Renee Erickson has James Beard nominations under her belt and the allure of eating at The Whale Wins just drew me in.  I was down in the area and went for an early dinner to try it all out.

The space is open and inviting. A lot of the cooking is done in the open kitchen.  Salads and apps are prepared in the front, the side has the grill and ovens.  It’s a fascinating way to see how things work.

The menu has a lot of things that look real interesting to me.  But some thinks caught my eyes more than others.

For example, the Brussels Sprouts with Kohlrabi, Buttermilk Dressing, Cilantro Sauce Verte and Pumpkin Seeds.  It sounded like a nice start to a meal.  I love Brussels Sprouts, and to have them raw is also great.  Kohlrabi seems to coming back.  I remember when I was a kid, my mom used to cook it all the time with some dried shrimp and garlic.  But raw, a new adventure for me.

The taste is nice and crunchy.  The oil goes well with the dressing and there is a nice pop in the mouth with this dish.  It’s not too oily, considering the fact that the Cilantro Sauce seems full of Olive Oil.

I went for decadence.  Bone Marrow.  With some spicy butter and crostini.  The marrow was so creamy and well done, right out of the oven.  A little on the crostini and we were good to go.

After the heaviness of the Marrow, I needed something light and some citrus to cut the fat, and this Citrus Eton Mess was exactly what I was looking for.  The citrus balanced out the marrow, as did the light cream.  A perfect way to end a fabulous meal.

So many other small items I wanted to try.  That’s why I recommend a group.  Dining single can be ok, but with more, you can sample, especially at places like this.  Well worth the money and visit.