Since its opening in November 2011, I have dined there on two different occasions.  The first was a business lunch, which gave me a small glimpse into the workings of 36 deLux.  The second was a leisurely dinner with my husband that gave me the ability to experience more of what the restaurant has to offer.

Meeting the other members of my lunch group, the ten of us were seated at a large table.  Our drink orders were taken, and several bread baskets were provided.  As noted in a previous article, Richard’s Bistro had one of the best bread baskets in New Hampshire.  I eagerly peeked inside the basket and discovered that the bread appeared to be the same.  I took a piece of focaccia, topped it with some sweet butter, and took my first bite.  Immediately I recognized that not only did the bread look the same, it tasted the same: tender and flavorful.

For my entrée, I ordered  my go-to meal, Caesar Salad with Chicken.  The 36 deLux version of the salad did not disappoint.  A decent portion of chopped romaine was topped with perfectly grilled chicken.  Also adorning the salad were parmesan shavings and delicious croutons.  Normally, croutons are a garnish for me: something pretty to look at but not worth eating.  These croutons were unique; made of polenta they had a crunchy coating and a soft middle.  They added a nice dimension to the salad.

After the enjoyable lunch, my husband and I decided to spend a Saturday evening there.  We arrived at 7:30 to a restaurant that was nearly full.  As we didn’t have reservations, we were grateful that we were able to be seated promptly.  Our waitress provided menus and water, and we began reviewing all of our options.

After ordering our appetizer, the waitress delivered our wine and our bread basket.  As I had been anticipating this evening out, I had made sure that I would have an appetite that allowed me to sample a little bit of everything, especially the bread basket.  Usually I like the focaccia the best, but on this evening it seemed to be lacking something in its flavor.  My favorite bread was their roll that contained dill.

We started our ordering with Foie Gras a la “deLux”.  This evening’s presentation was a country style foie gras served with a Nutella sauce and cole slaw.  While my husband adores foie gras, I typically find it to be less exciting.  Knowing that there would be the fabulous bread basket, I figured I wouldn’t eat much of the appetizer.  Was I mistaken.  The foie gras was creamy and delivered excellent flavor.  While I do not enjoy chocolate very much, the Nutella did provide a nice contrast to the foie gras.

My husband ordered the Duck in a Jar as his entrée.  As their menu explains, it is an interesting combination of “carrots, pearl onions, foie gras, duck confit, and goat cheese crusted bread”.  Delivered in the jar and then poured into a bowl, it makes for a fun presentation.  My husband enjoyed the variety of ingredients and the delicious sauce.  Both the goat cheese crusted bread and our basket bread were put to use absorbing every drop of sauce.

I chose an item from the specials menu for my dinner, Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks.  The only disappointment to this dish was that the pomegranate was unnoticeable in the dish.  However, the lamb was amazingly tender and flavorful in its own right.  Served with goat cheese polenta, brussel sprouts, roasted corn, and apples, it was a wonderful meal: a delightful combination of flavors and textures that thoroughly pleased my palate.

Although at this point both of us were quite content, we do what we always do.  Sigh, and then peruse the dessert menu.  If we are going to indulge on a night of dining, then it should include a sweet ending.  We ordered the Warm Toffee Pudding, which was served with banana rum sauce and crème anglaise.  This is the perfect dessert for a cold winter night.  The combination of the warm, moist pudding and sweet, creamy sauces provide a delightful combination of heat and happiness.

In addition to the pudding, we also ordered two Coconut Macadamia Nut Balls.  These little orbs of sweetness were amazing.  They delivered a sugary ending to the meal with fabulous balance.  Yes, they were sweet but being a smaller dessert, it was the perfect amount of sweetness.

At both meals, I received excellent service.  The waitstaff is mindful of refilling water and wine glasses and insuring that the diners are pleased throughout the meal.  Even on a busy Saturday night, there was neither a delay of service nor a rush to have us finish our meal.  36 deLux lives up to its name, it truly is a deluxe dining experience.

