Latest buzz at the Lyric Coffee House is dinner

CLAYTON — Have you been to the classy little coffeehouse in Clayton yet?

Actually, the Lyric Coffee House is not really little. It's the historic movie theater turned into a coffee shop and bistro with tasteful decor. High ceilings, hip lighting — even a balcony — give this place an interesting and intimate feel. Cloth napkins on the tables announced that something more than coffee was going on here.

It's been open for three years, serving cappuccino, lattes and espresso, salads and wraps, tempting muffins and scones, cakes and tortes and Italian gelato displayed in brightly lighted glass-front cases.

And now they're serving dinner — a manageable menu with upscale selections that perfectly complement the Lyric's setting. With four appetizers, three salads and five entrees, we got to try most everything.

We had a lovely table for four right in the front window. Lisa was our friendly and engaging waitress. Owner Kathy Danielson was patrolling the floor, keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings. Chef Matt Hudson was in the kitchen, a local lad trained at the culinary school of Paul Smith's College, back in town after several years working in a Maryland restaurant.

Our evening began with a nice surprise, two complimentary treats from the kitchen: a basket of "scoops" chips with homemade guacamole and salsa, and a small bowl of veggie pasta.

The penne was touched with a light cream sauce that we found a little bland, and dotted with two or three small pieces of zucchini.

But the guacamole and salsa made up for it, a silky-smooth avocado guacamole with a bit of heat that lingered without overpowering, and a fresh-tasting salsa made from ripe red roma tomatoes. The scoops were of the supermarket variety, but worked perfectly well.

We got to try each of the appetizers — just the right portions, served on trendy square, white plates.

Maryland crab cake ($6.50), made with lots of chunky lump crabmeat and little or no filler, was lightly browned and served over field greens. A subtle pancetta remoulade was drizzled on top.

The spring pea risotto ($5) was heavy on pea flavor, but seemed to lack the creamy and cheesy taste customary with the Italian rice. Toasted pine nuts were a nice touch, but it really needed more shaved pecorino Romano mentioned on the menu.

The scallop appetizer ($6) was our favorite. Three scallops were sliced in half, making them the size and shape of six large coins, lightly floured and pan-seared. Vanilla bean beurre blanc (a classic buttery white sauce) was a nice accompaniment, although I really couldn't detect any vanilla flavor.

Also very good was the bruschetta ($5). Fresh roma tomatoes were chopped along with garlic and onion. Pesto was swirled in. Four slices of ciabatta crostini were placed in the center of the plate, allowing you to apply your own tomato topping.

A house salad is included with all entrees. There are also dinner portion salads available: mandarin orange, portobello, or dinner Caesar.

The salad was very nice — spring mix with grape tomatoes and thinly sliced cucumber drizzled with the house dressing, orange walnut vinaigrette.

You could also opt for a Caesar "upgrade" rather than the house salad. It featured good, crisp romaine with crunchy croutons and a mayonnaise-based homemade dressing that lacked flavor and pizzazz. It could have used more lemon, more garlic, more anchovy or all three.

Mandarin orange salad ($10) used the same greens intermixed with toasted almonds, cranberries and sesame seeds. A good amount of orange sections were strategically placed on top. Smooth and sweet ginger-sesame dressing was served on the side in a small single-serve ceramic pitcher.

We did a tender chicken "add on" for an additional $3, a decent amount that appeared to be lightly glazed.

There are two pastas on the menu, pasta Provencal ($12) and pasta primavera ($13). We tried the primavera.

Linguini was tossed with a heavier than expected Alfredo sauce, surprising, since the menu specified a light Parmesan cream sauce. It almost buried the nicely sautéed summer vegetables (which we would have liked more of), most notably asparagus and zucchini.

There are two meats offered, New York strip steak ($18.50) or pork tenderloin ($16.50). The steak certainly tempted us with its shallot and blue cheese butter, but we decided on the pork.

It was the description that got us: "Apple compote, mashed potatoes and a caramelized onion maple bouillon." And that's what saved the dish — apple, onion and maple always complements pork, and we really liked the rustic taste of the potatoes.

The pork was overcooked and underseasoned by our standards. Tenderloin cooked past medium tends to dry out and tighten up, which was the case here.

Tilapia ($17) was nicely cooked and looked great, placed over an even better asparagus and mushroom medley with a touch of balsamic vinegar. The slim, al dente asparagus were particularly noteworthy.

The appetizers and entrees were well presented, although they could have been served hotter. I felt that most were not cooked to order, seemingly prepared earlier, then plated and warmed up as the orders came in. But it appears they have a very small kitchen, and perhaps this is the way it has to be done.

Desserts were all good, most being made on the premises, others coming from a high-end specialty supplier. Small portions with prices to match were appreciated here.

Mini strawberry shortcake parfait ($2.50) used sweet, juicy berries over small pieces of biscuit crowned with whipped topping and served in a small parfait glass.

Two respectably sized chocolate chip cookies ($1.75), not too soft or too crisp, got big points for not being too sweet.

Mini chocolate cheesecake ($2.50) was the most filling of the desserts, heavy on chocolate and caramel, yet not overpowering.

My favorite was the "red, white and blue" crème brulee ($3.95). Chopped raspberries and blueberries were mixed into the custard before baking, with more blueberries placed over the burnt crust with its subtle crunch, obviously created in the Lyric kitchen.

A great surprise was the menu's introduction of beer and wine. We enjoyed the Lyric's selection by the glass, way better than average, with prices averaging $6 apiece.

Dinner for four came to $119 before tip, wine accounting for $18 of that.

The atmosphere at the Lyric Coffee House can't be beat. While the new food needs just a little tweaking, the restaurant certainly is headed in the right direction, considering its only been serving dinners for about a month. And our waitress, Lisa, provided attentive and prompt service with timing and a pace that were always right.

You can contact Walter E. Siebel via e-mail: wsiebel@wdt.net.

Lyric Coffee House

246 James St.

Clayton, NY

686-4700

www.lyriccoffeehouse.com

This classy coffee house and bistro is now serving dinner, with a compact and creative menu plus nightly specials that perfectly complement the Lyric's setting.

HOURS: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

APPETIZER PICKS: Scallops with saffron vanilla beurre blanc; basil pesto bruschetta.

ENTRÉE PICKS: Pork tenderloin with apple compote and caramelized onion maple bouillon; tilapia served with warm balsamic-drizzled asparagus and mushroom salad.

DESSERT PICKS: Red, white and blue crème brulee; mini strawberry shortcake parfait.

RATING: 3 1/2 forks