At first glance, the menu at Adsum, 700-702 S. Fifth St., appears slightly unorthodox, if not a bit crazy: Its American-bistro-inspired fare takes some eyebrow-raising risks with ingredients. For the most part, those risks pay off.
Things get interesting right out of the gate with appetizers. The Kool-Aid-pickled watermelon ($3) stares back at you from the menu like a dare. Watermelon is damn-near flawless on its own. Why would anyone try to up the ante by pickling it in Kool-Aid? The result, while refreshing, feels a little watered-down and artificial compared to its natural state.
The fried oysters with pickle-juice remoulade ($12) were perfectly fried and tender. Luckily, they were also not as pickle-y as the title suggested. The popular foie-gras poutine ($15) had its heart in the right place. Poutine, which is a Canadian staple, consists of French fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds. And while Adsum nailed the execution right down to the cut and texture of the fries, the addition of foie gras seemed superfluous. But overall the dish was tasty.
Adsum really knocked it out of the park with the tater tots ($8), topped with emulsified whiskey, bacon and green goddess dressing. Far from the spuds on your school lunch tray, these tots were warm, savory and irresistible.
The night we went to Adsum, the popular entrée was the fried chicken with collards, ham hocks and hot sauce ($18). The satisfied smiles on diners’ faces, not to mention the abundance of cleaned chicken bones on the plates, spoke for the dish. So we opted for the pork belly with pepperoni, black beans and pork barbeque ($18), mostly because we were wondering how pepperoni and pork belly were going to work together on the same plate. The answer: Excellently. Pepperoni, which usually would have dominated in flavor, played a good supporting role for the generous slab of pork belly and the smoky flavor of the black beans, adding the perfect amount of spice to the dish. Had we been more adventurous, we would have tried the KFC sweetbreads with pea risotto and mustard ($21) but, alas, we were not feeling that level of boldness that evening.
Next time.
Luckily for us, the homemade pierogies with burnt onion, thyme and buttermilk ($16) called out. What set them apart from most of their species was the crispy sear they got before they hit the plate, adding a nice buttery crunch that plays very well with the onions and buttermilk that top the dish. Once cooler weather sets in, these bad boys, along with the tater tots, should be flying out the door.
Compared to the appetizers and entrées, the dessert menu at Adsum was straightforward, but no less interesting. The selections (all $9) available for us included a vanilla bean crème brûlée, a brown-sugar bread pudding with caramelized bananas and ricotta doughnuts. The doughnuts were a warm and sugar-coated treat, especially when dipped into the molten chocolate with a hint of cherry that came with it.
With an adventurous menu and playful spirit, Adsum is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].