Fishing for Compliments: MH Fish House

dining-MH-fish-house-leadYou can almost smell the sea air when you walk up the wood stairs to MH Fish House in Lake Forest, which opened in early January in place of the old Bank Lane Bistro.

The freshly redecorated space makes you feel like you are in Cape Cod, surrounded by walls of white wainscoting, tile and beadboard, hung with nautically inspired artwork.

The folks that own Market House on the Square were quite prescient when they poached Chef Dominic Zampano from Milwaukee early last year to oversee their restaurant’s redo; now he works his magic here as well. His plate presentation skills are impressive; the flavor combinations are bold, the seasoning pretty spot on.

I’d Like a Quartino, Please

The restaurant impresses from the start. Service is solicitous but not overbearing, and the wine list (which has breadth, if not great depth) allows for any wine to be ordered by the quartino for 25 percent of the bottle price. Bread service was calorie-worthy with warm and yeasty egg-washed rolls served with Zampano’s pectin-rich apple “butter.”

Although it might have been hotter, there was no faulting the flavor of the silky Clam Chowder ($8), dotted with nubbins of Serrano ham and vegetables. It did not need the added richness of the lardo crostini. We were surprised by the deconstruction of the classic Nicoise ($14), which found a barely seared, highly spice-encrusted cube of sushi-quality tuna arranged with a mound of dehydrated Nicoise olives, a few small chunks of roasted potatoes nestled atop a pool of mustardy sauce, some grated hard-boiled egg, and a tiny pile of blanched haricots verts sharing a plate. All the elements of a Nicoise salad, but it came together only if you were able to spear a number of them onto one fork. A warning on the menu or from the server would have been wise.

No quibbling with the fabulous Hamachi ($12) dish: rosy slices of raw fish with elements of cucumber, charred lime, and a sweet basil puree that cut a swath across the plate. The fish, supremely fresh, tasted of the sea.

dining-mh-fish-hamachi

Likewise the flawless Octopus ($13) preparation, with the tentacles cooked sous vide to a delectable tenderness, tandoori spiced and paired with blood orange, pistachio and pomegranate. Wow.

dining-mh-fish-octopus

Feeling Shellfish 

Lobster Risotto ($28) and the “Classic Retro Dish” Cioppino ($29) were the standout entrees. The risotto was unctuous and rich, filled with huge chunks of fresh Maine lobster and tossed with Parmesan cheese. I found the tomato jam on top beautiful, but unnecessary to the dish. The Cioppino, an Italian-inspired seafood stew of San Francisco origin, was scrumptious  with clams, mussels and sea scallops afloat in a winy sea, studded with fennel, tomato and onion, with a raft of grilled garlic toast on the side.

dining-mh-fish-barramunidi

The Barramundi ($28) was beautifully presented, pan-sauteed, and set on a pool of tepid but vivid yellow saffron sauce with dots dollops of ruby-red tomato jam, cubed turnips, melted leeks and fava beans. The Idaho Ruby Red Trout ($24), served atop tiny beluga lentils and sauced with a squid ink and red wine reduction, felt dry, and a word to the wise: the ink sauce stains.

We shared a side of the “Mac and Cheese” ($13), orecchiette in a rich, cheesy cream sauce, topped with braised oxtail and sautéed chanterelles. It was tasty, it was caloric, it was sinful… but it was no more “mac and cheese” than I am Justin Bieber.

Leave Room

There are four desserts available, but no dessert menu. We had our choice of the Chocolate, Meyer Lemon, Apple/Bourbon or Carmel/Mango. Halfway through the recitation, we stopped our server. “You had us at Bourbon. Bring them all!” By then we had imbibed quite a bit of wine and it seemed like the thing to do.

I would categorize them as “flavor profiles” more than a straightforward cake or pie. These are desserts that would easily cost $15 each high-end downtown restaurants; here, they were $8. Our favorite: the Apple/Bourbon dessert, a composed plate with maple-bourbon cream, dehydrated apple chips, tiny cubes of bourbon gelee, maple panna cotta and apple-bourbon sorbet. It was outstanding. Also loved the Caramel/Mango concoction, including the amazing mango gelato. And the Chocolate? There was dark chocolate involved. Need I say more? The Meyer Lemon was our least favorite, a wan, deconstructed lemon meringue pie.

This was a restaurant that I would happily again drive a half hour to visit; I look forward to returning with friends. Lake Forest could become a destination restaurant town if this keeps up!

 

4 out of 5 stars (A-)

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MH Fish House
670 Bank Lane
Lake Forest
847-234-8802

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