Wordplay

continued

Wordplay like that makes the persnickety English major inside me want to scream. And unfortunately it's not just words Bona Sera messes with but culinary traditions--neither to good effect.

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First, though, let's talk about what the bad women do right. Much of the menu and many of the specials--particularly the straightforward dishes--are tasty.

The "Fruity Goat Salad" we had our first visit delighted us with wedges of deliciously chewy roasted beet tossed with grapefruit sections, pistachios, goat cheese, arugula, and a vanilla-scented vinaigrette. Another salad--"Crunch Time"--paired thinly sliced apple and fennel with mixed greens and a lemony vinaigrette to nice effect. That evening's sesame peanut noodle salad wasn't exceptional, but another rendition a few weeks later proved the meal's hit: a perfect amalgamation of slippery al dente noodles, crispy vegetables, and nutty, spicy sauce. A special salad of cold, sliced duck breast and "flayed" beets with truffle vinaigrette, though fine, paled in comparison.