DINING REVIEW: Cool jazz and good food pair well at sophisticated Motif

The three owners of Motif were all searching fruitlessly for the same thing — a cozy, cool spot for sophisticated drinks, hand-crafted food and live jazz. Instead, they found one another.

Andrew and Heather Darrigan, recently from New York City, took over Food Designers catering in Old Colorado City a few years back, but missed the hip epicurean haunts of the Lower East Side. Steve Draper, a jazz pianist, composer and one of their most loyal customers, wanted a jazz club where he and other talented regional musicians could get their kicks. They got together, lavishly renovated the back storeroom of the catering business, and the result is one of the most stylish restaurants in town.

Enter through the gate to a sprawling slate patio where lime green umbrellas float like vast lily pads over tables flickering with candles and martini-fueled conversation. Through a sleek, modern garage door that fills a whole wall, the bar waits — dark and warm with earthy red hues, seemingly lit solely by the glow of candles bouncing off the glossy baby grand piano in the corner.

Motif is open only Fridays and Saturdays (though there’s a plan to add Thursdays in October), and the music starts at around 8 p.m. Part-owner Steve Draper is often at the piano, backed by the soft skiffle and thrum of drum and base, but the overall impression of this jazz bar is less Steve Draper and more Don Draper of “Mad Men” fame — it exudes the just slightly jaded sophistication of a forgotten recent past, not trying to be anything other that its old, cool-as-hell self.

The small, appetizerlike dishes coming out of the kitchen are just as effortlessly hip and often as pared down and deceptively simple as a Miles Davis riff.

Take the Salmorejo Shrimp ($6). The large tiger shrimp arrive almost naked, arched over a humble infused chili oil, but a rich, complex flavor betrays their depth. The shrimp have marinated in a mix including toasted New Mexico red chilis, garlic, fresh thyme, white pepper and hand-ground cumin. The shrimp then hit the grill so briefly that they basically bounce off and onto the plate while still lusciously tender and rare. Then the kitchen swabs them with a hint of citrusy Japanese yuzu sauce to add a bright, sweet flourish to the slow, savory heat. They are truly excellent.

Just as delectable and quietly complex are the white truffle fries ($5). Fries tossed with a little truffle oil are not so unusual anymore, but Andrew Darrigan really makes the standard swing. On top of crisp, slender potatoes, he adds truffle oil, truffle salt, an impossibly fine confetti of fresh chives and the kicker — aged Spanish Manchego, grated over the top like fine Parmesan. On the side you can get decadent sauces, such as roasted shallot bérnaise.

These are, hands down, the best fries in town.

Just as good are the specials, which change each week but generally feature fish. Recently, a beautiful slice of cod, ($15) as browned but barely cooked as the shrimp, lazed over a bed of crisp Asian cabbage and a tangy pomegranate reduction.

The menu includes such varied offerings as fun nibbles like a charcuterie plate, ($7) laced with assertive olives and cumin-toasted almonds, to small entrees such as Kobe beef sliders ($10). The sliders, served dripping rare (if you want well done, this is not your kind of place), come topped with a light, rich beret of whipped port salut cheese and goat brie, festooned with a tart roasted tomato and peppery home-grown arugula. The tiny buns are fresh-made brioche and the au jus on the side is a three-day reduction of veal and beef bones with spices. Needless to say, this ain’t White Castle. The sliders with the fries and a stiff martini may be the ultimate yuppie happy meal.

There are some off notes that the Darrigans say they’re working on. Potato Gnocchi ($7) in a light marinara were too dense, perhaps from overworking the dough. Motif will introduce a new version with sweet potatoes and a sage-butter sauce soon. A novelty dish of bacon tempura ($6) was hard to mass produce and often inconsistent.

Desserts show the shortcuts of a caterer. A cardamom creme brulee ($5) was mass-baked in a sheet, then sliced like lunchroom brownies. A caramelized-sugar plate slapped on top was too thick and bittered by overcooking. A fresh fruit cobbler tossed with seasonal berries and vanilla ice cream, came with a pre-made puff pastry cap instead of a hot and crunchy cobbler top. Right now both dishes seem like afterthoughts to an otherwise very deliberate experience.

The drinks could use work, too. Though it may be the company I keep, several guests I dined with complained that the $10 martinis were not boozy enough. Also, the featured cocktail menu headlines too many pink and fruity drinks. If Motif is going to reintroduce the complex and largely forgotten pleasures of live jazz to the Springs, shouldn’t it also reintroduce classics like the Sidecar or Manhattan? Don Draper doesn’t do Lemon Drops.

These are minor mistakes for a fabulous place. I had more fun at Motif than I’ve had on a review excursion in a long time.

MOTIF
4 STARS out of 5
(Deliciously hip)
Address: 2432 W. Cucharras St.
Contact: 635-5635, motifwest.com
Hours: 4 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays
Entrees: Small plates, $5-15
Vegetarian: Yes
Alcohol: Full bar
Credit cards: Yes