We arrived without a reservation and requested a booth. I was told by one of the waitresses (who was acting as the host for a quick moment) that there were no booths available and that we could only get a table. She attempted to put us at the table right next to the hallway which leads into the bathroom. As a general rule I recommend that you not seat anyone near the bathroom or as a last resort. Needless to say, we both protested and we ended up at a table in the middle of the restaurant, a good place to evaluate our surroundings.
Housed in the defunct Karen's Kitchen, the restaurant has changed quite a lot. Just as you walk in you see the bar to the right and then to the left the main dining room and another slightly smaller room to the right. They have booths along the sides with tables in the middle and some half booths as well. Think of brown colors throughout with yellow low lighting and soothing music in the background and this will give you a decent idea of the ambience. Overall, we liked what they have done with the interior.
We started with a few drinks - a pomegranate martini for my wife and I chose a micro brew. Unfortunately, my wife was disappointed in her martini but the waitress was wonderful and offered her a replacement of a French martini which she enjoyed very much.
Looking over the menu it became obvious that this was not the typical fair and the chef has thrown in a few zingers for you to consider. How about Shrimp and Escargots for example? Escargots is probably not something most of you have tried before. What about Smoked Salmon Tartare? My wife likes Gnocchi and the Hand Rolled Ricotta Gnocchi caught my eye. We decided to start with that.
The gravy was my favorite with lardons which are small pieces of pork that gives this dish a slight bacon flavor.
We also decided to try one of their salads, the Smoked Garden Tomato Salad.
Tomatoes are not my first choice in terms of salads but this was very good. The price at $10 seemed a little high for the portion.
We cannot forget to mention the bread service which was homemade bread sticks with Parmesan cheese foam. This was an excellent combination and it made for a very unique presentation.
My entree selection was the braised Rabbit Strozzapreti:
I have eaten rabbit just one other time in my life and decided to take a chance. Any explanation will not do this entree justice. The Strozzapreti is the pasta and this dish is mixed beautifully in a Vermouth demi covered in Parmesan cheese and includes mushrooms and a mirepoix.
My wife’s choice was the Hanger Steak:
The steak was cooked perfectly and was served with a sweet potato hash which complimented the meat and didn’t over power it.
Upon the recommendation of the waitress we also decided to add a side of Truffle Fries:
Covered in salt and sauteed onions this was delicious.
And finally the molten chocolate cake.
For all you chocolate lovers out there, this is a must have!
Our waitress was exceptional and the main reason that everything worked. We had a lot of questions about the menu and she took the time to answer all of them in detail. Steering us away from a few items that she did not particularly like and focusing in on what Tek Nique does best. I do have one suggestion for the owner/manager. Since this was our first time at the restaurant it would have been nice if the owner/manager had stopped by to ask how our meal was and to thank us for dining with them.
In retrospect, we should have visited Tek Nique a lot sooner. The exceptional creative food and service make for a restaurant that you should visit.
