Gluten Freebird

It was sad to bid farewell to grubby and beloved Childe Harold, but its replacement is just getting off the ground and it seems to be a change for the better.

Darlington House is a restaurant with multiple Italian concepts. Once it fully opens this week, the restaurant will offer fine dining in a salon-like dining room just above street level and an Italian Cantina below. I ate in the Cantina last night and enjoyed it. It has the feel of a unique bar restaurant (lots of flat-screen TVs around), but the food you’d want for a fine dinner. The long, narrow dining room has ample tables for large parties, but dim lighting for a date night.

The chef was lured down from Modern in New York because he was tired of making foam (Thank God. We’re tired of eating it!). His girlfriend, the pastry chef, meets him here after time in Seattle, so they’re glad to be here and that shows in the food.

Being an Italian restaurant, the menu is sadly heavy on the gluten, but there are plenty of options for the wheatless diner and the kitchen can make accommodations.

For starters, go with the charcuterie and cheese plate (without the crackers, of course). The giant cheeseboard was overflowing with prosciutto, salami, ricotta, parm-reg, and a tasty a pepper-crusted pork. If you’re out with gluten-lovers, the bread that accompanies the platter is made in-house. Other appetizers were pretty much off-limits (chorizo-stuffed fried ravioli, fried calamari and artichokes, and frites). The verdict? The ravioli looked more like wontons with greasy fillings, but my companions enjoyed them. The calamari was also a big hit with the breadcrumb crew.

Breads and pastas abound on the menu — a house specialty is schizza, a flatbread pizza — but with some careful ordering, you can avoid the gluten and not feel deprived. Even without its bun, the luscious burger could’ve filled two hungry stomachs. It is served with melted cheddar, onion relish, lettuce and tomato. If you’re willing to order a sandwich deconstructed, you can also go for tuna sliders with ginger or a pork shoulder sandwich.

The good gluten-free stuff is all under the entree section. Sure, you’ll find off-limit items like gnocchi, cavatelli, and fish and chips, but don’t overlook the rotisserie chicken (breast or leg, half, or whole), ribeye steak or pork chop with rhubarb relish. The pork was cooked to perfection under a slightly tart relish. Just be sure to order it without the spaetzle.

The desserts didn’t wow: A coconut custard hardly tasted of coconut and was drenched in its strawberry sauce, while cakes were reportedly dry.

For a restaurant that hasn’t fully opened, it had professional service and food full of promise. Everything is seasonal and the kitchen aims to please however it can. Also, they’re open for brunch with steak and eggs, oatmeal, and mimosas, so that means a welcome relief from Circa and Afterwords.