Apollo Grill in Easthampton

The big spaceman is gone. I don’t know when it left, but I was sad and I miss him. Am I the only one who loves the fifties space theme this much? I love the big panels around the ceiling with outer space pictures and the big tall robot surrounded by salt and pepper “people” clustered at his robot feet. The candleholder at our table was from NASA, and the plates had cool space decorations, too. I love it all. Apollo Grill was decorated by some interesting folks.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the loud noise inside. Depending on how sensitive you are to noise, it could actually be a potential dinner deal-breaker. If you come forewarned, you could find yourself in for a delicious and inventive meal.

There were some phenomenally good dishes available the night we visited this summer. First, we chose their braised wild mushrooms with parmesan polenta. The triangles of polenta were fried to a crispy golden brown, but when cut open, the soft insides oozed just slightly with a softer polenta core. The polenta was loaded with wild mushrooms in a deep foresty-tasting sauce. Our second starter was spring rolls loaded with marinated vegetables, a hot and delicious dipping sauce, and some mint and ginger cucumber salad.

We ordered two salads and were delighted with both. One was from the dinner menu - roasted beets, goat cheese and walnut salad with a balsamic dressing. The second was a special that evening, sliced tomatoes and gorgonzola over arugula. Both were just the right balance of tart/acidic and sweet/mellow and intensely flavorful. Accompanying the salads was the best bread I’ve ever eaten in a restaurant. I mean it. It was crusty on the outside, still steaming when unwrapped from its linen napkin. Paired with the sweet butter they brought to accompany it, it was everything you hope for in a bread but mostly don’t get. If the only thing we ate that night was the bread and butter, it still would have been a remarkable and memorable meal.

Next we ordered two entrees. The first was their signature pistachio crusted salmon served with purple sticky rice, Napa cabbage slaw, and mango hollandaise. The salmon was slightly overcooked; pink throughout is a little overdone to my taste, but my wife loved it that way. The mango hollandaise was absolutely delicious, and had it been served with the fish against a less challenging backdrop, we might have exclaimed more about it. The rice was crunchy and had the texture of slightly underdone wild rice. While fascinating for a bite or two, I think it’s unlikely that anyone has ever eaten close to the huge portion that was served on this plate. Under everything was a big bed of Napa slaw that surprised the palate with a marked Chinese barbecue hoisen sauce flavor. The combination was too much of the unexpected, warring powerful flavors, a riot of color and texture, and piled a bit like kids who stir their dining room food together in fun. Salmon with A.D.D. Calm down. Breathe deeply. Look in the mirror. Remember Stuart Smalley? You ARE good enough and we respect your Chefness. You just need to relax and make some editing choices on your plates. Some white space is always good. Peaceful. Okay?

The duck, spinach and brie quesadilla with black beans, rice and corn, guacamole, and tomatillo salsa was not good. An odd, rubbery cold cut form of smoked duck, brie that was kind of congealed and overdone, and rice that was criminally underdone. Yuck, is there anything worse than uncooked rice?

Given how much we loved the appetizers, bread and salads, we think that next time we may stick to adding another appetizer or two and pass on the entrees. But there definitely will be a next time. All I need to do is think about that warm bread and sweet butter, and I want to return. Note to self – bring ear plugs and prepare to sign language with wife all night. Final note to self – learn to sign language with wife.