We decided to check out "Orange Clover Kitchen and More" on Saturday and was that ever a fortunate coincidence! When we got there at ten, we were told that the restaurant would not open until 11:00 as they were putting on a special open house event. The event would feature free samples from their catering menu as well as wine!
To kill time, we drove over to Perkfections Cafe on Spring St for coffee, the paper, and a sidewalk table looking down the picturesque, tree-line, street. Strollers, joggers, and shoppers were out in force enjoying what was likely one of the last pleasant weekend mornings for a while.
We arrived back at the "OC" as they like to refer to themselves just after 11:00 and the fun began. We ordered from the large chalk board (beautifully lettered by Oliva Hall I'm betting) and were told that they would be bringing us free samples.
I ordered grits (garlic,spinach,feta), and the soup and sandwich combo. The soup was roasted butternut squash and the sandwich was turkey panini. I have been eating Rachel's soups and sandwiches over at the NAX for some time now so I knew they would be terrific but I was intrigued by the grits. Donna ordered a pretzel croissant with raspberry preserves.
Before our meal came out, Jenny began bringing us samples from the OC's catering menu. First came two pretzel crostinis; one with smoked salmon and the other shaved roast beef. Next and more novel was a grilled cheese shooter and a taco wonton. The shooter was a petite cup of tomato basil puree with a tiny skewered grilled cheese wedge suspended on top. The taco wontons were a food fix on several levels. The crisp texture of the bite-sized wonton married with the filling and topping provided a mouthful of the perfect taco salad without the need for any fork work.
Our entrees, ordered from the big board, came then. The grits were the best I've had. Even better than those I had recently at Wild Eggs which were the best up till now. The butternut squash soup and turkey panini were both excellent. Donna said that the croissant was perfect. We'd only taken a few bites from our order when more samples came.
Shrimp cocktail with a chili tarragon sauce and a mini hot brown. The peeled shrimp was warm and the sauce was chilled with a little spice. I immediately wanted more. The mini hot brown was all the flavors of the real thing in a three bite serving. Jenny then brought around wine but we stuck with tea and soda. I worried that there would be no room for popcorn before our movie but I couldn't seem to make myself say no when the sample tray came by. We did regretfully draw the line when offered desserts. The bill, including drinks, came in under $20. I don't think I saw any items over $10 on the board.
New Albany's loss is Jeffersonville's gain in this case. We talked to a couple of other diners who live in the Harbors Condos nearby and they were ecstatic to have such a great new option available in this under served market. We noticed that they have vegan and gluten free options available as well.