"When Bacchanalia came onto the scene in 1993, prix fixe menus were unique. Reservations were extremely tough to get. And water cooler talk was still a thing (so you could brag to jealous peers about your fabulous dinner). While all of that has changed, you can still have an excellent fine dining experience at this Westside staple. They do keep things fresh, swapping ingredients based on what's in season. But we love that legacy dishes never leave the four-course menu. The hush-puppy adjacent crab fritter continues to serve as a gold-star representation of their New American comfort food. The third course is still an homage to cheese. Sometimes it's slivers of beets sitting in a thick goat yogurt or an impossibly creamy brillat-savarin that looks like a scoop of gelato accompanied by tiny sweet potato chunks and drizzles of truffle honey. photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee Even the laid-back dining room is like a childhood bedroom that’s remained preserved by doting parents. Everything from the comfy leather booths to the industrial Edison lightbulbs dangling in mid air are the same as when Bacchanalia first transitioned to this spacious Ellsworth Industrial building in 2017. And the attentive service is still elite. Staff remind you of overly hospitable Airbnb hosts, chatting you through their long beverage “journal” and even sending you home with whole loaves of whatever’s left from next door's Star Provisions daily bakes. While a ton of newer, hipper prix fixe spots oversaturate the city now, this $125, four-course meal falls on the top end for value. Sure, it might be the exact same dinner you had as the time you came in after watching the first Black Panther movie, but it’ll still be excellent and worthy of a recap at the proverbial water cooler. Food Rundown photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee Prix Fixe Menu Each course on the prix fixe menu offers six different dishes to choose from. So if foie gras isn’t your thing, you can just order the meaty steak tartare instead of awkwardly smooshing pate around your plate to make it look half-eaten. Crab Fritter For your appetizer, order this absolutely superb crab fritter. It's stuffed with what seems like eight pounds of crab meat. Plus, there's a chili aioli sauce that should make a cameo appearance any time we eat crab. NY Strip When you hit the mains, this is a great pick. It’s a flawlessly prepared dry aged NY strip topped with juicy bone marrow. Brillat-Savarin Served on top of tiny sweet potato chunks and drizzled with truffle honey, this creamy French cheese looks and tastes like a dessert. But whether it comes pre-entree, post-entree, or hand delivered by Andre, get it. Souffle This menu staple is a perfect soufflé. After all, they've had plenty years of practice on it. It's light and fluffy with a so-subtle-you-might-miss-it raspberry and tea flavor." - Juli Horsford
