"What were your first impressions when you arrived? Boutique hotel Zero George is known for the epicurean wizardry of its executive chef, Vinson Petrillo. But while many come for the tasting menu at the hotel’s ground floor restaurant, The Caviar Bar is something separate and exclusive. By reservation only, you’ll walk through wrought-iron gates into the garden courtyard, up the steps of the beautifully restored 1804 house, to an open piazza, where you are led to your marble-topped table. Flickering votives, ornate banisters, birdsong, palm trees and maples, all set the scene, while soft jazz crooners (Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mercer) set the mood. What’s the crowd like? This is an impress-your-mate, impress-your-date spot for sure: cozy, posh, romantic, refined. With only two seatings per evening, you share the veranda with a handful of other well-dressed couples, some of them guests of the hotel, maybe even the devoted local couple who comes weekly. It’s not really intended for the pre-theater crowd (even though the Gaillard Auditorium is a block away) because you really shouldn’t rush the experience to make a show on-time. You’ll want to allot at least 1.5 hours here to savor it all—longer if you want to stretch out the evening and make it a meal by ordering additional à la carte indulgences from a special menu. What should we be drinking? Champagne and crisp, dry whites (plus the odd Burgundy or Grenache) are expertly curated by beverage director Megan Mina to pair well with the briny deliciousness of caviar. Zero George partners with Regiis Ova (which translates “royal egg”), a sustainably farmed sturgeon caviar sourced by renowned chef Thomas Keller and business partner Shaoching Bishop. There’s also a full wine list if you choose, plus some excellent cocktail and mocktail creations. Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss. Presentation is gorgeous: delicate Regiis Ova caviar rests on crushed ice in an antique silver ice chest. Each diner lifts a mother-of-pearl spoon to serve themselves or to dollop a “caviar bump” on the back on their hands. Choose from classic accompaniments: little fingerlings of brioche, fresh chives, perfectly jammy 6-minute eggs, crispy kettle chips, and of course lemon halves and crème fraîche. It’s a delightfully unrushed ritual, interspersed with sips of bubbly or vino. Even more decadent are the à la carte menu items you can tack on, like Chef Petrillo’s wagyu katsu sandwich flecked with edible gold (a steak lover’s must), crispy jamón croquettes with smoked trout roe served on a bed of pinecones and chestnuts, and oysters on the half-shell adorned with whatever fanciful gelée or flower petals the chef has selected that day. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you? Service is personable and professional, as one would expect from such a high-caliber spot. It’s such an intimate setting, so you’ll feel very well tended. What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here? This place screams date night or special occasion—there’s definitely a dazzle-your-future-spouse or reward-your-existing-spouse vibe to it. A small bar at the end of the piazza seats four, so double dates are possible, or small group of friends. Early seating times (6 and 6:30 p.m.) mean that you can either make this a pre-meal opulent appetizer, but I would recommend you stay awhile, order à la carte, and call it dinner." - Allston McCrady
