Jon T.
Yelp
Trio offers a unique take on popular modern dining, in a cozy hall smack in the middle of Jackson. Low lights and bright wood walls with high windows capture the setting sunlight in warm, rich colors. It's quite busy and a little tight, so make sure you get a reservation if possible.
Our experience started out great, as our server was polite and very helpful with menu questions. We started with the Wood Fired Bread ($14, large), which was an absolutely delightful helping of four fluffy, flavorful foccacia wedges. We couldn't get enough of the basil-infused olive oil and honey-whipped ricotta that it came with!
The tap list was nice, with a handful of local options from $7-8. Would be nice to have a dark beer besides Guinness, especially since local brewers do some lovely stouts and black lagers. I would have had a second (finished my pint before food arrived) but the server never even asked.
Next, the SRF Beef Carpaccio ($23) was another shared dish, but this one didn't quite land. The beef slices themselves were rich and tasty, but quickly overwhelmed by the heavy-handed horseradish aioli. All together, all I could taste was horseradish after a couple seconds. The only real upside was the house made potato chips, these were FIRE. Honestly, throw some furikake on these sell them on their own!
Unfortunately, our experience went downhill from here. Our party of four placed a relatively simple order:
Person 1: Risotto (Note for later, I deliberately pointed at the Main, as I knew there was a side)
Person 2: Seared Scallops ($22, MP)
Person 3: Market Fish (Alaskan Halibut) ($45, MP)
Person 4: Side of Potatoes and Side of Risotto ($12 each)
After the expected wait, we were brought the scallops, fish, and three sides: potatoes, risotto, and mushrooms. Hmm, maybe the mushrooms were a mistake and they were bringing our risotto entree? We decided to be a little patient and wait. Our friend found that the Halibut was near raw in the middle, but we weren't sure if that was intentional since we're from Hawaii and eat quite a bit of seared Ahi that's intentionally raw in the middle.
We called the server back, who said "Oh we can have them cook it more for you if you'd like." I made it a point to ask, "Sorry, is this how it's supposed to be served?" She thought for a second and replied "I don't think so." I also asked about the missing risotto and she said oh, sorry, I thought you ordered the mushrooms, I'll have them put in another order of risotto!
When she returned with a side of risotto instead of an entree, we decided it wasn't worth complaining about again. There was really no way to confuse our order as I had pointed at the menu and the server had nodded in acknowledgement.
The scallops were pricey ($22 for two), and again, notably undercooked inside. The sear was delicious, but it seems like whoever is doing seafood doesn't quite have a grip on their overall heating technique.
The risotto side ($12) was undercooked, crunchier than a proper al dente. We thought it was too heavy on the cheese, but that's a personal preference. Our friend let us sample their risotto in case ours was just a rushed job, but honestly, the texture was the same. I just can't recommend this dish.
Our friends did enjoy the Halibut and fingerling potatoes.
There were so many promising elements that were just unfortunately marred by poor quality control and questionable service. With so many other options in Jackson, it's important to strive for perfection.
I added a star back for the server recognizing our subpar experience and going out of her way to comp one of the risotto sides. I can only hope that by seeing the issues, they can continue to work to do better for their customers.