Supreme
1404 34th Ave, 322-1974

Tues-Thurs 5:30- 10 pm, Fri-Sat 5:30- 11 pm, Sun 9 am-2 pm.

I ate at Supreme when it first opened about three years ago, and was somewhat disappointed by a menu that looked good on paper, but promised more than it could deliver. (Although the details are foggy, I still remember some flageolet beans that crunched when they should have mushed…). Bare and chic, the space felt chilly, too, and the beautiful prairie wall murals by Whiting Tennis only emphasized the loneliness of being supreme. It’s a decorative strategy that could, in theory, work in Belltown, but had a harder time clicking in the semi-suburban idyll of Madrona, where brunch spots and family dining seem to be the order of the day. A few months ago, however, Supreme changed ownership, and attitude.

Supreme’s coolness has not been reversed, but rather overlaid with a little warm fuzziness, as I witnessed when Andrew and I went to Supreme with Ms. Emily Hall for a last restaurant meal together before she heads off (sniff) to New York City. The murals remain, but the other walls and upholstery have been cozied up with golden and peachy colors. The wordy menu alternated between date-night entrees (rib-eye steak, “hazelnut-crusted Alaskan halibut, white bean ragout, caramelized sweet onion, wild mushrooms, asparagus, and a light champagne lemon beurre blanc”) and “don’t worry it’s bar food, only better” options (free-range chicken wings, house-ground hamburgers). Supreme’s spiritual reheating may not be a seamless transition, but it makes sense: If you’re looking for a regular crowd, it’s not a bad idea to make things more comfortable.

“I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older, but I like things a little more subtle,” said Emily as she spooned up her carrot-ginger soup ($4). Served warm, the soup’s rock ’em sock ’em ginger did seem a little caustic. I could imagine it working better served as a cold soup (or in a glass, at a juice bar), especially for someone with a stuffy nose.

Chicken wings ($8), on the other hand, make for a dish in which subtlety isn’t necessarily a plus. These were some fine wings: their smokiness neither acrid nor wimpy, chubby drumettes outnumbering wingtips, and a sauce punchy with chili heat. Too bad the yogurt-aioli dipping sauce, essential for stemming the chicken’s heat, turned out to be one of those innovations that really isn’t. At some point you just have to choose between yogurt and aioli–I’m not sure they go together. And what’s so bad about a really good homemade blue cheese dipping sauce, anyway? I only bring it up because I liked the wings a lot and think they deserved better.

In the entrée category, Emily took first prize with her sea scallops, which were every bit as sweet and tender as scallops should be. They were amply cushioned with risotto, some healthy-tasting greens (mostly red chard), and a buttery broth ($19). Andrew was a little jealous, but sunk himself into an excellent burger ($10) that came from the pubby part of the menu. It was perched on a bulky roll with pickles and some sort of “secret” spicy Russian dressing. By its side was a bird’s nest of home-cut fries, a little mahogany for my taste (as homemade fries tend to be), but still earning an A for effort.

Since it’s almost summer, I decided to go all garden fresh with a dish of green basil noodles ($14), fava beans, asparagus, and arugula. It was okay, but somehow not insistently green enough. The beans and asparagus were a little wan, the basil not quite pronounced, and slivers of red roasted peppers broke up the cool monochrome concept.

If Supreme still seemed to be in transition, it might have had something to do with the tag-team service our door-side table received: first a chipper bartender offering “the Cedar watershed’s best” instead of tap water, then a frazzled-seeming waitress, and a final, hyper-enunciative server who was pitching cleanup. Next time, I’ll shoot for a seat closer to the mural and order a burger of my own. I might even sneak in a little blue cheese dressing for my wings. And as for Emily’s transition, I wish her the very best.