Jim W.
Yelp
We had originally intended to dine her in early 2020, but plans changed and our first visit ended up being in March of 2021. The restaurant is located along Gervais Street, within a half mile of the state capitol building. The area is flush with other restaurants, hotels, and shops. From their website, my understanding was that it was set up for valet parking. We arrived in time for our 6:15 p.m. reservation and stopped out front. There was no valet in evidence. Even the entrance to the restaurant was somewhat in question (venturing down a side alley vs. some alcove in the front). Another car pulled up and was also similarly confused. After finding the (front) entrance, I went inside and inquired about the parking. A guy who was apparently part of the staff jumped into action and took the keys. We then got seated promptly.
The interior is nicely decorated. The bar is extensive and looked 'old' but classy. The clientele appeared to be a mix of couples (or sets of them) on a night out, or in some cases a 'girls night out'. It was definitely on the upscale side. Our waitress was good, but seemed spread a bit thin. The bar selection was good, but they only had Moscato by the half-bottle, which turned out to be sort of two light glasses. We split a salad (and a dessert later). My wife had the duck while I had pasta. The food was quite good. All in all, the dining experience was well worth it.
When we finished, we went outside to get our car. Another couple appeared to be waiting, but I wasn't sure if it was for an Uber or for the valet... I eventually went inside to ask; at that point, the valet showed up. The same guy who had originally parked our car instructed him to bring our car around (along with a 2nd, for another couple who had just finished). The guys waited outside with us and turned out to be the owner. He was quite engaging for the couple minutes we were waiting. He described the restaurant's move from the building next door, the fact tha the current location was ordinally a car dealership, his dealings with the Columbia historic district commission, etc. I enjoyed the brief chat.
I would definitely consider a return visit here.