I think we can all agree that dining hops are amongst the funnest foodie adventures. Yet, we generally plan them well in advance because of the cost, logistics, etc... Recently, Jo and I kinda fell into one and I'd love to share the experience with everyone, especially because the sunny-side is outside of most of our rotations and by-virtue doesn't get quite the props they truly deserve.
The night began, innocently enough, at 3rd St. Dive. Mickey's in hand, we are brainstorming a punk-rock holiday cocktail party. The owners, Steve and Kenny, aren't at all concerned about monetary issues. Instead, they consistently emphasize promoting local burgeoning artists and the punk underground. Inspired, Jo and I decided to head over the bridge to New Albany- dinner at Windsor, 'dessert' at NABC. Jo kindly offers to DD and I facetiously promise I won't get us into a bar-fight!
We decided on a meal plan en route. We would throw ourselves on the chef's whim for 3 courses at Windsor, then visit NABC's new location for a liquid dessert. I had my heart set on drinking a deep, chocolaty porter sometime tonight! Taking our places at the bar, we found the hospitality friendly and engaging... the kind of people who form lasting, personable bonds with their guests.
The first course was the winning shrimp and grits recipe, faithfully rendered. I hadn't had the opportunity to taste them that night. I can see why they won. The smokey depth of the sauce brought accents that could best be described as primordial. I could have done without the shrimp, as well-prepared as they were. Sufficiently impressed, we moved into the second course, anticipating the great things to come.
My salad was definitely designed to pair with my cocktail- a wet gibson variation garnished with both the traditional cocktail onions and a more modern garnish of blue cheese olives. A bibb salad eloquently dressed with a vinaigrette of basil and capers (Capriole chevre, sliced red onion, avocado, marinated artichoke) deserved an enthusiastic comment that is an inside joke amongst my friends. Standing, unaware of my surroundings, I threw my arm forward and exclaimed 'nailed it!' in the kind of hip-hop, professional sports vocal tone that I generally reserve for when there are no guests around. Embarrassed by my social faux-pas, I sat myself back down into my sheepish chair, kicking myself again for accidentally offending the sensibilities of gentlefolk.
Christine, the GM, took this opportunity to introduce us to a couple of ladies who had just joined us in the lounge. Although I have forgotten her name, one was the wife of the mayor New Albany. Enthusiastic, expressive and optimistic, she was just another pea in the pod, so to speak. A conversation ensued and one would have thought she was Jo's long-lost elder sister. Chef Justin and his Sous, Chef Cory Cuff rejoined us for the entree presentation. We shared a nicely brined pork tenderloin, prepared as rare as I have ever been able to enjoy it. To me, this was one of the mini-epiphanies of the night. I'm kind of old school on the cook temperatures of scallops and pork. Medium push is the rarest I like them, although most chefs now prepare them med-rare. By brining the tenderloin, Cory encouraged the tighter mouth-feel that I enjoy- a technique I'm gonna be using very soon at home. The dish was accompanied by a red currant glaze and candied red currants, prepared in-house.
I could go on and on, about the intangibles, but I will finish with just a couple impressions:
1) They are very guest-focused, seeming to have thought of accommodating rare, but inevitable needs like having a stain stick on hand.
2) The dynamic between Justin and Cory fascinated me because I have never seen their personality types work well together. Justin is the soft-spoken, humble Taurean guy, Cory is the hard- driving, confident Leo. I kept thinking it would be interesting to see them work together...
On to the new NABC location for my much-anticipated local microbrew porter! By some twist of fortune, they were celebrating Bastille day by offering moules and country pate'. Have I ever mentioned that country pate' is my all-time favorite dish? We lucked-out and were served the last piece in the house. Chef Josh nailed it! As good, if not better, than I've had. The accompaniments were left untouched, as we enjoyed his work unadulterated by the traditional bells-and-whistles.
Bob's 15B Porter opened my eyes to a whole side of modern brewing that I have suspected, on occasion, would happen. Roger and company have decidedly split from the orthodoxy of traditional beer-styles. This beer was lighter in body than the brick-on-the-stomach standards, and had a understated carbonation to it. It was still porter, yet expressed the aesthetic and philosophies of the house.
The new facility is a clean, minimalistic space with dark and earthy interior paint. The fermentation tanks are on display, yet the decision was obviously made to move away from the brew-house tradition of having a whole entire side of the restaurant be a exhibition brewery. I think that was a good choice, as the dining area feels very cozy.
Part of any establishment's ambiance, I think, lies with the clientele they draw. We certainly enjoyed the people we met. We enjoyed socializing with those around us. Two of our new-found friends celebrated the holiday by conversing in French, fluently. This was no Parisian cafe', yet I felt that it could have been because I could taste it, hear it and sense it in the obvious dedication to craft.
We finished the evening with a visit to Social, exceptional as usual. In the interest of space, let's just say I had my usual Manhattan with the rare-Bohemian Vermouth they specially source and who's name I routinely forget. Man, I love that place and the people in it!
At the end of the I learned that they are doing some brilliant things on the sunny-side that often get overlooked because many fear libating too far from home. More importantly, I learned that a Designated driver buddy system amongst trusted friends is the way to explore our dining scene's more peripheral houses with peace of mind and the abandonment they deserve.
I'm the next DD... anybody up for a day exploring the Bourbon Trail?