My first trip to Burtons Grill was on a Friday night.  I went to the mall with two of my teenagers to do a little Christmas shopping.  About halfway through our shopping, I stopped by the restaurant to put our name in for a table.  As I expected, at 8:00 there was a 45 minute wait, which would coincide perfectly with the remainder of our shopping list.

When we returned to the restaurant about 40 minutes later, we were seated within minutes of our arrival.  We were provided with menus and water, and our waitress appeared shortly thereafter.  She took our drink orders and asked if there were any dietary restrictions for the chef.  I let her know that my 13 year old was a vegetarian, and our waitress replied that she would return with a vegetarian menu.

After we had placed our orders, our waitress asked if we would like bread service.  It seemed worthy of trying, at this new-to-us restaurant.  That was the correct choice!  The rolls were warm and tender and served with a delicious garlic butter.  Even though I usually only eat half a roll, with such great bread and butter, I ate the whole roll.

Between the two different menus, we were able to find dishes that pleased all of us.  My daughter ordered a vegetarian pasta dish whose name escapes me.  However, her review of the dish wouldn’t be complete, as she asked to have some of the vegetables removed from the dish.  What she did eat was angel hair pasta with shallots, olives, and tomatoes. Her own version of this vegetarian pasta was pleasing to her.

My son ordered the Tuna Burger.  Described as “ground tuna blended with red onions, seasoned and seared medium rare, served on a griddled bun with sliced cucumber, pickled red onions, wasabi mayonnaise and ponzu sauce”, he found the burger to be delicious.  The tuna was tender, as it should be, and the inclusion of onions and cucumber added nice crunch and flavor.  He opted for french fries as his side and also enjoyed these immensely.

For my dinner, I chose my favorite dish, Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken.  The chicken was tender and flavorful; the dressing had a wonderful tang; the topping of parmesan was the perfect ratio of cheese to lettuce.  The only disappointment in the salad was the lettuce, which tended to be fairly pale, although it was still crunchy.  However, being December in New Hampshire, I know that getting good lettuce is difficult.

My first visit to Burtons Grill was an enjoyable evening of dining with two of my children.  Having enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere, I strategically planned a morning of shopping with my husband to end at the mall near lunchtime.  It seemed that Burtons would be a place the two of us would enjoy also.  Thus, a week or two later, my husband and I arrived at Burtons at 12:30 for a lunch date.

At this adults only meal, we both decided to indulge and start with a beverage.  I opted for the Blueberry Squeeze, which was a tasty martini that delivered blueberry flavor without being syrupy or overly sweet, which is a win in my book.  My husband ordered a glass of Sycamore Cabernet, which he also enjoyed.

Being quite close to Christmas, and feeling indulgent, we started our meal with an appetizer, Buffalo Chicken Ragoons.  Filled with grilled chicken, blue cheese, and buffalo sauce, these wonton-wrapped appetizers were a scrumptious start to the meal.  The ragoons were loaded with flavor and weren’t greasy, even though it was a fried dish.

Still staying with the theme of indulgence, we accepted the offer of bread service.  I had told my husband how great their rolls and butter were after my first trip, so I figured he needed to experience them also.  He concurred that this bread service was one of the better we have had in our dining experiences.

For the main course, my husband chose the Daily Risotto Special.  This day’s risotto included chicken and asparagus.  The risotto was flavorful, but the presentation was different.  When ordering a risotto, both he and I assume that the ingredients will be cut to bite-size and placed within the dish.  For this risotto, the ingredients were left in bigger pieces and served atop the risotto.  All of the ingredients were well cooked and flavorful, though the risotto was a little undercooked, not quite reaching al dente.

For my main dish, I ordered the Grilled Stuffed Zucchini.  Although it actually is an appetizer item, it was the perfect choice for me after consuming a ragoon and bread.  The zucchini was my favorite dish of the day.  The zucchini was tender but firm and filled with a delicious herb and cheese combination.  Served in a bed of tomato sauce, it delivered a lot of flavor without being heavy.

