by Tom Philpott
Mustang
Diner
400 Lavaca, 472-2363
Lunch, 7 days a week, 11-2; dinner, Sun.-Thurs, 5-10; Fri. & Sat., 5-11.
Like a collage, the
Mustang Diner brims with mixed messages and disparate elements. The name
conjures images of budget-priced American standards like ham and eggs and fried
hamburgers, to be washed down with iced tea or Coca Cola; in actuality, the
place serves up toney Napa Valley cuisine and boasts a three-page wine list.
From the outside, the box-like, metallic building looks like an upscale
fast-food chain; inside, one finds another downtown power-dining spot, dimly
lit, packed tightly with tables, and dominated by a large three-sided bar. This
clash of appellation, appearance, atmosphere, and menu could be smoothed over
with outstanding food. So far, however, the Mustang kitchen has not succeeded
in performing this difficult task, although the potential for doing so is
evident.
A recent meal opened with a Caesar’s salad ($5.95) and a warm goat cheese
tartlette ($6.50). The salad contained impeccably fresh greens, well-seasoned
croutons, and shavings of Parmesan cheese. The dressing, however, lacked the
zip one expects to find in the Caesarian style; it needed more garlic and lemon
juice. The shaved Parmesan, while luxurious, could have bolstered the dressing
had it been grated and evenly dispersed over each bite. The tartlette, too,
proved a disappointment. In this dish, goat cheese is thinned out (perhaps with
egg whites) and baked in a phyllo crust. Unfortunately, the process nearly robs
the cheese of its wonderful pungency and creaminess; the flavor is rendered
decidedly mild, and its texture almost chalky. The accompanying port reduction
sauce might have roused the dish from its torpor, but it appeared on the plate
so sparingly that it served as scarcely more than a garnish. The grape and
roasted-shallot salsa on the side easily stole the show here.
Entr�es that followed were wild hare risotto ($12.95) and chicken-fried
ahi tuna ($15.95). I anticipated the former dish with pleasure, for rabbit at
its best is sublime. To reach this level, rabbit needs a recipe that can blend
the animal’s inherent richness and gaminess into an interesting whole, as, for
example, in the French tradition of braising it in wine with plenty of herbs
and garlic. This version, however, essentially a stew featuring Italian
arborio rice, left the chunks of rabbit to fend for themselves with little
accompaniment. The sauce that bound the stew provided little nuance of its own,
and the portabello mushrooms, while a welcome addition, simply soaked up the
flavor of the meat. The result, though not terrible, did not dazzle.
Nor did the fish provide a big payoff. The breaded and deepfried tuna cutlets
were cooked well beyond the medium rare stage promised by the waiter, and
served over a bed of watery mashed potatoes. The creamy, sweet corn sauce could
have redeemed things somewhat, but it existed only in a thin ring around the
rim of the plate. The side dish of cole slaw, however, flavored oddly enough
with vanilla, worked quite well and hinted at the kitchen’s potential for
creativity and good execution.
These qualities received a more prominent display at a subsequent lunch
visit, when I enjoyed a hearty meal of Greek salad ($5.95) and a frittata
($6.95). The salad combined kalamata olives, feta, capers, marinated red pepper
strips, and salad greens, all to satisfying effect. The Mustang version of
frittata, a loose interpretation of an Italian-style omelette, places perfectly
cooked vegetables and goat cheese (this time, in all its opulence) over a bed
of fluffy scrambled eggs. Unlike other dishes I sampled, the flavors and
textures mingled beautifully; they cried out for no help from some barely
present sauce.
Perhaps the frittata works so well because, aside from goat cheese and wilted
arugula, it draws its power, from simple staple foods: roasted potatoes,
saut�ed bell peppers, and caramelized onions. In the hands of a skilled
chef, such ingredients, the very stuff of solid American cooking, can be
transformed into a feast fit to be enjoyed with fine wine. When more dishes
reach this level, the Mustang Diner will achieve an artful coherence amid its
contradictions. n
This article appears in December 8 • 1995 and December 8 • 1995 (Cover).