Up goes Tempo
We’ve been keeping our eye on Tempo, the restaurant due to open by March in the former Ventana space, but typical of most openings, there was a delay. Last we’d heard, the space was ready, but owner Stuart Cunningham was still looking for his chef.
Casting a wide net, Cunningham posted ads on Craigslists as far flung as Chicago, which is where he ultimately found chef Mark Henrich.
While Tempo originally billed itself as Asian-fusion, the menu seemed continental but with an Asian flourish here and there. The foie gras, for example, has a candied ginger and nashi pear compote, and the ubiquitous beet salad goes Far East with the addition of “wasabi pudding.”
No theme prevailed with the wines (we chose a Spanish Txakoli) or the cocktails (the Tempotini adds a cardoon-derived Italian amaro to a classic gin martini). The décor was one part Turkish den, one part boudoir and one part taxidermist (a Buffalo head mounted over the bar greets guests upon arrival and the high-backed circular banquettes sport cowhide-like upholstery). But whatever the ethnicity, Stuart hopes his European view of restaurant work as a profession rather than just a job will rub off on his staff—and that we eaters will sense it too.
