Karen T.
Yelp
Made our favorites list in one visit and we've been there twice now in the last ten days.
Our first visit was for a date night. Reservations are recommended and we arrived for ours at 6:30 on a Friday evening in May. The vibe is upscale contemporary and offers inside and outside seating. The interior has half booths, stand alone tables and a long bar. It's clearly become a place for celebrations and there were two different parties near our table. Even with some larger parties seated, the volume and atmosphere were inviting and comfortable. Noise volume wasn't an issue and I didn't even consider it at the time because we were able to converse easily without giving it a thought.
Service was excellent. Brian explained the menus and made first-rate suggestions. He was there to offer more drinks and check in at the right times and was efficient and personable.
We tried two different drinks: Endless Summer and This One's For Olive. I enjoyed both and would be happy drinking either. However, This One's For Olive, came out a bit as the top favorite. Maybe it's the handmade blueberry infused vodka they use? Not sure, but this drink is both pretty and delicious. They present it unmixed and it makes a striking photo. After a couple pictures and a twirl or two of the straw, it's simply Y-U-M!
Bread is complimentary for the table and comes out with REAL butter. Both made a favorable impression.
All the appetizers looked great. We finally settled on two and knew in advance we were over-ordering. The Goat Cheese Pillows were just as amazing as I imagined. Crispy crunchy outside and delicious warm goat cheese inside. A couple of these make a big impact, so this is definitely something I would want to share with others as an appetizer. The Pork Potstickers were one of best versions we've ever been served. Perfectly finished with the ultimate inside and outside texture and tasty pork filling. The accompanying dipping sauce also hit all the right notes.
I ordered the House Salad. It was delicious but a bit overwhelming when it appeared. It could easily be a meal by itself. It comes with artisan greens, heirloom tomato, cucumber, red onion, hard-boiled egg, chickpea, avocado and is dressed with a shallot vinaigrette. I ate the portion I could but surrendered the rest, knowing I wanted to enjoy my entrée. Mr. T had the Soup Du Jour, which that day was Roasted Red Pepper & Crab. He really enjoyed it and let me try some. It was delicious and smooth. I could taste individual flavors and they were a terrific combination. I made a mental note to order this if I see it offered again.
The daily specials provided Mr. T's entrée: a 12 oz. NY Strip he ordered medium. It came out perfect and was nicely seasoned. The Pan Seared Sea Scallops were my choice and I enjoyed every bite.
Everything brought to us had us talking about coming back, so it wasn't a big surprise to find ourselves return the next weekend, this time on Saturday afternoon at 3:30. We'd been out running errands and decided to take a chance and walk in without a reservation. Happily, it worked out and we enjoyed their 3:00 to 6:00 PM Happy Hour.
Initially, we intended to simply sample the handhelds. However, I couldn't resist another "This One's For Olive" and Mr. T convinced me to share some more Pork Potstickers. I thought we were over-ordering again, for sure. We were delighted to learn the Happy Hour Appetizers are slightly smaller portions. (They're also a really great price.)
General Tso's Chicken Sandwich came with Crispy Fried Chicken Cutlets, Napa Slaw, General Tso's Sauce on a Brioche Bun with a side of Samurai Fries. Mr. T said it tasted really good but there was too much chicken, even for him. It has two cutlets but the two he got were really thick. He took an entire one off the sandwich. The only slight issue with this sandwich was the amount of sauce; it was a lot and made eating it messy and the bun got a bit soggy too. Great taste but he said he might ask for sauce on the side if he ordered it again.
The Steak Sandwich had skirt steak, fontina cheese, and typically comes with green goddess dressing on the arugula on a toasted French roll and comes with a side of Steak Fries. I ordered it medium and asked them to skip the dressing and go light on the arugula. This sandwich was perfection. Flavorful steak and melty cheese on a lightly toasted roll with great chew. I shared a few bites with Mr. T and he wants this next time.
The food and drinks were top tier amazing. I'm not a big drinker but I'd seriously go back for drinks. I'd also go back for appetizers, entrees and handhelds. We are looking forward to many more delicious meals.
Go there. Don't be like me. They are celebrating their first-year anniversary on Friday, May 31st, and we didn't get there for the first time until about ten days ago.
Highly Recommended