So, to continue our Tour de Top Chef, my friends and I went to Woodfire Grill (Kevin’s restaurant) last night. We had been to Pura Vida (Hector’s restaurant) a few weeks ago, and quite frankly, weren’t impressed. The food there had highs and lows, but overall just felt a little sloppy to me. Therefore, no surprise he was eliminated this week.
Eating at Woodfire Grill was an entirely different experience. Its location sucks (on Cheshire Bridge, sandwiched between strip clubs and sex shops), but the decor inside is beautiful. We were sitting in a charming private room (7 of us).
Excellent wine list and delicious cocktails, no complaints there. We had a bottle of Torrontes (South American white wine). The chef sent us an amuse. It was some form of fried okra, I don’t remember the exact description, but it was a pleasant little crunchy bite.
I had the heirloom tomato salad and the duck breast. Both dishes were amazing. Great local, organic ingredients and really pleasant flavor combinations. It’s obvious why Kevin’s doing so well on Top Chef. One of my friends didn’t like the grits under the duck because she felt they were too sweet, with a lemon-cake flavor. I personally enjoyed that, but I’ll chalk it up to differences of opinion.
Desserts were yummy, and not just the run-of-the-mill flourless chocolate cake. We had banana fritters, a deconstructed key lime pie, and a peach tart.
The restaurant is a little on the pricey side (entrees tend to be in the upper twenties), but the food was completely worth it. Also, portions are on the smaller side, which I enjoyed, but those with bigger appetites might be left hungry.
I would like to go back and try the 3 or 5-course tasting menus. They were fairly reasonable ($42 and $65 respectively).
food- 26
decor- 27
service- 25
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