Restaurant review: Creative Grille 3501 ramps up flavor lofty addition

Grille 3501s newly opened addition, The Loft, is a stellar open-air interpretation of this top Lehigh Valley dining spot. Smart and contemporary in its rustic sophistication, The Loft makes this restaurants star shine even brighter.

Even though the addition increases Grille 3501s seating by several dozen, the food is as excellent as the day the restaurant launched in 2001. Expansion of the kitchen, part of the construction project, undoubtedly helped to ensure the fares continuing high standards.

Floor-to-ceiling doors open the two-level addition to fresh air and a full measure of sunlight. A large bar on the first level anchors bar-height tables in the front and standard tables in the back, where an exposed brick wall adds texture to rough-hewn beams and chestnut brown walls.

Just a look at Grille 3501s menu gets taste buds turned on. The restaurants inventive fusion of Asian, Mediterranean and French cuisines features appetizers such as grilled lamb tenderloin with sweet potato pancakes and cranberry ginger vinaigrette and sea salt roasted shrimp with corn brulee and garlic ginger soy.

About a dozen main dishes offer creative combinations: Duck breast with yam hash, tatsoi, duck confit relish and port reduction, for example, along with spicy seared Hawaiian monchong with lobster quinoa pilaf, glazed baby carrots and chili yuzu sauce.

Crispy sesame chicken dumplings ($11) were a delectable start. Dark in color and taste, these golf-ball sized morsels were formed around a length of sugar cane like a Popsicle stick, and served on a bed of sliced green onions, their pointed sharpness balancing the dumplings crunch and the dipping sauces deep, nutty, sesame essence.

Pistachios on the shared baby arugula ($7) salad plated separately, thank you very much added lovely color and texture to the Gorgonzola, red beets and sherry vinaigrette that topped the greens.

Succulent sea salt-seared rare tuna ($28) was pink and buttery. Its pairings Israeli couscous, baby bok choy and carrot slaw, enhanced by ginger red pepper gastrique kept the tenor of this combination light and bright.

Meltingly tender, with pomegranate jus as deep and dark as night, boneless beef short ribs ($28) remain a food memory made in heaven. Served on a crispy potato cake with spinach and roasted portobello mushrooms, these ribs took comfort food to a new level.

Luscious limoncello cheesecake ($8.50) was delightful, but the accompanying lemon curd spring roll was truly inspired: Its thin pastry wrapper burst with intense, citrusy and tart lemon cream that sealed this meal with the freshness of a spring morning.

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Restaurant review: Creative Grille 3501 ramps up flavor lofty addition