Wikipedia credits Moxie as being the first mass produced soda in the United States. And Webster’s dictionary has this to say; Moxie (n): 1) The ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage. 2) Aggressive energy, initiative. 3) Skill, know-how. For whatever reason, Sunday I felt like I was full of moxie. I found myself in a very aggressive mood even though the day was sunny and pleasant. Walking around Lower Queen Anne I found myself in front of a restaurant bearing the name of the first mass produced soda and my mood - Moxie.

When I arrived the sun was still high in the sky and initially I was sat closer towards the back in a corner but my helpful server saw to it that I was given my choice of seat up front, by the windows. This wasn’t the only time I was to received such courteous service. From being given control over the window blinds, to the wonderful help received with the menu offerings and even the bartender came around to offer me more wine. I guess one could say the wait staff showed initiative, skill and know-how. Depending on how you look at things the amount of time one waits to get their order could be a drawback. If you are in a rush or like your food delivered quick Moxie may not be for you. The kitchen took a decidedly laidback approach to food preparation. Of course once I had fork in hand I was more than willing to dismiss the few extra minutes it took for my order.

For starters I enjoyed a plate of Beef Carpaccio ($12.00). Raw, cool beef sliced paper-thin were served along with arugula and heirloom tomatoes. The tomatoes came as hefty cubes of chilled juicy goodness interspersed amongst the peppery greens of lemony vinaigrette laced arugula. Underneath the make-shift salad lay the carpaccio. The beef was much more a film covering the bottom of the plate than a true slice they were so thin. Upon cutting off a bite with the edge of my fork, I found myself scraping the portion up onto the tines. Warm, mild beefiness hit my tongue along with an unctuous oiliness from olive oil and a bite of freshly ground pepper. A thin grating of cheese also provided a salty note to help liven up the flavor of the beef. The combination of warm meatiness, cool tomato and peppery salad greens made for a great palate opener for the main course.

My choice of dinner was Bacon-Wrapped Rainbow Trout ($18.00) and it was quite a bit more than I had initially imagined. To my mind I was expecting a filet of fish wrapped in single slice of bacon. Well, it was my helpful server who explained, when I placed my order, that the fish was served whole, head and tail included. For those of you who’ve read my review of Palace Kitchen you’ll know that I’m nonplused when it comes to whole fish. My plate arrived with a crispy looking fish perched atop a mound of Swill chard that was surrounded by a rich looking orange broth. Mounded at the top of my fish was what I, at first, assumed were frizzled onions but was to later find out were chili peppers and garlic. This mixture was sticky and sweet, full of a caramel-y flavor that matched well with the crisp skin of the fish and its firm white flesh. The bones had been removed from the fish before cooking which allowed me complete access to its firm white flesh that was at times almost sweet itself. As I approached closer to the head of the trout I added the rich, smoky flavor of thick, crisp bacon to my list of tastes. Unlike some presentations of bacon-wrapped whatever, this bacon was not flabby or soggy. Even onto of the chard, the bacon remained crisp. The Swiss chard itself was cooked to fork tenderness but managed to retain most all of its juiciness. Slightly peppery the chard formed one arm of the triad of flavors that I experienced in this dish which included sweet and spicy.

For dessert I opted for a serving of Mom’s Cheesecake ($7.00). More like custard the cheesecake arrived as two individual rounds without a traditional crust. It turned out that the crusts for this cheesecake were to be made from two flakey, slightly sweet shortbread cookies. Garnishing the cheesecake were fresh berries that, I think, had been macerated in a bit of vinegar, as I kept getting whiffs of it as I devoured my dessert.

Moxie bills itself as a “restaurant with nerve”. I’m not sure how much that applies to the restaurant, as there wasn’t a lot of nerve, but if you take Webster’s definition and try to apply it, then I think you’d be on the nose in most instances. From what I saw Moxie in Lower Queen Anne has an ample amount of skill and know-how. Skill and know-how to take a few simple ingredients and create a dinner that is something greater than its individual parts. My only issue, as mentioned above, has to do with the wait to received ordered dishes from the kitchen. Oh, I’ll be back, as the food, I think, is worth re-visiting but I’ll be sure that it’s on an occasion when I can spend some time savoring everything that Moxie has to offer. As for my mood? Well, my dinner more than helped to turn me from aggressive grouch to sated, purring kitten.