#Screensleeves only says paused professional#

The paper-thin filet of beef marinated in olive oil offered a tart lemony pucker that was delightful and refreshing. It was a hammering noise, as the chef pounded out my beef carpaccio, which arrived at the table topped with a salad-size portion of arugula and giant shavings of Parmesan cheese. Soon I heard the sounds of my appetizer being prepared just behind us in the kitchen. The bread itself is baked at a Los Angeles bakery from OrlandoвЂ™s own recipe from his bread-making days. The blended oil marinates in the oven for five hours, lending it a depth of flavor far beyond the usual bland oil poured from a bottle. This punchy mixture is flavored with bay leaf, garlic, chiles, rosemary and tomato that have been cooked on a grill. Both were perfect with the meal, which started with wonderfully crunchy Italian bread dipped into GreensleevesвЂ™ signature chile-infused dipping oil. With IsaiahвЂ™s help, my husband and I selected a glass of Riff Pinot Grigio from Sonoma and one of BV Pinot Noir from Napa. Orlando has also maintained the restaurantвЂ™s stellar wine list, noted for its excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine.

#Screensleeves only says paused professional#

Our waiter, Isaiah, however, was an able substitute and provided top-notch service in his own knowledgeable and crisply professional manner. On our recent visit, I was initially disappointed that my favorite waiter and character, Seamus, was not on hand to greet us with his delightful brogue and sparkling personality.

Calling ahead for specialty items is always a good idea, she added. About once a year, he rewrites the menu, but Marina informed us that he will cook up whatever a diner desires on the spot if he has the ingredients on hand. The menu continues to offer several of the original signature dishes, such as the вЂњgreen sleeveвЂќ of stuffed Anaheim chile and the side-by-side вЂњsoup of two soups.вЂќ But the restaurant now bears OrlandoвЂ™s stamp with its excellent pastas and other Italian-themed and continental dishes drawn from his own heritage and cooking background. Greensleeves has undergone a number of transitions in its Redlands career, but Orlando has provided his own particular panache for some eight years now. They recently gave up their enterprise on the Riverside pedestrian mall, but we are happy to see them back concentrating all their energies on our local Greensleeves, which can only benefit from the ownerвЂ™s full-time attentions. Mateo served as kitchen chief during the six months that Orlando and his wife, Marina, tried to make a go of a second restaurant. But we were able to maintain a feeling of privacy by requesting one of the two booths at the back of the restaurant, just in front of the glass wall that overlooks the kitchen.Д¬hef and owner Umberto Orlando was not cooking that evening rather we found him hobnobbing with friends in the adjacent booth, leaving the cooking duties to the very able Chef Memo Mateo.

The intimate atmosphere at Greensleeves has been somewhat diminished by the removal of the center booths in favor of separate tables. The wall opposite the fireplace features the side of a long, sleek canoe jutting from the wall. An inviting stone fireplace headlines one wall, setting off the copper and cork ceiling lined with festive twinkling lights. Located in the vintage Phinney Block Building on Orange Street, the place exudes charm, both from its red brick exterior and its long, narrow dining room with the rustic nautical theme.

Celebrating a recent birthday, I chose to eat at what is probably the most elegant restaurant in town and was amply rewarded for my choice. Special occasions usually bring Joe Greensleeves to mind.