Gjelina Sunchokes

[noshie]

I had to wait a few weeks for a 7:00 weekend reservation, super trendy scene, we found street parking however. Our server, a man with long brown hair, was very nice, did not have any of the service issues noted on prior posts. We had the charcuterie plate (wild boar terrine stood out, they would not sub out duck rillettes which I never like, these were no exception, nice few slices of sausage, nice duck liver pate, 2 kinds of mustard and some sweet jam like thing). The French bread they served with the charcuterie had some sort of oil on it, I think they should serve it plain.

Second courses were three vegs, sunchokes with yummy salsa verde (garlic and green struff), raddichio and cauliflower. Liked vegs in that order with the sunchokes in the lead, raddichio (wonderful smokey grill taste on them, they could have had a lighter touch on the balsamic however) not far behind, not loving the cauliflower, the cauliflower on my first visit to Church and State was better.

2 pizzas after, the mushroom goat cheese and truffle oil and a carmelized fennel and fennel sausage pizza (very little carmleized fennel, some pieces of frond and some wafer thin shavings of fennel). Have to say that the pizza at Pizzeria Mozza was better, better crust, although I prefer the atmosphere at Gjelina a tad better (both restaurants are loud, Gjelina at least we were outside so a shade softer on the rock music, can't wait for this trend of playing old college dorm rock to pass. Our mushroom pizza was served sometime after the fennel pizza, and it would have been nice to have them at the same time.

No room for dessert, 1 glass of wine only (pricey $15 or so chard), and we were out of there for like $99. No bread served with the meal (other than with the charcuterie, had to ask for ice for the table water.

Great sunchokes, definitely the highlight, nice wild boar terrine. Not sure I'll be back though, did not have that same must return feeling like I did at Church and State.

[Veggietales]

I had to reply when I saw the title of your post. Whenever anyone asks me what they should order at Gjelina I immediately say the sunchokes. earlier in the year Travis did another rendition of his sunchokes: roasted slowly with just a few herbs and hit with sherry vinegar right before serving. The acid bring out the depth and creaminess of the sunchoke. I think the salsa verde serves that function.