Crimson Gets it Right

As Tom Petty once sang, "Some days are diamonds, Some days are rocks." And then, there are those rocky days when somebody tosses you a diamond just as you're about to give up all hope. Yesterday was one of those days. Upon returning home, tired and sore, I got an email from the folks at Crimson with the subject line, "Got Lobster? Prime Grade T Bone? For 25$? Hmm?"

Their Prix Fixe special for the day was a three course meal featuring choice of Asparagus Soup with crispy shallots and Meyer lemon oil or Grilled Castroville Artichoke with roasted garlic aioli for starters, 22 oz T-Bone Steak with caramelized onions and blue cheese served over mashed potatoes, Pan Roasted King Salmon over seared polenta cake and citrus basil sauce, or half of a 1-1/2 pound Maine Lobster with pasta pearls for dinner, and Tiramisu or homemade Strawberry Sorbet for desert.

I called my wife, still at work, and told her, "Don't come home. Meet me at Crimson." She didn't argue or ask any questions.

I'm nothing but trouble and substitutions, so I opted to start with a Caesar salad instead of artichoke or asparagus, the T-Bone, medium rare, substitute polenta for mashed, and the sorbet. My wife had the Asparagus Soup, Lobster, and Tiramisu. A couple of glasses of wine were also chosen.

The Caesar salad was yummy, of course, with just the right balance of garlic, hint of anchovy, and citrus. Well dressed, but not soggy and dripping.

The soup was creamy and rich and delicious. Considering it was something I was tempted to refer to as "Asparagoo" it was quite excellent - I even took a second small taste.

My steak was cooked just right, with plenty of juicy red meat, seared to perfection. Enough blue cheese (you don't want to overdo that), but if I could say one thing I'd like different it would be just a little more of the caramelized onion. The polenta was also wonderful. Crispy outside, soft, warm, and moist inside. Even the carrots on the side of the plate were good enough to eat every last bit of; cooked fully, but still with a nice crunch.

The Lobster made a wonderful dish with the pearl pasta and a nicely understated sauce that accented the lobster without overpowering it. As a lobster eating experience, it wasn't quite the same as having a whole two-pounder put in front of you with some implements to tear it apart. But as a well thought out, beautiful and satisfying dish, it was it hit all the right marks.

The deserts were each delicious (we ended up taking home most of the tiramisu along with half the steak and some of the pearl pasta).

The only serious complaint would be that the service was slightly off. Normally for a Tuesday night, they plan for a very small seating. The email, however, brought in far more people than they had staff to cover for. The waiter was clearly a bit nervous about this situation, but he still managed to take good care of us, and be there when we needed him. And, most important, the food did not suffer because of it.

While we usually only think of Crimson for "special occasions," the mid-week $25 prix fixe is a great lure to bring us in more often. It's no wonder that it's one of our favorite places.

Crimson is located at:
15466 Los Gatos Boulevard
Los Gatos, CA 95032
Phone: 408.358.0175