Vegetarians are the definition of the reluctant diner, with dietary restrictions and a hesitancy for spending a lot on a plate of greens and beans. An expensive vegetarian restaurant has to offer more than just delicious food: high prices need to be compensated by ambience and service. Cafe Ambrosia is an expensive vegetarian restaurant. Dinner for two with tax and tip and a glass of organic wine can approach $100--a lot less than the Painted Table, but a lot more than the Gravity Bar. Cafe Ambrosia is aiming to be a culinary experience in the direction of the former, but what you get can be defined in the same terms as the price: less than the best, yet much more than the basics. The food, while very good, suffers from an occasional but significant lack of refinement. Service can be excellent, though sometimes preachy.
In the category of ambience, however, Cafe Ambrosia gets a D-. What holds this place back from the lower ranks of Seattle's best restaurants is not the lack of meat--it's the lack of luxury. Cafe Ambrosia is housed in a former Azteca, which hasn't been fully exorcised; a lonely bunch of glitter-encrusted dried flowers on the green stucco wall seems to be something the previous tenants left behind.
Fortunately, greens on the plate fare better than greens on the walls. The Red and Green Pear Salad ($7.25) showed an appropriate restraint, with an uncommon pomegranate and pear vinaigrette. Caesar salad had a wonderful, authentic dressing on super-fresh, crunchy romaine. But this place is vegan! How did they make a cheesy Caesar without cheese? Tofu, of course! Olives and shredded beets were pleasant extras, but the baby tomatoes just gilded the lily--the first sign of apologetic overcompensation.
Six dollars seemed a little pricey for carrot soup, so we moved on to the appetizers. First on the menu was "a bowl of" Creamy Polenta ($7.25). It probably would have been presented beautifully, but because we were afraid of being seen shoveling cornmeal mush out of a soup bowl while sipping organic chardonnay from exquisite crystal, we opted for the Baked Spring Rolls ($7.50) instead. The presentation gave this starter distinction, the rolls balanced on a grilled slice of pineapple, drizzled with sweet and sour sauce.
Cafe Ambrosia's entrées are on shakier ground. This is where vegetarian overcompensation can rear its head, and the elegance of the starters yields to the grandiosity of the main course. Mediterranean Napoleon ($18.50) is an island of ratatouille with cliffs of crisp phyllo, a snowcap of Tuscan bean pâté, and a beach of pesto risotto anchored in a sea of tomato sauce. The flavors were vivid but the textures became indistinguishable, with even the crisp phyllo sinking into moist mush. Polenta Safari ($15.50) had more restraint and better texture. Grilled triangles of polenta were accompanied by a garam-masala-spiced mixture of chewy beans and crunchy toasted almonds. The Fall Celebration of Squash and Mushrooms ($18.95) was the most subdued entrée, with a selection of simply prepared vegetables touched with a star anise and port wine sauce. Though very good, it's the highest priced item on the menu. Grandiosity here arrives in the form of a large Maitake mushroom crowning the plate, adding visual pleasure but not much in the way of flavor.
Finally, desserts returned us to the domain of elegance. The dairy-free coconut mousse (in the Tropical Napoleon, $6) was remarkably creamy, and quinoa-stuffed poached pear with chocolate sauce was devoured by a naturopathic physician who usually eschews dessert.
A diner will feel great after all this good food and service, but a little deflated when realizing that for ambience, you could have stayed home.
Cafe Ambrosia
2501 Fairview Ave E, 325-7111. Lunch Tues-Fri
11 am-2 pm, dinner Tues-Sun 5-10 pm,
Sunday brunch 10 am-2 pm, closed Mondays. $$.
Price Scale (per entrée)
$ = $10 and under; $$ = $10-$20; $$$ = $20 and up.
