“South side restaurant puts just the right touch on everything”

South side restaurant puts just the right touch on everything

Posted: 26 Aug 2010 05:50 PM PDT

Revisiting Touch is like reconnecting with an exciting, well-traveled friend full of culture. When Becki Bradford called us and said they were serving lunch at the bar on Fridays, we just had to check it out. A delightful Dine on Our Dime was planned.

Becki's Take

Becki Bradford just happened into Touch for lunch a few weeks ago and was surprised to find it open and empty. She decided we needed to spread the word.

"It's the best-kept secret in Springfield," Bradford says. "It's cozy and could be a quick lunch, too. The price is unbelievable for what you get."

Talk about an offer you can't refuse. Touch is always a treat, and a chance to enjoy a taste of their menu at lunch is a novelty. But will they be able to maintain quality at a lower price point? Bradford and I met to find out. Was her visit a fluke?

When we arrive, we are seated at the bar. Like she said, there are only about six patrons at midday on Friday. Bradford maintains high standards for food in her house, both in quality and nutrition.

"I'm called the food police at home," she said.

She is very pleased with the selection at Touch. The Touch tapas menu runs from light to heavy with everything from salads to steak. One dish from her last visit is no longer available -- the salmon -- but they still have the Tuna Sashimi ($8.75). She gets that and the Chopped Salad ($2.75). I opt for the Strawberry Salad ($3.50) and two Bacon Wrapped Bistro Medallions ($3.75 each). We also add an order of the Salt 'N' Vinegar Fries ($2.75) at my suggestion. This little treat is something I first had at Touch's sister restaurant, Flame.

Salads arrive and Bradford is pleased.

"The chopped salad is crispy and crunchy," Bradford says. "The dressing is tangy and the artichokes are excellent. It is a perfect blend with the freshly grated Parmesan."

Bradford says the tuna is light and sweet with the bite of ginger on top.

"I don't like ginger, so I just take it off."

She likes the bite of the dish, though.

"I like the jalapeño jelly, which gives it kick and a dab of sweet with the tuna flavor," Bradford says.

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The salt and vinegar fries are also a big hit, provisionally. It is fried after all.

"I'm surprised they are so crisp," Bradford says. "They are out of this world, worth the calories."

Sandy's turn

I've never had a dish at Touch that dipped to the merely adequate. Every single time, the food has been exquisite. One great advantage to a tapas-style menu is that you can try several things without breaking the bank, and this is by far the most inexpensive meal I've ever had at Touch.

My only fear going in was that quality might slip. I needn't have worried. There are smaller portions, but the quality is everything you would expect.

The strawberry salad was sweet and perfectly dressed. The honey gives it an exquisite, jamlike sweetness, yet it remains light enough to eat and enjoy as a salad.

The salt and vinegar fries are always surprising in their crispness. It is a dish I have never found elsewhere. These are two signature dishes for me at Touch. Simply wonderful.

I'm anxious to try the beef, which our server assures us is one of the most popular tapas treats. When it arrives, there is an aroma of maple that makes me think the final product might be sweeter than I would like, but that gives way to the flavor of rich and tender beef wrapped in smoke. The aromatic maple becomes an accent. I could even eat just a plate of the mushrooms used as a garnish on this dish.

That's one truth about Touch. Everything has a nice little flourish on the presentation, but there is no wasted flavor or forgotten side item. It is all high-quality and well-thought-out. I'm eager to learn more.

The Dish, The restaurant

Mike Jalili is the owner and culinary brain behind Touch. He has an excellent staff to help him maintain the high standards he sets and it shows. It is so easy for quality to slip and Jalili does not let that happen. Take our missing salmon dish, for example. I ask him about that.

"Not enough people were ordering it," Jalili says. "It has got to be fresh and served fresh."

The message is clear: if he can't do that, he isn't going to cut standards. The same holds true for the tapas. The quality is not sacrificed.

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I ask him about the tuna.

"Tuna sashimi is a well-known Japanese dish," Jalili says. "There are so many things you can do, like sauté it with sesame seeds. We serve it on a bed of seaweed salad with sirocco aioli and jalapeño jelly."

Jalili says that fans of the sashimi should try the ceviche. It is a wonderful seafood dish marinated in fresh lemon juice. He has experimented to get a better balance in the lemon and seafood flavors and the result is a divine seafood treat.

Bradford's delicious salad turns out to have a simple dressing of olive oil and lime. On the Strawberry Salad, the mix is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey and herbs. The trick with the salads is to use the right amount of dressing.

"The biggest thing is to get my guys not to use too much dressing," Jalili says.

That wonderful aromatic beef uses a blend of Dijon and maple to get that great accent flavor without overwhelming the meat. It is all so good, I ask what dish he enjoys himself, but an unfortunate side effect of his attention to detail is constant eating. It is done one bite here and one bite there, but so much so that Jalili doesn't have a single favorite dish himself.

"I'm always tasting all day long," Jalili says. "Every single item, I taste. If I had to have one dish, the lamb is to die for. I have it on the menu three different ways."

So Friday, if you are looking for a lunch treat, Touch is designed to please. And if you see Becki Bradford, thank her for letting us in on the secret.

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