Clementine for Dinner

This post goes perfectly because I just finished reading an article about Clementine in Estilos (newspaper magazine). A thoughtful and positive article, like every other one I read in the paper but that’s an entirely different post. I’d visited Clementine before for desserts and coffee and you can check it out here.

We visited Clementine last week for a quick dinner and drinks and had a lovely time. During the nighttime, Clementine is a different place, nicely lighted and the outside terrace was the place we choose to dine in. I rarely order drinks but decided to try their Red Wine Sangria and my friend had the Clementine Midori Iced Tea (I think that was it). The sangria was like any other sangria, full of fresh fruit, mainly apples. Refreshing and not too strong. We ordered 3 appetizers/small plates: Eggplant Tower, Venezuelan Tequeños, and Goat Cheese Balls. Excuse the pictures, but I did my best; Restaurant picture taking is an art I have yet to perfect.

This was an impressive presentation to see come to your table but the issue I have with tower plates is that they aren’t very comfortable to eat and this was a tall order. It was easier for us because we were sharing and just broke it down, but if I had ordered this myself, the tower would’ve been hard to cut through/into. This was composed of eggplant patties breaded in panko (we both agreed this had some wheat germ in the patty mix, but not definitely sure; would be nice to ask though). The patties were towered with tomato slices, melted cheese and pesto and balsamic were drizzled all over the plate. It was very tasty: the crispiness of the patties and the freshness of the tomatoes enhanced this dish. Not my favorite thing? Stabbing a rosemary twig into the center. The dish has no rosemary in it, so why is this stick garnishing my order? In my opinion, maybe fried basil leaves would’ve looked more organic and would actually go with the dish. Looking at the menu again, it reads there were roasted red peppers in this dish, but none in ours.

Another fried item, we didn’t realize we ordered all fried food but oh well. These were maybe mozzarella (?) cheese, wrapped in dough and deep fried served with a “spicy” tomato sauce. Spicy in quotations because there was not one hint of spice in ours. At all. We had an issue with this item because when we both bit into it, the inside was dead cold. We returned them and when we received them back, they were little exploded cheese sticks. Hot for sure, not so pretty. Also served on a bed of string, raw carrots. I love carrots, so I am not complaining. But a little repetitive for sure.

I also want to touch on the service at Clementine. Probably one of my favorite in the city, honestly. The waiters know their menu, can describe items perfectly and are attentive. They cater to your needs and anticipate anything you might want. And that’s what we ultimately want, right? Our needs met even before we know we have them.

Like Clementine on Facebook here
Follow them on Twitter @ClementineSD
Website: http://www.clementinedr.com

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by any of these organizations, nor have I been compensated in any way.