Solstice Seasonal Cuisine's wild boar rillette was a splash of flavour in an otherwise uninspiring evening of dining. Photos by GRAHAM HICKS/EDMONTON SUNEdmonton

Solstice Seasonal Cuisine
10723 124 St. NW
780-488-4567
solsticefood.com

Reservations: Opentable.ca
Delivery: Skipthedishes.com

Monday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Fri. and Sat. Thurs. 11 p.m.)
Lunch-times – Delivery only – Skipthedishes.com

Dinner for two excluding tip, taxes or beverages: Basic, $50; loaded $130

Food:  3 of 5 Suns
Ambience:  3 of 5 Suns
Service: 3 of 5 Suns

By GRAHAM HICKS

How perplexing.

How could a restaurant that earned a rave review from the Weekly Dish four years ago have spiraled down to ho-hum with the same (according to its website) executive chef, sous chef and front-of-house manager?

How did Solstice Seasonal Cuisine, on 124 Street, become so quickly dated and old-fashioned?

Solstice Seasonal chef Jan Trittenbach was the talk of town when he won the 2015 Edmonton Gold Medal Plates chef competition. He had won the same prestigious prize in 2011 as chef at the much-missed Packrat Louie.

What happened? The elements making  Solstice Seasonal so beguiling a few years back seem to have evaporated, save for the visual presentations.

In ambience, that which was cozy four years ago is now dark and dated. Attention, restaurant managers: If diners have to use their flashlight apps to read the menu, it’s too dark.

Table-side service, while efficient, has lost its charm. Our server was superficially pleasant, but detached and definitely unenthusiastic.

The food, lip-smackingly good the last go-round, was OK, but not memorable.

In fact, not even particularly good, if compared to its fine-dining competition and Solstice’s own past.

Out of nine dishes ordered by our party of four, two, the lamb shank and the wild boar rillette (a type of pate), were delicious.

Everything else looked pretty – this kitchen is strong on presentation – but was bereft of the memorable flavours and textures of past Trittenbach dishes.

The piled-up bass looked nice, and the description of its accompanying lemon, marscapone and risotto croquettes was enticing. So why was the fish so bland?

The striped bass pile-up looked attractive, but didn’t deliver on flavour.

The ahi tuna appetizer was good, firm, chilled, but without distinctiveness, nothing to differentiate it from any reputable sushi shop.

Once again, the ahi tuna looked good, but nothing special was going for it.

A lightly battered chicken cordon bleu  was a cute starter, presented as a four-bite mini-roll. But, again, the ham and raclette cheese within made no statement.

A mini chicken cordon bleu served as an appetizer.

A braised bite of beef chuck, with a “poutine croquet” was neither here nor there. Its sauce was plebian.

A dull sauce did no justice to the small-plate sized bit of braised beef.

Of the starters, the wild boar rillette  was the standout – good, strong, earthy flavours.

The same could be said among the entrees, for the big, bold lamb shank, roasted to perfection, absorbing the flavours – prune, caramelized fig – in which it was likely marinated and definitely cooked.

The big, bold, well-roasted lamb shank was what was expected from Chef Jan Trittenbach

The duck fettucini looked great on the menu – pasta with chopped duck confit and smoked duck breast, in a cream, mushroom and fancy-egg sauce. What arrived was a bit of a mush, the glutenous pasta and cream sauce completely overpowering the duck.  The pasta and its sauce was so heavy that barely half the bowl could be consumed. What happened to Trittenbach’s light touch?

The Solstice duck fettucine: Lovely to look at, ponderous to eat.

Was it just an off-night?  No, not on a Friday night at the start of the holiday season, not when the guest has a right to expect ( based on reputation and price) an exceptional dining experience.

It simply appears this kitchen, for whatever reasons and hopefully temporarily, has lost its way.

•••

Between disappointing dinners and closures, fine dining in Edmonton is under siege.

The latest casualty: After 20 years of superb cuisine, Chef/owner Shonn Oborowsky has shut the doors to his downtown Characters Fine Dining.

The Oborowky family will continue to own the 105 Street building, but the beautiful chalet-like restaurant has been  leased to the Bear Hill Brewing Company that started in Jasper and has opened its bistro/brewery brands in Banff, Calgary, Fort McMurray and now Edmonton.

Oborowsky does not blame the usual suspects – downtown parking, ever-increasing taxes, minimum wage increases, fewer discretionary dollars – though all, he says, were part of the closure decision.

“After 20 years, I’m physically and mentally tired,” says Shonn. “It’s time for a break, to be with my family, to help my mom and dad (Judy and Don Oborowsky) with their businesses.”

Shonn, who is one fine chef, does not rule out a return to his craft in the future. At 47, he’s young enough to enjoy another start-up.  Thanks, Shonn, for 20 years of exceptional cooking!