First time, will not be the last.
We went for dinner on Christmas Eve through and Open Table reservation, but a credit card was not required to hold a table. We were impressed with their dining room, menu, service and prices; all good. This place is levels above & beyond Richard's, which I had previously reviewed on Thanksgiving. (check it out for a laugh)
Starting with the team of hostesses that greeted us with their warm & friendly personality, instantly setting the tone for a wonderful evening.
Dining room is both classy and relaxed, i.e. comfortable, inviting and romantic. Our server for the evening was Jerri, and I believe that we lucked out with this relaxed, efficient, friendly and knowledgeable server. We enjoyed her jaunty Santa's cap and perfected timing for all of our needs. The rest of the staff were seamless, fluid, clean and professional. We never say a manager walking around, but none was needed, but a friendly holiday greeting would not have been unwelcomed.
We opted for the affordable set 3-course menu and were not disappointed. First came the house baked bread and house made butter. Warm and my favorite way to start a meal. We began with the field greens salad and wedge salad, both as beautifully presented as they were delicious and fresh. The house made dressings were outstanding! Next came the perfectly cooked entrees that were a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Check out our attached photos. My husband had the trout with cherries, asparagus-rice pilaf and that evening's vegetables. Fish was tender and moist, pilaf was flavorful, but lacking in an abundance of asparagus, which was a mild disappointment. The green beans, roasted peppers and onions were average, but not a stand-out star as the vegetable of the night. I had the sirloin with crisp onion rings, blue-cheese peppercorn sauce, loaded Idaho baked potato and the aforementioned vegetables. Steak was cooked a perfect medium rare, but still a bit tough to cut through, however I did devour it completely. Baked potato was sizable and extremely fluffy with the perfect amount of toppings. Dessert was just as exciting and decadent. He had the warm brownie with caramel-salted popcorn and fresh whipped cream and I enjoyed the pumpkin cheesecake, which was Jerri's recommendation. We could not stop saying, "Mmmm"! Rich, but not overwhelming, they were the perfect finish and yes, I was super happy that they were served with a fork instead of a spoon.
All of the portions throughout the evening were just right, not too little, but not too much that we couldn't finish.
The place was abuzz with holiday cheer, but not overly loud or cramped. We easily held serenely audible conversations without interruption from the restaurant workings, other guests, staff nor bar area.
