The elegant candles lit throughout the restaurant gave a warm glow to The Fuse dining room while the big picture windows framed the view of the inlet. The patio lights outside reflecting off the water only added to the romance of the candle on our table.
The owner was there to greet us and bring us our menus. I felt like a special guest. Turns out, he does this for everyone but I can pretend that he did it because I'm special. After all, I AM a VIP... in my own mind anyway.
The appetizer was tender, lightly breaded tasty and fresh. I've never said this before so mark it on your calenders but this was the best calamari I've ever tasted! The breading was cooked to a perfect brown, not the pail beige sometimes acquired with calamari. It tasted like it must have been caught that afternoon and chopped especially for me that evening. There I go with the VIP delusion again.
For my main I had the open faced grilled tomato sandwich with goat cheese and balsamic basil reduction. The meaty roma tomatoes were a natural pairing to the velvety goat cheese just starting to melt under the balsamic drizzle. The bread stayed crisp and hearty underneath and a salad on the side with beetroot a vinaigrette, brought it all together.
We opted for a drink with dinner instead of dessert. Next time I am going to have to try the dessert and get back to you. Stan the owner (we're on first name basis now) told me about a chocolate Ganache that sounds to die for. Over all, it was an elegant night without breaking the bank. Dinner for two with appies, drinks and mains came to about $70.00. Not bad for a wonderful taste experience.
