Message: | Also went to Joe's with a group of 6 others. No relation to the above party.
The service since they expanded has been spotty and last night was no exception. That said, the food and wine (and company, of course) made up for it, and Joe even stopped by to chat with us at the end of our meal.
The food was terrific. Everyone got the tasting menu. Here are some thoughts:
The blue crab salad mentioned above was good and light though not lumpy enough. The grilled fig salad with roasted hazelnuts and balsamic was the best starter. We had a Horton Viognier (see the link below) from Virginia (yes, East coast!) that was stunning with a great nose and good flavor.
For the second course most opted for the tuna and foie gras (mentioned above). It's nice, but not my favorite foie gras treatment -- I prefer the seared foie gras like Jiraffe serves. The scallops were also good, but my favorite was the bright red beet risotto with asiago cheese. Terrific. We had a bottle of pinot noir that I can't recall, but it was nice and went quickly.
The most popular choice for the main was the short ribs. Very tender and flavorful. I'm a sucker for that sort of braised meat. The mushroom ravioli, for the veggie in our group, was great. Intense, rich mushroom flavor. If you like mushrooms, get this (you can get this as an appetizer.) The duck was also good. Our group sommelier ordered a Ravenswood petite syrah. A big, rich, deep red wine. Great match with the mains.
Most of us got the signature chocolate souffle, but it went best paired with the banana bread pudding.
The wines were nice and reasonably priced in the $30-$40 range.
We had a great time, were thoroughly stuffed, and ended spending a fair bit, but it's for a good cause, right?
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