North End Cafe

Went to dinner last evening at North End Cafe. Hadn't been in a while, and was very pleasently surprised to find the service, and food, were much improved from my last visit last fall.

Had the Scallops and Grits, which was perfect. Started off with the Goat Cheese appitizer (only complaint that it is served with artisan bread, which tends to be a bit full of holes, and makes it difficult to hold on to the goat cheese), and a wonderful creme' brulle for dessert.

My dining companion had the lamb chop appitizer, the Maui Maui (sp), and the blackberry crisps dessert special, and proclaimed all very good.

Made for a very enjoyable evening~!

I have had the scallops and grits as well and found it to be a very satisfying dish. North End is my son's favorite place to eat.

Bill, I know what you are saying about the bread that comes with the goat cheese, there are a lot of holes. But it's still very good. Have you tried the roasted garlic and goat cheese app from Bourbons? It's served with toast crisps and is perfect in every way! My fav by far

I just logged in to create a North End thread, but lo and behold...here one is.

I went to North End Cafe last evening for the first time in over a year. When they first opened, I adored their breakfast. I also enjoyed the tapas menu. However, as they grew older, the food became more and more bland to me. The menu descriptions always sounded wonderful, but fell short when they arrived at the table. The food always seemed like a combination of the ingredients listed, with no life or flavor.

But, last night, all this changed. I went to North End for a quick dinner at the bar. Kristin was very personable and knowledgeable about the menu and food in general. I started off with a cocktail that she was gracious enough to throw together for me. Mint muddled with simple syrup, shaken with gin, splashed with lime juice, and on the rocks. It was absolutely perfect- as good or better than the ones I make at home.

I ordered two tapas for my meal: the ribs and the empanadas. The ribs were meaty without being fatty. They were covered in a blueberry bbq sauce that was close to perfect. (for my taste, I would have added a little vinegar to mellow out the sweetness of the blueberry) As for the empanadas....wow! I'm usually not a fan of mushrooms, but the combination of mushrooms and butternut squash with gruyere in a flaky and crispy pouch were delectable.

For dessert I had the creme caramel. It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal. I ordered the cassoulet to go for my boyfriend. He roasts chicken incredibly well, so I was a little worried I had made the wrong decision. However, the chicken was so well crisped and the bean and kale mixture so flavorful that he remarked it was the best chicken he had eaten in a long time (other than his own).

I am once again a North End believer. The food was lovely, Kristin took great care of me, and the atmosphere there is sleek and comfortable.

I've been dining there since they opened. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is and shall continue to be one of my GO TO places in the Ville. Love NEC. Keep on rockin' y'all.