Again, we had excellent service and enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant.  Although we don’t often think of dining at restaurants near the mall, I am sure we will keep Burtons Grill on our list of restaurant options.

My husband and our fifteen year old son returned from their trip to the MIT Museum, which they enjoyed, and we browsed a few more shops together.  After six or seven hours of walking and talking, we were ready for dinner.  Hoping to appease both the vegetarian and wrestler in training, we decided to head to Atlantic Fish Company.  My husband and I have dined here several times and have always received fabulous service and great food.  This evening was no different.

As we arrived around 5:30, we were able to beat the dinner rush and were seated promptly.  We received menus and water promptly, followed shortly thereafter by our waitress.  She detailed the day’s specials and highlighted dishes on the menu and took our drink order before leaving us to decide.  It is a rather large and tasty menu, so we definitely needed a few minutes.

To give us more time to decide and to allow us to enjoy a little more of the menu, we started with one of that day’s specials, the Lobster and Crab Salad.  Layered with avocado and served with endive leaves for scooping, it was a delicious and not too heavy start to the meal.

Our daughter chose the fish and chips.  Although a fish-eating vegetarian, she is slowly expanding her range of fish, so the haddock was a perfect choice for her.  For sides she chose the mashed potatoes (a perennial favorite side of hers) and coleslaw.  The fish had a flaky coating that was neither greasy nor overpowering to the fish.  The serving of mashed potatoes was huge, but she made her best attempt to finish it.

Our son had a hard time deciding, as he enjoys almost all seafood items.  However, he also was debating what to eat with wrestling season under way.  He made a compromise with himself: he would order the bread bowl of their award-winning Clam Chowder, which was indulgent, but that would be his entire meal.  He thought the chowder was worthy of awards with its creamy consistency and hearty portion of clams.

I ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, which is my default seafood order.  Although I enjoy many types of seafood, I have a weak spot for crab cakes that are made well.  As I guessed, these crab cakes were delightful; tender pieces of crab meat were the star of the cakes.  Served with green beans and corn pudding, it was a fabulous dinner.

My husband ordered only a Classic Caesar Salad.  At first I wondered if something were wrong, as that isn’t a filling meal for him.  Once our meals arrived, I realized the true intent of his plan.  Neither my daughter nor I would be finishing our meals, which meant that my husband was receiving three meals instead of one!  He not only enjoyed the salad but also coleslaw, fried haddock, a crab cake, and corn pudding.

After a dinner as big as this there was no room in any of our appetites for dessert.  Filled with great food and terrific memories from the day, we began our journey home.

Two weeks ago we had the good fortune to travel to Baltimore on business and were able to extend the trip into the weekend.  We arrived at Charleston shortly before our reservation of 9:30.  The restaurant was busy at this time of night, and we were offered a seat in the lounge.  While waiting, we each ordered a cocktail and were delivered a plate of homemade truffled potato chips with truffled creme fraiche.  Typically, I don’t enjoy potato chips, however, these were extraordinarily delicious.  After some waiting, we were seated by 10:00.

Once seated, all of our decisions for the evening began.  At Charleston, diners have the option of ordering a three to six course meal.  In addition to the chosen number of courses, dessert is served.  Also, diners have the entire menu from which to choose for their courses.  Both my husband and I decided to order the four-course dinner.

Our dining began with an amuse bouche of Southwest Soup, cheddar cracker, and tasso.  This was a wonderful spark for our palates.  The cracker was tender, as opposed to crunchy, with a sharp cheddar bite.  The tasso provided a bit of saltiness to this little bite.

With our palates awake and ready, our courses began.  My first course was the Chanterelle Mushrooms .  Served on a crispy grit cake with goat cheese cream, I think this was my favorite dish of the evening.  The dish was a wonderful balance of textures and flavors, tender, crispy, and creamy.  My husband started his dinner with Burgundy Snails, which were served with butter-poached garlic and bacon in a puff pastry tart.  This was a fabulous treat for him, as snails are hard to find on many menus.  Served with butter and bacon, I don’t think they could be presented in a better format.

