Two-Drink Minimum

[August 27th, 2008]

For reasons unknown to us, the apparently cursed 1891 Victorian at the corner of Southeast 32nd Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard attracts restaurants with unwieldy names. First there was Calendula, Craig Rosebraugh’s troubled vegan cafe, brought down by a kitchen strike in 2004, followed by pretentious, French-ish Chef Tucker’s Pâtisserie. Now Tara George and Michele Stultz, co-owners of eclectic Mississippi-neighborhood favorite Equinox, have teamed up with East Side Dining Club founder David Siegel in a much better venture bearing a title both unusual and obscure.

“Belly Timber” is 19th-century slang for food, especially that which sticks to the ribs. The menu at Belly Timber, described by Siegel as “local, simple Pacific Northwest cuisine with Italian and French influences,” is what you might expect from the name: warm, hearty and, for the most part, quite good. Most entrees are available as half-portions, and prices top out at $20.

Two standouts that have already attracted praise from local food-fetishists are the “pigstrami” (pastrami-cured pork) on the charcuterie plate ($11) and the excellent, crisp fries served with bone-marrow aioli ($4). Both dishes make fine companions to Bradley Dawson’s cocktail menu, split evenly between the cutting-edge—smoked vodka?—and the very traditional. Try the 1852 Stone Fence ($7), a quaffable blend of bourbon and fresh apple cider with a dash of bitters. All of Dawson’s drinks show respect for the ingredients and attention to detail.

The same cannot always be said of the kitchen. While some entrees were first-rate—seared halibut over spring greens ($11/$20) and fluffy cheese pierogi ($8/$14)—others were ruined by overenthusiastic salting (at least, for my tastebuds). A dish of pappardelle with rabbit ($8/$16) is hearty comfort food, the sort you’d like to take into the corner and scarf; but the dish was so oversalted both times we ordered it that it was difficult to take more than a bite or two. Even worse was the mushroom-stuffed greens ($8/$14), which would be inoffensive were it not topped with what tasted like a quarter cup of salt dissolved in a tablespoon of vinaigrette.

Fortunately the salt-curing doesn’t extend to the appetizers. Salads ($4-$8) are large and creative in a good way. They change frequently, but a recent standout successfully paired cuttlefish with kohlrabi and endive in a bacon vinaigrette.

Gripes aside, you could hardly pick a better setting for a summer dinner—the shaded patio and porch are set back just far enough to make Hawthorne seem peaceful. The neighborhood has long wanted a good seasonal restaurant, and, with a cold drink and a pile of fries, Belly Timber fits the bill. Just stay away from the rabbit.

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CORRECTION: WW incorrectly reported in the print version of this story that Calendula closed in 2004 because of a strike. No strike occurred because Calendula owner Craig Rosebraugh had already terminated those employees who told him they were going on strike. WW regrets the error.