Upon opening the door, I was reminded of what had impressed me the first time I visited table 2 back in August: a beautiful, well-designed interior beginning with an enchanting entryway which I have not seen anywhere else here as we do not have cold winters which chill a restaurant each time a customer enters. The draperies, though not necessary for keeping out the draft, create a sense of transition from work-a-day to something special. An exotic welcome in rich tones, the foyer sets the mood and expectations for the rest of the evening.
As we entered and soaked in the bar, kitchen and dining room, I was disappointed to note that the curtained tables along the back wall were all taken. I had hoped that on a Tuesday night we would have run of the restaurant and those magical tables would be clear for a private dinner with command of the entire hall. As it turned out though, I preferred the small square table close to the bar at which we were seated because it afforded us a perfect vantage point to enjoy the jazz trio.
Our server immediately greeted us and presented us with our menus mentioning the special menu additions listed separately as well as the wine lists: by bottle or by glass.
We started the evening with a bottle of Artazuri Grenache Navarre 2003. Throughout the evening, as conversation waxed and waned, we raised 3 toasts: to a good year 36, MLKing Jr., and Macintosh.
The meal:
Scallop cakes made for a mild, warm start. I always try to do a scallop dish or crab cakes wherever we go. This was the best of both worlds.
We followed the cakes with a mixed greens salad topped with walnuts and goat cheese. I appreciated that the salad was not drowning in balsamic vinegar dressing. A few more walnuts and perhaps the server's pouring the dressing over my salad would have made for an even more delightful presentation. The quartet of garlic, herbed drop biscuits were a tasty complement to the salad.
For my entree, I chose the stuffed roasted pork loin. The loin was stuffed with a delicious spinach and pecan filling and was served over a fantastic creamy polenta. The dish was topped with a thin drizzle of a surprisingly delicate blue cheese sauce. The herbs were just right, but there were some bites which surprised me as overly salty. Though the flavors were an interesting and pleasing blend, the meat was dry. I concentrated on the spinach stuffing and the polenta.
The 10oz. Bison loin (rare) over garlic mashed potatoes, however, was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! Perfect texture, soft and flavorful, seared just right with a nice smokiness that permeated the meat but didn't overpower it. Just as polenta complements pork flavors, potatoes make red meat sing. Asparagus and carrots made for pretty accompaniments, but it was the potatoes that carried the vegetables.
To close our meal, we asked for a tasting of the house-made rosemary ice cream drizzled with balsamic vinegar. The ice cream had a taste I can only describe as clean, but it left my mouth with an oily coating. So, my palate sufficiently cleansed and ready to be done with the strange sensation left by the ice cream, I opted for the low-flour brownie (the server described this dessert, when paired with the chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla, as "the perfect man substitute"- I chose vanilla as I had already enjoyed the Jack Daniels Chocolate Ice Cream when I visited in summer). I was gratified by the generous square of dense brownie served with a very light, soft ice cream zigzagged with chocolate sauce... not too sweet... a perfect pairing with my decaf coffee. Mi esposo had an espresso.
I look forward to visit 3 at table 2.