For our second course, I picked a dish which was the least filling, Roasted Beet Salad.  A combination of mâche and frisée, fennel and raisin croutons, bacon, and raspberry vinaigrette, it was light and refreshing.  The croutons had an interesting combination of flavors.  My husband chose a perennial favorite for this course,  Sautéed Hudson Valley Foie Gras .  The foie gras was placed atop local roasted chestnut cream, and crispy vidalia onions and accented with fresh figs.  This was his favorite dish of the evening.  Not only was he able to have one of his favorite foods, foie gras, the plate was graced with his favorite fruit, figs, which reminds both of us of Paris.

With the third course beginning, I did consider that four courses were far too many for me.  However, I also knew that my able dining companion would gladly finish any course that I couldn’t.  My third course was Pan-Roasted Turbot, a fish which we do not find in our local area.  The turbot was flavorful and well-cooked but still quite moist.  Accompanying the turbot was a fresh artichoke and basil salad with arugula oil.  Artichokes are a favorite vegetable of mine and were delicious served as the main ingredient in a salad.  My husband also had fish for this course, though he opted for Pan-Roasted Wild Rockfish, another Maryland area fish.  In addition to enjoying the rockfish, he found the oyster and button mushroom fricassée and lemon beurre blanc to be flavorful accompaniments.

For our final course of the meal, we each chose a meat dish.  I chose Grilled Gunpowder Farm Buffalo Tenderloin served with creamy polenta, oyster mushrooms, and crispy shallots.  The tenderloin was succulent, the polenta rich, and the shallots a crunchy balance to the dish.  My husband ended his dining with Pan-Roasted Magret Duck Breast.  My husband enjoyed every bite of the duck and the complimentary pecan and vidalia onion stuffing, roasted carrot, parsnip and celeriac.

For dessert, I had the Gingerbread and Local Apples.  The cake was moist and had a nice ginger flavor.  Served with homemade ice cream and caramelized apples, their sweetness was balanced by the cake, which was closer to savory.  My husband finished his meal with the Local Bosc Pear and Almond Tart.  Served in a crispy crust and accented with more homemade ice cream and figs, it was a fabulous finish to the meal.

In addition to enjoying many courses of delectable foods, the meal was made even more enjoyable by the impeccable service.  Our waiter provided excellent guidance for our dinner choices and gave fabulous introductions to each course.  Other members of the waitstaff ensured that our water glasses were full, our courses cleared in a timely manner, and each course had the correct utensils.  Service such as this is rare.

Although a night at Charleston is an indulgence, it is one that I am sure we will repeat.

On a recent Friday night we decided to redeem our certificate.  We arrived about 7:30 to a restaurant that was full.  We were offered a seat at the bar while we waited for a table to be prepared.  The bartender was friendly and attentive, making sure that we had all of the menus we needed.  However, we didn’t spend much time there, as a table was ready within minutes.

Seated at our table, our drinks were delivered, and water was provided.  Our waiter introduced himself, and we began pondering all of our dining options.  The entrée section was overwhelming, there were so many amazing choices.  To give ourselves more time and to sample more dishes, we decided to start with an appetizer.  Eliminating numerous other dishes, we finally chose the Cognac Wild Mushrooms & Goat Cheese Strudel.  This appetizer was delightful.  Filled with delicately cooked mushrooms and warm goat cheese, the flaky puff pastry provided a perfect texture contrast.  Topped with a honey-thyme drizzle and balsamic glaze, there also was an enjoyable contrast of savory and sweet.

While enjoying our appetizer, we were able to decide on our entrée choices.  I chose the Seared Chicken & Figs Madeira.  The chicken and figs, as announced by the title, were the highlight of the dish.  Complimented by caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, and artichokes, the main ingredients were well seasoned and perfectly cooked.  All of the flavors mingled well and produced a satisfying meal.  The cheddar and polenta cake that was served with the dish was disappointing, as it lacked flavor.  Maybe the intention was for the cake to absorb the flavors of the sauce, but I preferred to use the chicken and figs to absorb all of the madeira.

