Ah, South Street. Pizza places. Rita's Ices. Bars, bars, bars. But amidst the alternative crowd is a cool, original restaurant that stands out among its peers. Down a flight of stairs and set in modern decor, Next offers friendly and efficient service combined with an atmosphere that makes it appropriate for casual dates, romantic dining and wild birthday parties.
For appetizers, the crispy tempura soft shell crabs ($12) melt in your mouth, a sure sign of their freshness and the chef's talent. My only complaint was that the shrimp potstickers with Asian vegetables in a coconut soy broth were too aldente, but bread dipped in the uniquely irresistible coconut soy more than made up for my qualm. The black mission fig and goat cheese tart with baby greens in a balsamic reduction ($9) more than made up for the shrimp; it was sweet enough to make me think I was having dessert for dinner.
The olive tapenade crusted swordfish with basil mashed potatoes and tomato confit ($21) was perhaps the best seafood entree I've had in a long time due to its originality and seemingly healthy nature, as well as my passion for olives. Also worth noting are the absolutely ginormous veal chop Milanese (the priciest entree at $24) and the parmesan gnocchi with mushroom, corn, asparagus ragout and truffle cream ($16).
And don't forget to indulge in the desserts that change daily. The tiramisu I had was served as a cake separate from its cream filling. At the time of publication, this author might still be recovering from the delectable sugar shock he succumbed to upon devouring the 'su.
Before you jump in the cab to head back to campus with your date, who is tanked from your 1.5-liter bottle of Chablis, take advantage of the free drink coupon Next gives you for the North Bar & Lounge, which is directly across the street.
I was surprised to learn that executive chef Terry Owens (the real T.O.) is only 25 years old. This restaurant school grad had successful stints at the Four Seasons and Rouge before he decided to go out on his own, which was clearly a wise choice.
