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About this time last year, I had a dreadful meal at Buck's (425 W. Ormsby). It was the first time I'd ever thought, "This wasn't just bad, it was mysteriously bad," because I simply couldn't understand what was going on in the minds running this venerable restaurant.
For example, a warm goat cheese salad I ordered arrived with an indistinguishable, hard and tan-colored, um, something in the middle of the greens. When our server claimed it was goat cheese, I told her I'd never seen goat cheese that color or texture. She assured me I was the first ever customer to make that claim, scooped up my plate and said, "I'll just take it off your check." No offer for a redo, no suggestion for another salad.
Not a nice start to a meal that got only marginally better. When we left, my wife and I were $136 lighter and pretty certain we'd never return. Yet when a friend convinced me to return this past summer—a new chef was in the kitchen, she said—things were markedly better, though not perfect. In one of the city's most lovely dining rooms, a place where fresh flowers are everywhere and a pianist sings and plays throughout the night, it's not unreasonable to expect a really good experience. The prices aren't shockingly high, but they're not low, either. So, as I said, the meal was better, but there were rough spots that left me wanting more.
On Thursday, Buck's hosted a Tuscan dinner that proved the kitchen is starting to regain its stride. The sweet potato gnocchi appetizer with bacon, red onion, sage and brown butter was simply fantastic. The Tuscan bread soup was darn good, too. The osso bucco (which my wife had) was perfectly cooked and seated on a delicious wild mushroom and blue cheese risotto. And the grilled tuna and sundried tomato tapenade was spot on, though the nest of white beans below it was undercooked and dry.
Still, these are all good signs that Buck's is getting back on track. When manager Buck Heath (after whom the restaurant is named) retired last year, I'd hoped some fresher ideas from the kitchen and sharper service would result. It appears that's happening.
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Steve Coomes