My husband chose Lobster Mac & Cheese as his main dish.  The lobster was plentiful in this dish and was well cooked.  However, the mac & cheese was of average quality.  Although listed as a smoky three cheese sauce, the sauce was lacking flavor.  A stronger cheese could have been added to make the dish more interesting.  Looking at other diners’ dishes while we ate, the Lamb Shank may have been a better choice.

The service that we received throughout the meal was attentive and pleasant.  The waitstaff made sure that our dining needs were met without being overbearing. With so many interesting dishes on the menu and delightful service, I am sure we will return.

Our first trip was the downtown of Dunnellon, Florida.  There were a few quaint shops, but even more catching to my eye, was the adorable restaurant, Abigail’s Café.  With a charming front porch, beautiful color schemes, and unique decorations, I felt right at home.  When we stopped, neither my mom nor I was really hungry for lunch.  In fact, we only intended to have some coffee.  But as we walked by the pastry case, it was hard not to notice all of the delectable treats.

Knowing we had plans for dinner later in the afternoon, we decided to give in to indulgence but on a small scale by sharing one dessert.  Both of us love carrot cake, making the decision an easy one.  The cake was moist and full of flavor with plenty of carrots and nuts.  Topped with a perfectly sweet cream cheese frosting, this was well worth the indulgence. Add the attentive and warm service, and you have a winner of a restaurant.  Abigail’s will be on my must return-to list for my next Florida trip.

On our second day of driving around, we ended up in Dunnellon again.  This time we were hungrier and were seeking a more filling meal.  We decided to give Victoria’s Retaurant a try.  With beautiful warm weather, we chose seats on their deck overlooking the Rainbow River.  Rather than opting for meals or sandwiches, we decided to split two appetizers.  We chose sweet potato fries and mozzarella sticks.

I know, we ordered two fried dishes, which typically isn’t my style.  However, these can be well done, if they are homemade.  Sadly, this was not the case.  It seems that both of our dishes went from bags in the freezer to hot oil to our table.  Add that our waitress forgot to deliver water until 15 minutes after requested and my drink order was wrong, and you have a very unsatisfying lunch.  The best parts of this lunch were spending time with my mom and watching boats and kayaks travel down the river.

Thankfully on our third day of driving around, we found another delight.  After stopping to visit my dad and his boat building group (which was quite interesting), we went to downtown Crystal River.  There we found The Highlander Café.  Although it was a busy place to be, we were able to be seated within minutes.  Reviewing the menu, we were entertained by the bagpipers playing on the lawn in front of the café.

There were many fabulous options between quiche, sandwiches, soups, and salad.  I decided to have the Coronation Chicken, which was served on a ciabatta roll.  This curried chicken salad was filled with chunks of tender chicken and had a nice amount of sauce: enough to add flavor but not soupy in the least.  In addition to enjoying the sandwich, I love that it was served with a beautiful side salad.  Fresh greens, grape tomatoes, strawberries, and mandarin orange slices made a colorful and light addition to the meal.

The Highlander Café is also on my must-return list.  With delicious food, free entertainment, and friendly service, it was a wonderful lunch destination.

We were brought to this restaurant, having seen Michael Colameco’s Real Food.  Arriving at Sorella about 10:45, we were seated promptly and provided with menus and water.  Reviewing the menus, there was one item we were certain to order, Pate de Fegato.  Having been highlighted on the show, it seemed like a ridiculously indulgent, hard to find anywhere else sort of dish, which was perfect for our evening.

After placing our drink order, my husband and I began to decide on our food order.  As we had eaten several meatballs already, neither of us would be ordering entrées.  So, we began our game, which we play when splitting appetizers.  After deciding how many dishes we want, we take turns eliminating dishes until we reach the desired amount.  On this night, we chose to order three dishes.

Our first appetizer was the aforementioned Pate de Fegato.  Consisting of duck fat english muffin bread, chicken liver mousse, fried egg, and bacon, it was a calorie-filled delight.  I have to confess that I only ate a bite or two, as it was so rich, but I did find it to have an amazing amount of flavor and a nice contrast between the textures.  My husband absolutely adored this dish.

