Exposure Tapas Supper Club
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Round about 10 PM on a recent Friday, Exposure Tapas Supper Club became my idea of a bad time. The boisterous people at the next table were shouting just for the fun of it, the talented jazz combo was much too loud, the previously attentive waiter was MIA, and when the check finally arrived, it was incorrect and almost impossible to read in the dim light. But the experience was more enjoyable before the white-tablecloth dining room got crowded and noisy, even if the decor–a mix of huge ceiling-hugging chandeliers, plywood panels, exposed brick, and tufted red velvet–is rather bizarre. As the name suggests, the changing menu from executive chef David Wennerlyn (Cafe Absinthe) focuses on small plates (most $4-$14), though there are also seven entrees ($24-$39). Oysters and clams from the raw bar were everything they should’ve been, but at $19 a lobster cocktail featuring half a small tail and a small claw atop greens and “gingered vegetables” (mostly diced carrot) seemed overpriced. My favorite cold dish was charred beef tenderloin carpaccio paired with a salad of fresh baby artichokes drizzled with truffle oil and balsamic syrup. Winning warm choices included bacon-wrapped dates with a spicy red-pepper sauce (a Spanish classic), rustic braised oxtail gnocchi, and au gratin potatoes with Gorgonzola. Seared sea scallops with asparagus-thyme-orange salad and crispy beet-ribbon-topped mashed potatoes would have been terrific had the scallops not been egregiously salty. Black-bottom creme brulee ($5) solved an age-old dessert-lover’s dilemma by bringing together an incredibly fudgy brownie and a silky custard with a crackly caramelized-sugar crust. Wines by the glass and many-flavored mojitos (skip the bitter blood orange) are among the beverages. A music club is in the works for downstairs. –Anne Spiselman
Table Fifty-Two
130 E. Randolph
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo by Rob Warner.
