view because obstructing buildings occupied the opposite side of the street. However, the quiet elegance of the room more than made up for the absence of a harbour or Southside Hills view.
If I were given the opportunity to change one thing about
The Cellar Restaurant it would be to rid the walls of most of the pictures
hanging on them. The Cellar is allowing the use of its walls as advertising
space for a local photography studio and all of that space - and I mean all -
is filled with pictures of touristy Newfoundland scenery or personal portraits
of anonymous adults and children.
The scenic pictures didn’t bother me too much but the
portraits seemed inappropriate. They were the type of personal photos that
belong only in homes. If I knew the individuals and if I were visiting them at
home I might expect to see such pictures but in a restaurant they make you feel
like you’re invading somebody’s personal space. I’d rather The Cellar had made
a deal with a variety of local visual artists to display some of their work
than feel overwhelmed by too much of one person’s work.
I managed to tune out the pictures once I began to study
The Cellar’s wine list and menu. The Cellar’s wine list was extensive. It
included a range of Old World and New World wines, with some going by the glass
for just over $9. We had a bottle of modestly priced Australian cabernet
sauvignon for approximately $40. For those with a big bank balance The Cellar
had some very good French wines from the Bordeaux region. These included a
range starting from a Chateau Giscours ’96 (Margaux) at $120 per bottle to a
Chateau Haut Brion ’90 (Pessac Leognan) at $600.
As servers in black pants and crisp white shirts glided
from table to table with bottles of wine and baskets of bread - fresh sliced
baguette and foccacia - I noticed The Cellar’s menu had an impressive selection
of meat and steak dishes. Looking at the steak list I was reminded of the
Burgundy wine Charmes Chambertin ’96 (Joseph Drouhin) (Grand Cru) at $170 that
I saw on The Cellar’s wine list. The famous French Charolais beef comes from
the same region of France and they believe Chambertin burgundy is the
wine to have with it. I guessed the Chambertin would compliment our Canadian
beef pretty well too but confirmation of that will have to wait until I win the
lottery.
I did indulge myself a little with a fois gras appetizer.
The dish consisted of a large fried crouton in a crème de cassis reduction onto
which was piled slices of caramelized pear. Balanced on the pear pinnacle was a
slice of fois gras that had been sautéed on each of its sides on a very hot pan
for only seconds. For me this dish was a perfect combination of flavours and
textures. The fruitiness of the warm pear and the blackcurrant flavours of the
crème de cassis complimented and helped draw out the slightly nutty, rich,
buttery flavour of the fois gras.
Fois gras is not to everyone’s taste however it does not
have the slightly bitter edge of ordinary liver, which is why many who don’t
like liver enjoy fois gras. The Cellar’s fois gras was prepared with care and
knowledge and for me it was delicious. Care is critical when handling fois gras
because it is so rich in fat that it will almost liquidize if kept at room
temperature too long and evaporate if kept on the fry pan for more than a few
seconds.
Staying with the liver theme, my guest had a spinach salad
appetizer covered in sautéed chicken livers and dressed with vinaigrette.
Tasting the dish I was reminded of how delicious a simple, inexpensive meal of
chicken livers can be. I made a note to myself to buy a container of them soon
and fry them up.
Guest’s entrée of halibut fillet in a pecan crust was thick, tender and “white as driven snow.” I don’t think there’s another fish with flesh, when cooked, that’s as white as halibut. The halibut was surrounded by a reduction of balsamic vinegar. The deep, sweet, grape flavours of balsamic provided a light counterpoint to the mild flavours of the halibut. I also liked the visual contrast of the black vinegar against the super white fish.
My rack of lamb was more succulent than any I’ve had from a St. John’s restaurant. It was cooked just the way it was ordered, medium rare and came off the bone with very little effort. The lamb flavours were not as forward as I was expecting because the meat had been under salted. I suspected that was a conscious decision because each restaurant table contained a salt and a pepper shaker. After I’d corrected its salinity the flavours of my lamb came through very sharply.
Our meals were complimented with various fresh vegetables. I enjoyed the beautifully roasted red potatoes and crisp snow peas that went so well with the earthy lamb.
I finished with the quintessential American dessert, sweet potato pecan pie with whipped cream.
It was rich, sweet and decadent with a moist, tender crust. I was sure a better sweet potato pie would not be found in the American south.
The Cellar Restaurant is very much a family run operation. That’s why it’s been successful for so long. Chef Harold Brown and other members of his family and extended family pay attention to every detail of the restaurant’s operations. For example, Brown’s brother, Chris, prepared our meal and did a superior job of it. They all have a stake in the long-term viability of The Cellar. With food as good as I tasted, I suspect people will want to be dining on The Cellar’s creations for a long time to come.
Our meal for two at The Cellar - including a $40 (approx.) bottle of wine and gratuity - cost $189.43.
The Cellar was not wheelchair accessible and the noise
level was low.
Best Points:
The food.
Areas for Improvement:
Consider replacing the photographs.
Ratings Category:
The Cellar gets 9 points out of 10.
7 points =
satisfactory, 7.5 = good, 8 = very good, 9 = excellent, 10 = perfection