Rustica: Final Draft

The pristine white plate holds a brownie, its dark and rich body crumbling like nutrient-dense earth crumbles from well-worn hands.  A thick blanket of glistening chocolate ganache drapes over its top while a scoop of Palazzolo’s chocolate gelato settles against its side, melting slightly in the wake of the brownie’s warm center.  Whole hazelnuts dot the dessert, little white beads of subtle crunch complementing the backdrop of intense chocolate.  

The Callebaut Chocolate Brownie takes up the same space that a regular sized stapler would occupy on a desk, but at Rustica, the size of a meal reveals nothing of its quality.  Situated on Kalamazoo Mall, only a 15 minute walk from Kalamazoo College’s campus, you will find the small yet oh-so-satisfying restaurant, Rustica.  The concept of “Rustic European Cuisine” is at the forefront of its theme, as is its use of locally-sourced foods.  When looking at its simple menu, in the top right corner you will see the many establishments and businesses that Rustica proudly supports.  These include venues such as Otto’s Poultry, MacKenzies’ Bakery, and Mattawan Artisan Creamery, to name a few.  Further down on the menu are the food options with a short description of each meal under it.  Simplicity seems to be an important part of Rustica’s mission… until entering the restaurant.  Upon first entrance there is an overwhelming amount of tables and the dim lighting and loudness of the place only adds to a slightly chaotic feeling.

Most tables are prepared to cater to groups of four, but scattered sparsely among the crowded white-clothed, candlelit sea are a couple tables with room for up to six people.  Every seat is occupied.  Guests are chatting and smiling over glasses of French Pinot Noir, 2008 Spanish Monastrell, and Michigan’s own Wyncroft Riesling.  Conversations smash into each other and collect in the extra space of the high ceiling, giving the cramped area at least a little breathing room.  Servers wearing clean black shirts and dress pants with white towels draped over their forearms skillfully maneuver the jumble of tables to take food orders consisting of Roasted Bone Marrow complemented with olive tapenade, house jam, and grilled bread; Braised Lamb Shank served with Swiss chard gratin and roasted artichoke; and Pan-Roasted Michigan Chicken flanked by seasonal mashed potatoes and sautéed greens, complete with roasted garlic jus.

After a moderate amount of time, the food arrives via a black-laden stealthy server, who enthusiastically clears up all confusion of word meanings on the menu.  The starter is a small nest of grilled asparagus sprinkled with olive oil and fines herbes, topped with a poached egg nestled delicately in its center.  The asparagus has a robust earthy aroma that tastes like sun-baked garden, the fines herbes adding the slightest deviation of flavor to keep it interesting.  The yolk of the poached egg spills over the shoots of asparagus to create a mouth-watering dish that brings images of free-range chickens, fields of sunflowers, and a well-fed sweaty farmer to mind.

Next is the Baked Seafood Tagliatelle.  Its smell is slightly overpowering, the shrimp and parmigiano reggiano combining to create a very distinct, if not somewhat unpleasant odor, somewhere in between the muted smell of warm milk and an aquarium.  The flat noodles wind around five sweating bulging shrimp while the scallops and leeks take on a less ostentatious role, hiding under the layer of slightly crisped noodles and baked cheese.  The first few bites prove difficult, as the top layer of noodles have been hardened and are stubbornly sticking together.  The initial smell is not too hard to get over with the juicy, just-caught-this-morning taste of the steaming shrimp.  The scallops reveal themselves steadily throughout the dish, tasting of ocean breeze.  Halfway through the meal, the juices of the shrimp, scallops, leeks, and endive are discovered all congregating together near the bottom of the bowl.  It would have been nice to have these juices more evenly distributed throughout the dish, as they would have made the noodles stick together less.  Consistency is always appreciated, but the Tagliatelle needs a little more work in this department.

Then there is the Callebaut Chocolate Brownie.  This is the confectionary excellence of the brownie world.  The first bite is absolute bliss.  It is rich and not too sweet; the flavor of the cocoa beans used in it has tones of wood and dried fruit.  It is perfectly bitter, bringing out the subtle hints of roasted nuts; the aftertaste continues to intrigue and delight the taste buds long after.  It is wholesome.  The accompanying gelato comes from the Kalamazoo local Artisan shop Palazzolo’s Gelato, its creamy deep chocolate flavor adding the perfect amount of sweetness to the bitter notes of the brownie.  It has the power to render any restaurant-goer speechless and moaning in sheer chocolaty hazelnut ecstasy.

Wholesome and utterly satisfying food is something that Rustica strives to bring to the table, and it succeeds.  The service is exemplary, the food even more so (however be careful of the noodle dishes; when in doubt just order the brownie).  While the space is a bit cramped, the overall atmosphere has a feeling of closeness rather than crowded, and the tight seating adds to the restaurant’s warm and welcoming demeanor.  If getting an appetizer, entree, dessert, and a glass (or a few glasses) of wine, expect to pay anywhere from $55 to $70 for the evening.  However, if sharing with other guests, one can leave without paying more that $40 total.  The importance of locally sourced food is at the forefront of Rustica’s dining experience, and the wholesome ingredients used in its dishes make for happy taste buds, good conversation, and full stomachs.