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<\/a>Perhaps it was the stark void of fish houses east of Interstate 805 that prompted Borkum into making the unexpected change earlier this season. Or maybe it\u2019s because she excels in reinvention, as evidenced in 2009 when she transformed Laurel in Bankers Hill into a perpetual hotspot that is now Cucina Urbana. For whatever reason she axed Kensington Grill, nobody seems to be complaining.<\/p>\n
The new interior design is crisp and airy, with soft touches of nautical-themed wallpaper accenting white walls and wainscoting. A cozy oyster bar sits at raised level near the back while a cushy front patio affords ample seating. Borkum\u2019s goal of capturing the feel of a Nantucket beach cottage is competently achieved, albeit with a meek touch of New England highbrow tossed in to appease Kensington\u2019s thirst for finery. The only thing missing is a nearby wharf.<\/p>\n
Arriving from such top-notch restaurants as Boulevard in San Francisco and Animal in Los Angeles is acclaimed Chef Jordan Davis, who showcases two oceans across his menu. While salted cod fritters and seafood poutine reflect East Coast inventions, diners can bolt over to the Pacific for dishes like Skuna Bay salmon and Baja-style fish tacos. Or if the Gulf of Mexico calls, the chef offers an ultimate take on Louisiana-style shrimp and grits spiked with glazed pork belly.<\/p>\n
For whole-roasted market fish, Davis buys regularly from local anglers. The head-to-tail offering on this visit was Baja red snapper, a re-cultivated, fleshy white fish appeasing guests at a neighboring table. Others have included sculpin and sea bream, though with a treasure chest of other coveted species yet to enter into the rotation.<\/p>\n
In our kickoff, my companion braced his sensitive palate for the heat of peri peri peppers used in \u201claughing bird shrimp.\u201d The shrimp were served in a skillet alongside pickled cucumbers and leafy butter lettuce for making rollups. Much to his relief (and my disappointment), the blistering effects didn\u2019t pan out. The dish was nonetheless tastier than traditional lettuce cups, with plenty of other zesty seasonings springing forth from the vibrant-red sauce cloaking the shrimp.<\/p>\n
Salmon tartare served in a jar takes on additional oomph from mildly sweet Asian pears contrasted by the sharp pith of charred radicchio. The integrity of the fish held up swimmingly and was bridged to the other ingredients with the slightly fermented essence of mirin (Japanese cooking wine).<\/p>\n
We moved temporarily to land proteins with a \u201cBLT\u201d salad of greens and heirloom tomatoes hiding wisps of savory bacon jam underneath. Equally memorable was a pig-shaped board of honey dew strewn with intensely flavored smoked ham. The meat is sourced from Benton\u2019s, a Tennessee company famous for its old-fashioned curing techniques.<\/p>\n