I.d. is located in the beautiful Delafield Hotel. The restaurant has an artsy SoHo feel with a lounge area, long bar and open kitchen with wood fire oven juxtaposed to tie it all together. The abstract colors on the high ceiling, the artwork and avant-garde photography in the restroom match the low lighting and mood of this laid-back place.
Chef Jonna Froelich, who was the executive chef at the former occupant of the space, Andrew’s, remains the chef. She has brought a more creative spin to the food and plating and made everything a little more relaxed and fun.
The menu is broken down into categories, but all are small plates for sharing that come out of the kitchen in a steady stream of delectable treats.
Starting with “Snacks and Spreads”: the cheese and charcuterie ($5), a well-rounded selection to mix and match, is a lovely way to start the meal while sipping on a craft cocktail, one of the great wines from their extensive list or even one of the interesting craft beers on draft. Also in “Spreads” is a warm whipped feta with roasted tomatoes that were bursting with flavor and served with wood-grilled pita; Cuban fritters that are a play on the popular Cuban sandwich and had all the flavors in a few crunchy bites; and roasted stuffed dates with lardo and marcona almonds. All of the above were sized for sharing ($9). Lighter snacks included warm olives with peppadews ($6) or ciabatta bread with olive oil, balsamic and Parmesan cheese ($4).
Next up, “Feathers and Tails”: The venison loin that I bragged about from my first visit was replaced on my second with duck breast served with farro, huckleberry and braised cabbage. Both meats were cooked perfectly and to temperature. The lamb and ricotta cavatelli had good flavor and tender pieces of lamb. I.d. has jumped on the “pig head” trend and offers a delicious rendition of braised pig face, served with hominy, pineapple, jicama, radish, lime and avocado ($14).
The “Fins and Shells” category includes many options. The seared diver sea scallops ($20), combined with the sweetness of the butternut squash and earthiness of the chantrelles were a match made in heaven. The wood-grilled octopus had an outstanding charred flavor and was served with broccoli, yukon and a Romesco sauce ($17).
Under “Leaves and Roots,” we enjoyed two fall salads that were enough for the four of us to share. The wilted spinach, mushrooms and grapes ($12) included chewy wild rice. The fall harvest salad ($11) of local greens, pears, fennel, pomegranate seeds and butternut squash was explosively flavored and textured.
Each dessert boasted a creative pairing, like the wood oven apple pie with chèvre and rosemary oat crumble, or brown butter pear tart with fennel and parsnip ($10-$12). Don’t pass up the interesting flavors of ice creams and sorbets ($2).
All the dishes at I.d were beautifully presented from start to finish and at the end of the meal on our first visit we enjoyed the last perfect bite of a wonderful gift from the kitchen, a tart little guava pâté di frutta and lavender lollipop. I.d. is open for brunch on Sunday and offers the same creative and thoughtful dishes on their brunch menu.
I.d.
415 Genesee St. #1, Delafield
262-646-1620
$$
Handicapped access: Yes (east entry)
CC, FB, SB, RS, GF
Hours: Su-Th 5-9 p.m.; F-Sa 5-10 p.m.; Su 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
