by Kris Billiter » Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:28 am
We had a great dinner at Napa River Grill Saturday night! My wife went with the tofu pad-thai and raved about it. I'm not a tofu fan, but tried a bite anyway and thought it was really well prepared. Very tasty and just the right texture. I went with the pork dish and loved it. The pork itself was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. I probably got on the chef's nerves substituting sides. I went with the garlic mashers instead of the sour cream and chives. Really liked these, again with what I thought was the right texture being creamy and not super lumpy.
As good as the pork and potatoes were, neither were the star. The dish was supposed to come with broccoli, but I do not like broccoli. My server said if there was another side dish on the menu that I wanted, then they would be happy to switch the two out. There it was, listed with the chicken dish: White cheddar polenta cake. I couldn't resist. Grits in any form are one of my favorite things. One of my prized possessions is Mac McBride's white cheddar grits recipe from when he ran Old Stone Inn. The dish came out and I knew I would not regret my choice. A huge slab of golden brown polenta cake laid there before me. It was the first thing I went for. Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It was food perfection. My brother-in-law joke that our favorite food group is cheesy fried stuff. This was the pinnacle! My wife tried it, and I believe she would have eaten the whole thing if I let her. I didn't. It was not fancy, or complicated, but that side dish is one of my favorite things I have had at restaurant.
I'm not sure why it took us so long to get out there, but I am so glad we finally did. Hopefully we will be able to return soon.
