David K.
Yelp
Not cheap but no regrets; it was pretty amazing. Reservation secured I made my way down the stairs into the subterranean space - stone walls and floors, dimly lit with chandeliers and table lamps, classic vocal jazz playing barely audibly - and after a short wait was brought to my seat at the bar. Customers to my left and right were engaged in their own conversations so aside from replying to a couple of quick questions about what was on my plate and theirs I was left to my own thoughts. I enjoyed watching the two bartenders making beautiful, complicated drinks. Bethany, who was also my waitress, was in training and getting lots of coaching from the head bartender. These drinks require finesse and making them correctly takes time to master.
I started with a Cherry Smoked Pig, made from Hogsworth Bourbon, Armagnac, Luxardo, sweet vermouth, El Guapo bitters, aged vanilla bitters, smoked cherry. An escalated Manhattan, basically. The bitters really made this drink special, one of bitters (the vanilla) actually aged in a miniature wood barrel behind the bar.
The complimentary table bread, made in house daily and described as focaccia, was unusual but interesting: white, very soft, and brushed with agave and sea salt. It came with a compound butter that looked interesting, but I didn't try it. The bread worked well for getting the last of the goodness from my very small appetizer "Oysters A La Soul": roasted, topped with crawfish, bacon, breadcrumbs, side of Creole Bell habanero sauce. So good. The sauce was interesting: tangy and sweet and not as hot as I expected from the name. Only three oysters. I should have got the larger size with six but the price stopped me.
And also the fact that I knew my chosen entree was one of the larger-size portions on their menu. This was the "Wild Boar Volcano Shank": Confit Fort Worth (not sure what that is and Google was no help), Texas wild boar, maque choux, crispy sweet plantains, rum lime foster sauce. A meat lover's dish to be sure: three large pieces, on the bone for easy handling (and I wasn't shy about using my hands on occasion when the knife and fork wasn't the right tool), tender, and smoky and sweet from the glaze. The plantains really were simultaneously soft and crispy. And the maque choux was so well crafted that they almost made me reconsider my dislike of okra - but not quite.
How is "wild boar" different from pork? From the research I did later, it's complicated. Truly wild-caught game isn't really a thing in the USA; it's actually illegal to serve in restaurants. But what they do in Texas may come close; huge private ranches - one is 800,000 acres - where the boar roam free and are caught by skilled hunters. At least according to one article that I read. Does it make a difference? As for the taste, I can't say, but it if truly is free-range then I approve for the animals' sake.
For the vegetarians there's the "Vegetarian Specialty", described as "Chef will prepare a unique and delicious entree with today's fresh ingredients. Ask your server what Chef has prepared tonight." No doubt it's delicious, but I think if you're a vegetarian you've come to the wrong place!
My second drink was a Barrel-Aged Sazerac: Castel & Key Restoration rye, absinthe rinse, Bitter Truth lemon bitters, Peychaud's bitters, Bitter Truth apricot liqueur. Best Sazerac ever, if not exactly traditional. These cocktails were strong so a third was out of the question. All the specialties sounded amazing. Wish I could have tried them all.
Alligator Soul is one of those "foodie" places. Overheard conversations seemed more about the food than their personal lives. One group was discussing the merits of various Campari analogs for several minutes. Three other solo diners at the bar, all well dressed men with beards, spent several minutes examining the menus and asking many questions but otherwise kept to themselves.
I finished with Banana Cheesecake Parfait: Brûléed banana, banana compote, banana pudding, rum caramel, Chantilly whipped cream cheese, crushed candied pecans, Nilla Wafer crumble, whipped cream, coconut flakes. That's a lot of ingredients! But it made sense as a whole, and because of the careful plating they could be enjoyed separately, so it was like several desserts in one.