Come for the Wine, Stay for the Lamb

Grilled Lamb Loin
20 Brix
101 Main Street, Milford
(513)831-2749
20Brix.com

20 Brix Chef Paul Barraco likes to keep things simple – rarely do dishes involve more than five or six ingredients. That is in part his style, but also reflects an acknowledgement that 20 Brix is a wine drinker’s restaurant. In fact the extensive wine list belies the quaint establishment’s small size, proving that big things come in small packages. But Barraco’s Grilled Lamb Loin, while perhaps built of a minimal number of ingredients, is anything but simple.

Colorado-raised baby lamb tenderloin is grilled to medium-rare, seared really, on a flattop grill. The meat, so succulent you want to savor it, is prepped with Barraco’s own Mediterranean rub and served with a local blueberry compote, a hint of lemon juice, spice-pickled onion and feta aioli. On the side are perfectly seasoned fingerling potatoes that are cut and prepared steakhouse style with just the right amount of garlic to make them interesting. When taken as a whole, the dish is a complex mix of flavors and textures as the tart blueberries pop among the comparatively stoic lamb and the feta aioli leaves a perfectly savory and creamy finish. Barraco’s lamb is what regulars to the restaurant order, says owner Hunter Thomas. A lot of people sample crab cakes with their wine selection, but those who know better sample wine with their lamb.