SI -- Sexy and Intimate: First Look

Popped in to the new Scholar's Inn or SI -- for dinner last night, the opening night of their relaunch as Sexy and Intimate. At the prime 8:00 p.m., they looked to be 1/2 to 3/4 full. It's hard to judge this one since a) it's a relaunch not a whole new place and b) I remember when they opened the first time. The downhill slide was gradual. So, only time will tell when it comes to food and staying power. However, the improvements are undeniable, the concept is completely different, and the overall effect of the design is a nice one.

When you walk in, reserve judgement. The first things you see are the same curvy banister on the stairs, just repainted, and the same hostess stand in a new position. It's unfortunate that these are two such recognizable pieces from the restaurant's swirly green and blue past, but once you see the rest of the place, you get over it.

The bar is now a real lounge-style bar. Separated from the entry by curtains, it has low lights, small seating areas, but no dining tables. A smart move, really, but you can hear the crowd noise and its draw. If we hadn't had reservations, I would have wanted to go have a drink first, but it's very dark and not the best place for a pre-dinner cocktail. (Upstairs is now better for that sort of thing.) As you walk back to the dining room, you'll see they've rearranged seating for what was their most visible area the front and side hallways. Those are now odd open spaces with a few very tall, very private, round booths separated by flowing curtains. The large back dining room that was one open space is now two long dining rooms with long banquettes, tables, and tall booths. Again with the curtains. It gives the overall effect of great isolation from other diners promoting the whole idea that you can, I suppose, have a private dinner with your "peeps" and then roam around if you want to see-and-be-seen. (This place has "date night" written all over it.) Perhaps the best change is upstairs though, utlizing what was a boring and unused open space. It's now a completed room with tall booths and tables and a large communal table (lit from underneath) with a huge LCD panel at the end. If I was more of a neighborhood regular, this would be the place to gather. It's just a great use of space.

Throughout the restaurant, you'll see deep reds and browns with off-white flowing drapes and candle-style can lights around the cornices to create a soft, indirect glow. Call it a drastic change or a complete overhaul, it's a change and one that will play well with some of their clientele and not with others. I don't know enough about their business goals and target audience to assess some of their other decisions -- like creating waiting areas, dimmer lighting, and a space where diners aren't likely to recognize other diners they know. (Before, even with reservations you were likely to wait a few minutes.) A few other notes:

* 10 new cocktails: They all sounded a bit odd but most tasted fine. Look for absinthe, green tea liquor, lychee, and some other new flavors. One is the old "flirtini" -- champagne with raspberries. Skip the one with the green tea.

* Same good wine list: Sometimes it's good when they don't tinker with everything.

* Trimmed down menu: Very smart move for a new chef. Look for 7 or so starters, three salads, a soup, and 10 or so entrees. Jake Brenchley is up from the Bloomington restaurant and we could taste some signature Scholar's Inn flavors. (This chef loves the savory and sweet together.) Best starters were the mushroom pastry with cranberries and a vanilla-cardamom yogurt. (Tasty, but the yogurt was like melted vanilla ice cream on the plate and a bit sweet.) Scallops with endive (well put together and prepared dish.) And the star, the cured calamari with ginger, seaweed, and radicchio. Don't go expecting your normal breaded and fried calamari here (thank the gods), this was an Asian preparation a little heavy on the ginger but ultimately came together with freshness, herbs, spice -- and the bitterness of the radicchio. Nice dish. One warning -- these appetizers are not great for sharing and make for messy plate passing. Just pick one and go with it.

** Salads and the carrot soup were basic and well presented. Best was the frissee with a savory "Tri-frommage" dressing and mushrooms parked on an intense sweet balsamic dressing.

** We'd been eating all day so we skipped individual entrees and split the beef short ribs with a cauliflower "fondue" that was really a gratin but still very good. The bone-in beef rib was perfectly cooked with that cravable texture and flavor you get from well-braised meat. Served topped with a pile of fresh herbs which really made the dish. I really hope the garnishis on this menu don't go by the wayside. In all of our dishes they really added a freshness to bring the flavors together. (And no one wants to see the old "short-cut" Scholar's menu return.) Portions are nicely sized and entrees go in the $18-30 range.

** Yes, they will be continuing the fine tradition of 1/2 price martini Thursdays.

It's good to see another upscale restaurant downtown and I suspect this redesign will put Scholar's back on all of our radar screens for a while. It's too early to tell long term, but I think I can safely say "Welcome back to the neighborhood!"