Events at GiGi

How gouda is GiGi? Romaines to be seen (it's great)

…odds are high that you will enjoy the delectable dishes at this sophisticated eatery which represents two of the major contemporary restaurant trends: fusion cuisine and “ tapas” (small plates).
 Executive chef Luis Melendez’ menu combines new American, Latin, Asian and Mediterranean cuisines in a way that is obviously pleasing many Old City residents. Some of the dishes earning raves are the salad with grilled steak, toasted pine nuts, fried shallots, goat cheese, crumbled pancetta and balsamic dressing, ($12); and for reasonably  priced entrees: the pan-seared tilapia with jumbo lump crab meat fresh basil. Tomatoes, black olives and capers in a lemon-butter sauce ($19) pork tenderloin with bleu cheese-red bliss potatoes and sautéed broccoli rabe($16); Guinness-battered monkfish with yucca fries, scallion aioli, chipolte ketchup and aged sherry vinegar ($14); and mushroom duxelles cornbread-stuffed chicken breast with braised cabbage and a reduced sauce infused with thyme ($16).
 Of all the dishes we tried, there wasn’t a joker in the deck, but our favorite one was the grilled Romaine lettuce hear salad with delectable roasted potato croutons, sexy smoked Gouda cheese and a spicy, seductive chipolte dressing ($8).This is one of the best salads we’ve had in years.
 An entrée we loved was a daily special – soft, malleable gnocchi (potato pasta) with cream goat cheese, moist duck and a glorious mustard sauce with just enough bite to add muscle.
 Desserts, a chocolate torte with ice cream and a berry crisp with ice cream, were quite good, but we were already full by this time. There is a small, reasonably priced wine list, but I would recommend the homemade Sangria ($7 a glass, $23 a pitcher), which had lots of great fresh fruit flavors. I’ve had some really bad coffee in some very good restaurants, lately, but at GiGi the rich French-press decaf was most impressive. Our server, Kristin, was excellent-very pleasant, responsive and knowledgeable.
If you don’t want a complete dinner, you can practice safe snack (so to speak) with small dishes suck as tender adobo-rubbed hot wings ($5), russet potato skins fried to a crisp ($3.5), fried plantains seasoned in garlic oil ($3), lightly fried calamari served with chipolte ketchup, her aioli and marinara sauce ($6), etc.
 Décor-wise, GiGi has vanity flair with its café windows that open out onto the street, weather permitting. The spacious sleek dining room is accented with burnt sienna banquiettes and deep brown tabletops. The walls are tones of sand and warm beige, and there is a black-speckled granite-topped bar that runs the length of the room. GiGi can seat 55 in the dining room andk 15 at the bar. In warm weather months, it ca seat as many as 80 more along the sidewalk and on the patio. There was jazzy music in the background, but unlike so many restaurants these days, even among the most upscale, it was not loud or intrusive.
 GiGi serves both lunch and diner as well as Sunday brunch. Most dinner entrees are under $20 Both lunch and brunch range from about $3 to $13. For Valentine’s Day they are offerin a four-course dinner for two for %95-or $120m which includes a bottle of wine. Predictions are always risky, especially for the future, but we are sure that when people outside of restaurant-over saturated Old City fin out about GiGi, there will be a steady influx of new customers.