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| Shrimp & Grits |
For this review, we again, get the benefit of others opinions as my sister and brother-in-law once again accompanied me for dinner (at my recommendation).
Date-Worthy (5.0)
Absolutely the best atmosphere for a date. The dining area is lovely, the table setups are intimate enough and the noise-level is perfect for theological conversations. I'd continue waxing poetic about this section of the rating, but honestly, they can't do better than a 5.0 so I'm going to move on.
Service (4.0)
Oh, I really didn't want to ding them for this. The waiter was excellent, maybe a tad confused as to who at the table needed his extra attention (he ended up settling on my sister, but it was my brother-in-law that paid). He was attentive, knowledgeable regarding the menu and specials, skilled in serving tables and anticipating patrons' needs. I seriously would have given him a straight 4.75 if it hadn't been for the wine glass.
It was the wine glass that knocked them down a whole star. The first wine glass was clean, but the second one had lipstick on it. None of us at the table wore lipstick. He said that it was his color and of course we laughed, but there isn't much I hate worse than a lipstick-laden wine glass unless I put it there.
Everything else was devine.
Menu (4.5)
Excellent choices. Not too many, and the entire one page (printed both sides) was very plain with nothing much to write home about from a visual perspective. However, the selections were lovely and exciting to read through. Several options looked well thought out and piqued interest enough to try either that evening or in a subsequent visit. They seemed extra enthused about their cheddar mashed potatoes.
Food Quantity/Taste (4.0)
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| Camembert |
Here's where the peddle is put to the metal. We had the Camembert for appetizer which was beyond excellent. The crostini was so good piled with warm, gooey, delicious camembert cheese with a hint of roasted garlic cloves and a delightful dollop of fig jam. It was so good, and it was so gone before our waiter removed it from our presence. (5.0)
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| New England Clam Chowder |
My brother-in-law had the New England Clam Chowder (white) that he said was uninteresting other than it had more chunks of clams in it than he'd had in any other chowder before. We were amazed that the overall color of it was closer to gray than it was white. We'll give it a 3.5 for substance.
The main entrees were as follows:
- Shrimp & Grits
- Buttermilk Fried Shrimp
- Ribeye
I'll get the standard Ribeye out of the way first. It was very, very tender and prepared in a mostly standard steak-way for a restaurant of its kind. Nothing particularly memorable about it other than its tenderness. It was definitely good because I wolfed it down (I absolutely love Ribeye - so it's hard to dissatisfy me). I can't really remember if it was cooked medium rare or not because it was so tender, I just didn't notice. The white cheddar mashed potatoes were only so-so. Nothing particularly special about these. They were good, but not exceptional. The onion rings were a bit odd. They really didn't go with the rest of the meal from a taste perspective. I think they were more for decorative flair than for adding flavor in. All-in-all it was a solid, good meal. Just nothing special, so it gets a 4.0 (did I tell you that the steak was very tender?).
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| Buttermilk Fried Shrimp |
My brother-in-law stated that his buttermilk fried shrimp was excellent. He agreed that the mashed potatoes were only so-so, but his shrimp was by far a major hit. The creamed corn with spicy tomato jam were the perfect compliment. His major disappointment came when he tasted the grits that came with the Shrimp & Grits mostly because he would have preferred them to the mashed potatoes, but overall, he felt the shrimp was great, but the overall meal was good. (4.0)
My sister had the shrimp & grits. While she and her husband felt the shrimp was okay, they both felt the grits were exceptional being the best grits either had ever had. They must be some grits! They were described as spicy and delicious. The conflict being they overpowered the shrimp. Both stated that the grits were perfect and didn't need to be changed, but that the shrimp just needed more flavor pizzaz to compliment the most excellent grits. The parmesan sauce was lovely, but still didn't equal out to the grits' flavor exuberance. A hint was to prepare the shrimp as they did for the buttermilk fried shrimp and put them into the grits and it would have been a 5.0 for sure. So, this meal gets a 4.5 because the grits where just plan that wonderful. The suggestion is to swap out the white cheddar mashed potatoes with grits when you come the next time.
The quantity for everything was perfect. Not too much and not too little. We wanted to try their dessert, but we were filled to the brim due to the appetizer. I did see one interesting option: a key lime pie with chocolate glazed graham cracker crust. If you try it, please let me know how it tastes.
Location (4.5)
It's a tad out of the way being so far out on Cantrell; however, there's plenty of parking, it's safe, and has a pleasant outdoor area.
Overall Dining Experience - 4.4
I really like this restaurant. They have half-off wines, I think, on Wednesdays. So it's a great deal for you to try them then. I also like it because the atmosphere is pleasant feeling slightly upscale but not too pretentious. The waitstaff on this occasion was seasoned and comfortable to be with for an hour or so. They didn't rush us out of there. Everything we ordered came the way we requested, so they definitely know their stuff. They weren't all that full this time, but they were packed the last time I was here. The lessons learned from this experience is to skip the potatoes and substitute the grits. Both my sister and her husband swear by it.
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