Conundrum, Coconut Risotto, and a Chocolate Eclipse at Four Moons

I was impressed with Four Moons upon my first visit to this diamond in the rough, an unassuming Mecca in the midst of a strip mall. The restaurant has worked hard to please since its opening about a year ago. But this trip was in so many ways more impressive than the last. For starters, the menu has been minimized making it easier to read, easier to discern, and all and all a much better invitation to the epicurean pursuits of the restaurant.

We started off with a bottle of Conundrum, a delicious white table wine with floral hints of the tropics from Rutherford. It was even more gloriously memorable when paired with the raw tasting that came next. The sizable chunks of sashimi: Ahi, King Salmon, and Walu along with a nice portion of Tobikko Caviar could have swam off the plate they were so fresh, having just left the water a day beforehand.

Our salad course, a deconstructed Caprese salad was an innovative take on a mid-summer classic, but my least favorite course by far. The balsamic was reduced a bit too much so that the flavor overwhelmed the delicate tomato. But a tomato gelatin was the highlight of the dish, a feature that showed the Chef Charles Zeran was still having fun in the kitchen. The gelatin was colorless but after sinking my teeth into the atypical gel, my taste buds were clouted with an onslaught of fresh tomato.

But it was the main course that was the true show stopper. Perfectly prepared risotto, creamed to perfection, and loaded with butter poached lobster tail, seared sea scallops, grilled shrimp, and popcorn style fried langostinos. It was all piled on a cloud of risotto with sweet corn, purple potatoes, and asparagus, scented with coconut milk and lime. The rich factor was that of perfection, thick enough that you know it’s a thick creamy risotto, but not so much that you feel sick after the meal. It was as if each bite was a different gastronomical adventure.

We ended the meal with an ice wine from Niagara Falls to go with the much anticipated four phases of chocolate dessert. My favorite phase was a cold chocolate shot that tasted as if they had melted down a Godiva brownie into the form of a delightful dainty shot and paired with likely the best desert wine I’ve ever had the honor of slowly slurping down, it had wow factor.

All and all (Best *****) (Price $$$$$)
Food ****
Service*****
Atmosphere****
Drink List ****
$$$$