Big Sigh

Initially appeared on vox.com on 3/26/2009.

Although i'm not necessarily a fan of fusion cuisine, i do like interesting and unconventional fare.  Therefore it is with much regret that i mourn the passing of Naya Bistro and Wine Bar. 

Of course their food was not necessarily the "best ever," but IMHO they were a breath of fresh air compared to the usual high-end restaurants in the city, which mostly consist of Steakhouses and Italian Restaurants.  I especially liked the Thai Ahi Tuna.  The "Suckling Pig a la Murphy" - which, while not completely satisfying to my palate, was at least adventuruous enough to earn my respect.  And - aside from this place - i cannot recall the last time i was offered anchovies with my Caesar salad (if anyone's wondering - i said yes and asked for extra).

I guess i should have suspected that they were in dire straits when they started advertising at the gym.  Or when they sent me this birthday card:

("IJB?"  Maybe their proofreader got laid off before the rest of the restaurant staff did, but i digress.) 
I have to wonder: were me and Gianina the only ones who really liked their food, or was the market-at-large just not ready for that kind of menu?  I honestly suspect the latter (they did win a bunch of awards locally), but i guess delectabilty is in the tongue of the taster.  It's tragic, because Graydon's Crossing recently changed their "interesting" menu for more standard fare - allegedly because people didn't like trying the "fusion" stuff. 

Here's the original menu from Graydon's Crossing (it doesn't look like they've updated the website yet):

Another great restaurant with a "not-so-conventional" menu: The Green Well Gastro Pub.  More of "casual" than "fine" dining, but delicious nontheless:

For now we're going to have to look for another "nice" place to go on special date nights.  Republic is actually promising, but it's a tad far from where we live.  (And expensive... good thing we keep those Steak n Shake coupons handy.)