BEACHWOOD -- "The hot new Moxie has picked up on the style of restaurants in downtown New York with a little New Orleans thrown in. Portions are gargantuan," wrote John Mariani in Esquire magazine a dozen years ago.
For some reason, the silver-maned critic's words remain on Moxie's website despite the fact the Beachwood eatery is no longer new. And the style of "downtown New York" restaurants – spacious, sun-splashed dining rooms with open kitchens -- has been replaced by the style of Brooklyn restaurants.
Just last year Mariani put Gwynnett St., in Brooklyn, on his Best New Restaurants list. Its cooks use tweezers to plate food. By that measure, servings at Moxie – at most Cleveland restaurants, for that matter -- are indeed "gargantuan."
The dining room is large, too, with wide, cloth-and-paper covered tables surround by pop art, an open kitchen and floor to ceiling windows. The place hardly seems dated even if, technically, it is.
There are plenty of comfortable spots for a long and unrushed meal. I love this about Moxie.
I liked the food a lot, too. Take Steak Frite ($38.75). Executive Chef Jonathan Bennett pairs a bowl of crispy-thin, salt-flecked fries with a thick Delmonico, perfuming this hunk of beefy bliss with shallot reduction ($38.75).
There's comfort and joy in the well- seasoned, maple-glazed pork chop – a big one with a bone – that comes perched on creamy polenta with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts and soft, golden raisins ($24.75).
The kitchen gives a hefty piece of flawlessly grilled salmon a twist by kicking the dish up a notch – can I get a bam! -- with zesty dollops of housemade orange jam ($24). Sea bass with tail intact is displayed on silky cauliflower puree amid a scattering of apple glazed root vegetables ($28). Mmmm.
If you're tempted to make a meal from the 11-item appetizer menu, by all means do so. Two crunchy baguettes that come slathered with housemade ricotta are meant to be dipped into the intensely flavored truffled-honey surrounding them ($7.50). An Iceberg Wedge that in lesser eateries merely drips a waterfall of bleu cheese dressing here is a luscious explosion of crisp lettuce, bleu cheese, red onions, grape tomatoes, fat croutons and balsamic vinaigrette ($9.75).
Gilding the lily is routine at Moxie. Even the generous splash of table butter is whipped and bathed in oil and breadcrumbs (or sometimes herbs). The bread basket brims with focaccia, French, and crusty Italian breads.
It's hard to forget you're amid prosperity here. When I casually inquired one night why the chef didn't use flavorful hangar steak, which is less expensive, I was told customers preferred the more lavish cut. Moxie is the go-to restaurant for the luxury cars, and the dress-code here appears to be Nordstrom-casual.
Desserts are a showcase of intensely sweet dishes. So sweet, in fact, I liked only one – an average apple crisp with butterscotch ice cream ($8.50). Caramel Pot de Creme ($7), a warm chocolate-chip cookie ($2), and pear sorbet ($5) made my teeth hurt.
The food is spirited from kitchen to table by an efficient and friendly contingent of servers garbed in black uniforms. They always seem so happy to help you. True, they sometimes auction plates, annoying in a restaurant like Moxie where full meals run $40 or more.
But I hear that's done in Brooklyn, too.
Where: 3355 Richmond Rd., Beachwood
Contact: 216-831-5599
Online: moxietherestaurant.com
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday; 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Prices: Small plates, $6-$10.50; medium plates, $7.75-$14.50; large plates, $17-$29.75; desserts $5-$8.
Reservations: Recommended.
Credit cards: All major.
Cuisine: Contemporary American.
Kid-friendliness: Children's menu includes all-beef hot dog ($7), grilled chicken breast ($7); mini-burger ($7.50), roasted salmon ($7.50), chicken tenders ($7.50), grilled cheese ($7), pasta with tomato sauce or butter ($6.50). All meals come with fresh fruit, french fries or mashed potatoes.
Bar service: Full bar with a short wine list (by glass and half-bottle), creative cocktails ($8.50-$12.50), and beer ($4-$10).
Accessibility: Good.
Grade: * * *