Payton M.
Yelp
We dined here last night after having heard good things.
We arrived early for a 5:30 reservation, and were seated promptly, the restaurant was just opening but already had 2 tables filled. The decor inside is casual, dark. The tables were a touch close but we saw later on they do get pretty busy so it is just a full neighborhood restaurant vibe in there, nothing wrong with that.
After looking over the specials board and the menu, I decided to indulge in a cocktail called Summer Sip with pineapple, vodka, lime and maybe another flavor I can't recall. It was OK, nothing amazing, but I"m glad it wasn't too sweet as sometimes fruit drinks can be. I would give it a 7 out of a 10 for temperature, flavor (too muted) alcohol (just right) and sweetness (just right).
Once I had my drink, we ordered our food, although the restaurant was not full, and had only two to three other tables with customers, we noted some inconsistency in how they served. Some of the tables received a bread basket while others didn't. We noticed this because from the time we ordered, the food did not come out for about 20 minutes, this might be the reason some fo the apps seemed almost cool or just warm to the touch. Aside from the mussels everything arrived warm, as though it had been sitting and waiting to be taken out.
For Apps
My hubby got the Seared Foie Gras with blueberry gastrique or compote, blueberry foam and small toasted brioche, this was served along side half a peach creme brûléed on top. The brioche was really just a very hard crispy chip that didn't really work well as a vehicle for the Foie, which arrived at our table barely warm, and I'll even say cool (it was presented as "seared", so you expect a hot charred dish) The Foie was also not seasoned enough and sliced just thin enough that it did not impart much flavor. My husband said it was "OK" He also happens to love all things foie.
I did not feel like having an entree and opted to get us some apps to try instead. I ordered the Dry rubbed murray's wings served with blue cheese aioli. This was just OK. The wings were not seasoned enough, a bit more salt and pepper would have elevated the flavor. They also were not crispy, if you like crispy wings, these do not have the crunch you want. However if you like dry rubbed wings where most of the fat is rendered leaving a nice dehydrated skin. Go for it. Ask for a wedge of lime if yours arrives under seasoned, that might help enhance the flavor.
I also ordered the crispy rock shrimp tacos layered on cabbage slaw and served with three accompaniments. A creamy tomatillo salsa, a cilantro sour cream, and a guacamole. When this arrived the presentation was great however the accompaniments were not explained so we just kind of tasted to see what they were. The guacamole was obvious of course.
For Dinner
My husband ordered the braised short ribs served on a black truffle potato puree with bacon lardons, baby carrots, tomato concasse and pearl onions. It was a great homey dish, but again a bit more salt and pepper would have next leveled it. Still this one was the clear winner for both of us. The potato had a good black truffle flavor but not as punch out as you'd expect. The short ribs were tender and delicious as were the carrots served along side it.
As my entree I ordered the coconut-lemongrass mussels with toasted garlic in a coconut-lemongrass broth, served grilled bread and garnished with a bit of cilantro. I had been craving mussels for a while and was slightly deflated after having some of these. When you have mussels, the most delicious part is usually not the mussels but the flavor it imparts to the broth you get to sop up and eat as you enjoy them. This dish though described as mussels in broth, was served with more like a creamy, and yet again, not well seasoned sauce. The mussels were well prepared, cooked perfectly, however the sauce let it down in my book. At this point we asked if we could also have some bread, and a bread basket, we noted other diners receive at the beginning of the meal, was brought out.
The final dish we ordered was dessert of-course,
My husband wanted to try the cobbler. It was a strawberry/blueberry compote with a biscuit in the middle served with ice cream on top, garnished with a mint leaf. The flavors were good, the vanilla ice cream was nothing special, but good all the same. The compote was very good. However, unfortunately the bisquit in the middle was under cooked, quite a bit to the point where we were stretching dough in our mouths. Not great.
They could do well if some of the inconsistencies are taken care of. Better seasoning, timing, more consistency across the board, along with a doneness check on dessert would raise the bar. The host and server was friendly and ambiance was casual and enjoyable. We won't return though.