Restaurant Review: Stumbling Goat Bistro

Beloved nine-year-old Phinney Ridge restaurant Stumbling Goat Bistro changed ownership and received a modest facelift this past August. The cosmetic changes to the restaurant reflect the laudable trend toward utilizing refurbished, green materials—the new bar top is made from salvaged metal, and harvested beer and wine bottles are given new life as votives that dot the linen-covered tables. Perhaps the most pressing issue weighing on the minds of its diners, however, is the revamped menu: Will new chef Joshua Theilen (formerly of Kirkland’s Trellis) uphold the restaurant’s philosophy of serving meticulously sourced local ingredients in a delicious, French-influenced fashion? A recent meal indicates as much, with a few reservations. A small crock of champagne-curry mussels ($9) arrived tender and lush, yet a bowl of truffled mushroom soup ($8) was thin and lacked earthy depth. But two knockout mains restored my faith: The hangar steak ($22), beautifully crusted in a hot pan and sliced rosy rare over a beefy chanterelle demi-glace, was tremendous. Similarly, the petal-pink pork tenderloin (served medium, $20) with glazed figs was an irresistible savory-sweet combination. For dessert, the cheese plate ($14) is a wise choice, with four beguiling selections, including the Oregon Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue. Savor a glass of port with the crisp, buttery pecans that bolster the plate before you push through the (refurbished, recycled) doorway and stumble home.
Dinner Tue.–Sun. Phinney Ridge, 6722 Greenwood Ave. N; 206.784.3535; stumblinggoatbistro.com. $$