REVIEWS

By Prue Salasky
Daily Press

November 11, 2001

Todd Leutner and his crew make it look simple.  Whether combining a dizzying array of ingredients into a single dish to produce a subtle interplay of flavors, or elevating a dish of ice cream to a work of art, the process appears effortless.  Diners don't see the sweat, just the perfectly crafted and results.

In an intimate space just off Portsmouth's burgeoning High Street, Leutner and two partners, Vince Ranhorn and Eric Latschar, all formerly of The Blue Hippo in Norfolk, have carved out a semi-open kitchen, a six-seat martini bar and space for 44 diners at Fusion 440.  The room's warm orange walls, silky drapes and swirly blue-red paintings set a voluptuous tone.  Everything meshes, from the volume of the background music ensuring conversational privacy to the supreme professionalism of the servers.  Dressed in black, they exude an understated confidence.

A single menu sheet lists meal-sized appetizers and multi-faceted entrees, their influences reflecting a global scope. Wild boar chops, duck and venison point to the wild; veal chops, chicken and beef sound more familiar notes.

We succumbed to a starter of biscotti-encrusted fried green tomatoes ($6.95) with a goat cheese mousse, smoky-flavored corn salsa and a blackened poblano pepper and scallion-spiked cream.  The tower of Southern/Mediterranean/Mexican ingredients melds into simple lip-smacking deliciousness.  Likewise the timbale of portobello mushroom, layered with tomatoes and cheese and neatly quartered for easy access, had a seamless taste enhanced by a delicious balsamic vinegar tang.  A scallop and shrimp turnover ($7.95) placed the shellfish in flaky pastry with a sweetly sumptuous apricot glaze.

After the elaborate introductions, an a la carte house salad ($5.50), dramatic with shafts of cucumber cascading from a bed of greens, was the perfect foil as a palate cleanser with its mild, downplayed dressing.

Nothing, however, can quite prepare one for a second round of Leutner's creativity.  In such measure, it comes close to overwhelming, though no one dish is overdone.  (On a return visit, I'd limit myself to a single course and dessert.)  The coconut-dusted crab cakes ($27.95) with shrimp filler served over creamy risotto seemed just a tad fussy in combination.  We yearned for something plain, like the grilled, almost-charred halibut ($23.95) stacked over rice and served with just-perfect al dente asparagus.  A put-together dish of pasta ($17.95), vegetables and spicy seasonings ordered for a young member of the party served its purpose well, though its cream base made it heavier than anticipated.  Look for vegetables like acorn squash, zucchini, spinach, and roasted fennel to supplement the brief but varied main courses of meats and seafood.

Desserts ($6) continued to show off the kitchen's mastery of palate and presentation.  An order of plain vanilla ice cream came in a martini glass with a stunning fan of evenly sliced apples and a jaunty pirouette cracker.  The vanilla crème brulee didn't exhibit the refinement that the very best custards possess but still had the desired textural contrast with the crisp topping.  The peach cobbler, served a la mode, completed our glorious indulgence.

Leutner has a sure touch.  Even in the most elaborate dishes, there's no sense of strain as a multitude of ingredients play off one another.  For diners used to plainer fare, though, two courses suffice.  At Fusion 440, you have to pay for your pleasures, but it's well worth the price.

Prue Salasky