Three on Convent

Despite its self-proclaimed “Northern California wine-country cooking,” Three on Convent’s goal is not to impress diners with artichokes from Castroville or oysters from Tomales Bay. Instead, they channel the spirit of Northern California, where there’s a barbecue in every backyard and a farmer’s market on every corner. Indoors the atmosphere resembles a country inn: burgundy walls, scattered wine bottles and cozy little banquettes. Outside, there are several tables in a semi-enclosed patio as well as a large barbecue where much of the cooking is done. Wine is obviously an important part of the concept: there are separate wine lists for red and white, markups are relatively low and corkage charge is only B300. Appearances aside, the difference between Three on Convent and a steakhouse is that the portions of meat are smaller and you get a salad instead of your choice of potato; but at least it’s affordable enough to patronize on a regular basis. The tradeoff is a menu that cannot be taken too literally. The Red Oak Bruschetta, for example, is neither bruschetta in the strict Italian sense nor does it contain the namesake red oak lettuce. Still, the dish was delicious, thanks to generous portions of plump, juicy mushrooms and crunchy sweet opaque shrimp. Similarly, our grilled John Dory with “mixed grilled seasonal vegetables” was pan-fried, not grilled, and the accompanying organic jasmine rice was soggy. On the plus side, the John Dory was fresh and flaky and, with asparagus, bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms, a bargain. We also suggest that you not spend your money and precious stomach space on dessert here; our organic mango sorbet was so sweet that all you could taste was sugar, and the chocolate mousse was more like a child’s pudding than mousse. But who needs sweets with awesome grilled meats like this? We were disappointed so many were unavailable, but our filet mignon was as fine an example of local beef as you’ll find anywhere. The puddle of red wine reduction sauce it rested in was mediocre, but the tenderloin was far better than you would expect. Finally, Three on Convent’s skewered mixed grill’s aggressively seasoned meats as well as its cherry tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers and surprisingly sweet pineapple were perfectly cooked. It is served with a trio of forgettable sauces; ask one of the helpful and friendly waitresses to bring you jaew—another one of this kitchen’s pleasant surprises. Corkage B200.