Our second appetizer was my favorite dish at Sorella, Asparagus Salad.  Although I am not a vegetarian, I am an avid fan of almost all produce.  This salad consisted of asparagus topped with citrus vinaigrette, honey spiked Salvatore ricotta, and crispy spiced onions.  While I typically prefer my vinaigrette on the side, this dressing added brightness without being overbearing.  My husband liked this dish also but kindly left most of it for me!

Our third and final appetizer was Crispy Veal Sweetbreads.  Sweetbreads are a food that I have not taken a liking to, but a dish that my husband adores.  As I knew I wouldn’t be hungry for much, as this was our second meal of the evening, I was more than glad to keep this item as one of our choices.  Served with passion fruit-bacon sauce and scallions, this dish was thoroughly enjoyed by my husband.

Throughout the meal, our waitress was attentive, keeping our water glasses full, delivering new dishes as they were ready, and clearing empty plates.  The combination of delicious dishes and good service makes this a restaurant to visit.  As we have only tried appetizers, we will need to return with empty stomachs, so that we can venture further into the menu.

We arrived at Pravda at 9:00 on a warm Saturday night.  While this is early to start dinner in NYC, we were hungry after a day spent walking through 5th Avenue shops and Central Park.  The benefit to arriving early was that we got a great booth tucked into a corner.  The odd part about arriving that early was that there was a party of six, which had a baby with them.  A baby at Pravda?  Not anything I expected to encounter, nor did any of the staff it seemed.

We were seated by the host, and our waitress arrived shortly thereafter.  While she did a fine job of refilling water glasses and suggesting menu items, she seemed rather uncomfortable as a server.  Rather than approaching our table to ask how our food was or to see if we needed to order a second martini, she made awkward half-glances in our direction.  We never were hungry or thirsty, but her awkwardness made us feel a little uncomfortable.

For a caviar bar with an extensive list of vodkas, Pravda also serves fabulous food.  We chose three different appetizers to accompany our martinis and infused vodkas.  Over the course of several hours, we had delicious combinations of beverages and snacks.

Our first appetizer was a White Truffle Pizza.  If you go to Pravda, you will have to hope that this pizza is on the specials menu, as it is not a regular menu item.  The crust was thin and crispy covered with a decent amount of mozzarella.  From the moment the pizza graced our table, we knew it was ours, as the aroma of truffle emanated from the dish.  Each bite had substantial truffle flavor, making this dish my favorite of the evening.

Our second appetizer was Scrambled Eggs.  You might wonder why scrambled eggs would be served as an appetizer, at a bar, in the evening.  The reason is this: the dish is much more than scrambled eggs.  It is scrambled eggs topped with caviar and served with buttered toast points.  The tenderness of the scrambled eggs made a wonderful contrast to the salty pop of the caviar.  Eaten atop buttered toast, it was a close second.

Our third and final appetizer was comprised of two items from Pravda’s Russian Experience section of the menu.  We chose the Duck Liver Paté and Ispansky Syr (a spanish cheese, which I’m not quite certain why it was in the Russian experience section).  Regardless, this dish was a distant third, not that anything was wrong with it.  Both the paté and cheese were tasty, but they also were similar to items we can find at numerous restaurants.

After three rounds of snacks (and a beverage or two), we were quite satiated.  Pravda provided us with a night filled with great atmosphere, delectable food, and enjoyable beverages.  I’m sure we will return to this underground caviar bar.

This trip stretched into the weekend, which allowed for even more time to explore different neighborhoods.  After a multi-hour, 120 block walk during the midday, I found myself watching PBS in the late afternoon on Saturday.  What luck there was that I did this, as I saw an episode of Michael Colameco’s Real Food, in which he visited The Meatball Shop, Sorella, and Stellina.  Watching this 30 minute show gave us the plans for our evening.

