Sophisticated accents abound at Algonquin's Montarra

Montarra Grill has had a series of chefs since the Algonquin restaurant opened seven years ago. The fine dining spot recently welcomed Troy Graves, who gained extensive kitchen experience in several high-profile Chicago restaurants and has added his own interpretations to the menu.

The current menu reflects Graves' expertise with such former restaurants as Eve, Tallulah and Meritage. Interesting culinary influences from around the world are in evidence at Montarra Grill, giving the contemporary American restaurant a more global feel.

The interior of this well-designed eatery has weathered well, maintaining its understated, neutral-toned dining room and its more colorful lounge, complete with oversized red-orange Dale Chihuly-inspired chandelier and natural building materials.

There is little that could be considered old-fashioned about the restaurant's food under Graves' direction. Some popular classics from previous chefs remain on the menu, though, including shrimp cocktail, baked French onion soup and Caesar salad. Sophisticated accents are sprinkled throughout the menu, such as the smoked tomato vinaigrette that accompanies the roasted whitefish, and the carrot spaetzle, fava beans, English peas and cherry mostarda complementing the pistachio-crusted New Zealand lamb loin.

Montarra Grill always has emphasized a variety of small plates that can be combined as a light meal, and the current menu is no exception. I especially enjoyed the Vietnamese caramel chicken lollipops, a half-dozen wingettes flavored with a sweetened fish sauce and hints of cilantro, mint and crispy garlic. The attractive presentation on a small rectangular plate set an impressive tone for the meal to follow.

A less successful appetizer was the Jonah crab salad in a miniature fried green tomato sandwich with rémoulade sauce. There was too little crab salad and, although fried green tomatoes are a Southern staple, these were too bland and dry for this Yankee's taste buds.

On future visits, I'd be tempted to try petite filet mignon crisps with garlic herb crust, Gorgonzola, Port wine drizzle and Bordelaise sauce or the spicy ahi tuna tartare with red jalapeño aioli, avocado and white corn chips.

The many intriguing entree descriptions made it hard to choose. I settled on the confit leg of duckling with the Southern accompaniments of white cheddar grits, shrimp, corn off the cob, braised greens and maple-bourbon jus. The crispy duck leg was perfectly cooked, but I found the grits too mushy.

My companion liked the roasted whitefish, which came in two pieces stacked vertically on Parmesan-gratineed local baby squash and the aforementioned smoked tomato vinaigrette. The whitefish skin was crispy, the fish was moist, and the squash and smoky vinaigrette were flavorful accompaniments.

We did not try any of the steaks, which, according to a menu note, are certified USDA Prime, Midwestern cornfed and wet aged at least 21 days. The restaurant buys some cuts directly from local farmers, which are not graded by the USDA but meet the chef's standards.

Graves said he has been buying locally produced foodstuffs for many years and was happy to work even closer to some of the farms that source his produce in season.

Having saved a little room for dessert, we split the mascarpone pound cake, served with tart cherry sauce and a separate container of luscious warm dark chocolate ganache to spoon over the cake. I highly recommend this dessert. The cake was light, and the cherry sauce and chocolate ganache made for a delicious but not-too-sweet combination.

Service was pretty good, although pacing of the courses could be improved. As happens too often these days, our server wanted to take our drink order the minute we sat down.

The wine list is varied and offers a good selection by the glass. Many martinis also are listed, but their prices are not, so ask before ordering.

Montarra Grill always has been an oasis of refinement amid the rows of dinnerhouse chain restaurants that line Randall Road. Here's hoping that chef Graves likes his new digs and will stay around awhile.

Montarra Grill

1491 S. Randall Road, Algonquin, (847) 458-0505, <a href="http://montarra.com" target="_blank">montarra.com</a>

<b>Cuisine: </b>Steaks and American fare

<b>Setting: </b>Contemporary

<b>Hours: </b>4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday

<b>Entrees: </b>$19-$39