THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Moro

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Moro Restaurant Review:

Everything about Moro is unexpected, from its location on a quiet side street to its sleek décor and unique menu. Named for a variety of blood orange---chef-owner Michael DiBianca’s favorite fruit---Moro is a dreamscape in soft orange and red. The clever redesign of an old house gives a welcome impression of space where there is none. This artful enhancement of volume reflects DiBianca’s cooking style: whimsical, caring and open-handed. Dubbed New American, it really means whatever strikes the chef’s fancy. Diners see it in the complex menu best perused with a Moro signature cocktail, maybe a pomegranate Bellini or Key lime martini. In addition to the usual courses there are selections “for the table” such as whole roasted lobe of foie gras with truffled toasted brioche, micro greens and maple-cranberry demi-glace. Then there are DiBianca’s “studies.” Tuna a case in point: On one dish, the chef offers the fish three ways---wasabi-seared with spicy tartar sauce and sesame oil; sesame-seared with jalapeño aïoli and crispy leeks; or carpaccio with lavender honey, smoked salt and cucumber. An à la carte steak and chop menu is an addendum. One evening’s special may be a 14-ounce barrel-cut rib-eye with huckleberry sauce (yes, huckleberries flown in from Seattle) accompanied by blue potatoes with melted Gorgonzola and roasted spaghetti squash. A chef’s tasting menu is yet another way to go. With this option the diner yields to DiBianca, but given the chef’s skill, it is hardly risky business. The wine list, 900 labels strong, is well chosen by the oenophile chef who knows what vintages suit his cooking, his patrons’ tastes and their pocketbooks.