Day 148: If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it!

I'll never understand why restaurants tinker with perfectly good or even amazing menu items.  Unfortunately, such was the case tonight at Isa, our favorite neighborhood restaurant which has many a great meal to this blog (entry #78, entry #119).

One of our favorite dishes at Isa was soft, flaky butterfish with a mix of earthy mushrooms baked in parchment paper.  Perfection.  Isa's new version replaces the mushrooms with leeks and artichoke hearts and something has changed with the cooking style.  It's still bundled together in parchment, but the fish is less flaky and more mushy.  We even sent the first one back - something I hardly ever do - but it wasn't even recognizable as fish.  The second one was better but still overcooked.  Sadly, this dish has now moved from our "must have" list to the "should be avoided" list.

Fortunately, everything else at Isa continues to be stellar, including the scallops pictured above.  Served with mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and bacon, they are absolutely divine.  The baked goat cheese with tomatoes, basil, and pine nuts is simple, warm and cozy, high end comfort food.

So, we'll forgive Isa this one mistake and look forward to many more excellent dinners there.