Ravioli Gnudi, a quartet of browned ricotta dumplings, spooned with sunchoke marinara, tasted fine. Ditto for chunky artichoke dip, served with grilled pita ($7). But when leftovers sit in my fridge uneaten, I know I’m not really all that thrilled.
My favorite starter – nachos – was an unholy mix of beans, peppered bacon, olives, grilled jalapeño, avocado and mango, served on wonderful chile-dusted chips with lemon crème fraîche and pico de gallo ($9). Coming in second, the beef machaca empanada, a browned turnover topped with pickled criminis and pooled with Guinness-spiked guajillo chile sauce ($9).
House Specialties, however, were disastrous. I could detect very little heat in the Jamaican Jerk Island Chicken, bathed in (and overpowered by) sweet dulce de leche sauce ($13). Who wants to eat caramel with their chicken anyway? And braised beef short ribs (glazed with pineapple and garnished with toasted coconut and kumquat gremolata) suffered from the same sugary problem. I deplore the trend to make everything, including meat dishes, sickeningly sweet.
Stella Artois-battered Atlantic cod served with chimichurri fries and two aiolis (sun-dried tomato and lemon) was the single worst version of fish and chips I’ve ever eaten – limp breading, tasteless fish, awful! Meanwhile, a slab of dense meatloaf, fashioned from organic buffalo, lamb and wild boar, served atop a thick slice of grilled bread and smothered in Creole gravy, was uninspired and heavy ($14). In fact, that’s the problem with almost everything at Twisted. It’s way, way too heavy.
On a lighter note, cappuccino crème brûlée packed a punch even though its texture was a bit runny, while moist chocolate cake with English toffee mousse was surprisingly delicate. All in all, desserts beat out most other selections by miles.
My twisted mind wants to love Twisted, but the food may simply be too twisted for its own good. I recommend a serious menu overhaul, and because theory never trumps application, the concept may have to be re-worked as well. Yummy food, that’s all anybody really wants. When Manriquez can deliver on that score, Twisted will be sick. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.