Our first stop of the evening was The Meatball Shop.  We knew they didn’t take reservations, so we headed there expecting a wait.  We arrived a 8:15 and were told it was anywhere between an hour and an hour and a half wait.  That was fine for us.  We left our name and a phone number and found a local (and less crowded) restaurant at which we could have a cocktail.  We returned to The Meatball Shop at 9:30 and were seated within minutes.

When seated, we were given erasable menus and glasses of water.  The waitress arrived and explained the menu to us, including the ordering options.  Meatballs can be ordered in the following ways: Naked, Sliders, Hoagies, Smash.  There also are sides and salads from which to choose.  We had decided that The Meatball Shop would be one of two or three stops this evening, so we didn’t delve into sides or bigger sandwiches and kept our order simple.

The first item we chose were the Classic Beef Balls in Classic Tomato Sauce.  While that may seem a little mundane, it seemed the best way to determine how good these meatballs were.  They were excellent!  Well-seasoned and generously sized, these meatballs instantly proved that these restaurant owners know what they’re doing.

The second item was another order of Naked Balls, Spicy Pork with Parmesan Cream Sauce.  I will admit that I am the first person to ask for sauce or dressing on the side, as I don’t enjoy heavy sauces.  However, this parmesan cream sauce was amazing.  For every bite of meatball that I had, I dragged it through the cream sauce to ensure that I received a healthy taste of the parmesan.  My husband and I decided that this combination was our favorite of the night.

Our third and final item was a single Chicken Meatball and Pesto Sauce Slider.  Both the meatball and sauce were perfectly flavored.  The pesto had a great balance of cheese and basil.  Served on a bun that was soft but sturdy enough to hold its filling, it was a nice way to end our meal.

As a note, seating is tight in this restaurant, and as you can surmise from the long waits, all tables are full.  While this means that you will be in close quarters with nearby diners, it fits the vibe of the restaurant.  Another positive note is that although you will wait to be seated, once inside the service is quite fast.

We were thoroughly pleased with our luck in discovering this restaurant and are certain that we will return.  There are many more combinations and dishes to try at The Meatball Shop.

So, on a warm Saturday morning, we walked to The National for a hearty breakfast.  Arriving about 9:30, approximately half of the tables were filled, and we were seated promptly.  As we began to review our menus, we received water and were able to place an order for a pot of coffee.  The menu, while not large and overwhelming, had a delightful assortment of unique breakfast items, including a Chorizo Omelet and Berkshire Pork Belly Benedict.

The waiter returned shortly with our coffee and took our orders.  While we waited for our breakfasts to arrive, we enjoyed the coffee, which was wonderfully strong.  There was nothing weak about this coffee; in fact, it reminded me of some of the fabulous coffee we had while in New Orleans.

Our food arrived in an appropriate amount of time, and I did note that both plates had fabulous presentation.  The National certainly isn’t just a breakfast stop, it offers fine dining.  However, presentation isn’t everything.  My breakfast, Pepper Omelet, was a mix.  The omelet was made with fluffy eggs and had a nice filling of roasted peppers, spinach, and goat cheese.  The grilled bread was fairly cold, so when butter was added it didn’t melt, though its texture was nice and crunchy.  The roasted potatoes were given to my husband who enjoys them far more than I do.  He thought they were average.

My husband ordered Beef Hash.  A combination of braised beef, gruyere, cherry peppers, and kale, it was lackluster.  In his previous visits the hash had been made with short rib, and this new recipe just wasn’t as tasty or tender.  It was served with a sunny egg on top, which was cooked perfectly.  Served without grilled bread or a similar side, it was not as filling as could have been.  Thus, my roasted potatoes were appreciated even more.

The National was a pleasant experience.  The decor and atmosphere are enjoyable, making you feel like you’ve entered a different period of time.  However, the food which had been raved about previously wasn’t quite that good, especially for my husband who was used to a better dining experience there.  Maybe it was an off morning in the kitchen or maybe we chose the wrong breakfast items.  Either way, I won’t discount visiting here again, but I also won’t be keeping it high on my need-to-return list.