Hey everybody, I'm Dominic Armato, dining critic for azcentral.
And not that there's anything wrong with restaurants that do familiar dishes in a very polished,
carefully manicured atmosphere, but you know what?
It is really really refreshing when somebody just kinda like cuts loose
and does his own thing.
Earlier this year, chef Vince Mellody launched his first solo venture, Bri.
And this chill little Coronado joint is doing some really fun food.
Frico Caldo are these crisp little potato and cheese pancakes with a dollop of tomato.
And the vegan streetcorn is really tasty, dusted with crumbled, fermented black beans
for a nice salty, umami kick.
And the lychee scallops - note the air quotes - don't contain any actual scallops, but man
do they contain a whole lotta flavor.
Mellody brines lychees - those sweet, juicy little Asian fruits - then sears them in cast
iron and dresses them with an icy, curry-like sauce made of carrot juice, turmeric and ginger.
They are seriously explosive.
The other big specialty at Bri is the roasted meats, like the duck platter.
Succulent crispy chunks of duck with a brash house sauce and a bunch of fire-roasted vegetables.
Now, Bri has some rough edges.
Some dishes don't quite work and the place needs to be a little more consistent.
But, this is such a chill, easygoing hangout and Mellody is doing such interesting stuff,
that the enjoyment you'll get out of the hits is totally worth an occasional miss.
So, I'm giving Bri three stars.
This is a cool little independent joint that deserves some love and I really hope you'll
check it out.
I'm Dominic Armato for azcentral.
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