Review: David's on Jefferson Hill

David Oland succeeded Suzy Crofton at the accomplished but underappreciated Montparnasse, and later opened David's French Country Bistro, both in Naperville. Then, he says, "I took a break. I got married, had a baby, got a mortgage."

Some nine years after closing the bistro, Oland is back for a third crack at the Naperville market.

You want him to succeed. David's is a pretty, white-tablecloth space, built into the back half of a former mansion, and it's charming from every angle. It's a tough year to be peddling $28 entrees, but when the kitchen is on its game, the value is there.

Take the rack of lamb. It's not uncommon to be presented with a two-rib "rack" in upscale restaurants, but I got two four-bone portions, the ribs crisscrossed like a military salute, and plenty of juicy, medium-rare meat. I'd order that once a week. The mustard-crusted pork loin with black olive polenta was merely normal size, but if anything, it tasted better.

Gently cooked king salmon with cremini mushrooms, brick chicken breast with a generous dose of rosemary—no quibbles with either. But then there was a saddle of venison that consisted of five very thin slices, and compared to the other entrees, it looked like a diet plate. Duck breast was slightly overcooked—not a catastrophe, but evidence of inconsistency.

Among appetizers, make room for the soup duo—butternut squash topped with black sesame seeds, kohlrabi with a drizzle of almond oil—sharing a single bowl; it's as tasty as it is pretty. A whisper of ginger gives the steamed mussels a gentle Asian accent. Duck confit with white beans and sultanas would be better without the dusting of parsley and panko that gives the dish an unappealing green tinge. The portobello terrine is way overpriced at $15, and at $13, I want my bacon-wrapped scallop appetizer to include a second scallop, please.

For dessert, the chocolate mousse is lovely, the creme brulee decent and the fanciful apple strudel—presented like a burrito, the ingredients wrapped in phyllo—is a creative idea that doesn't pay off.

David's does several things well. It needs to hit that level with every dish on the menu, or to cut away the things that don't quite work.

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