First Bite is a look at a restaurant that’s opened recently, based on one visit – not a full-fledged review.
The food: Grateful Growers, an area farm known for its pork products, has run a traveling lunch truck for some time, playing off the talents of co-owner/chef Cassie Parsons and other staff. Now the venture veers into The Dunhill Hotel uptown, offering meals predicated on local goods and opening so softly the restaurant name still wasn't on the menu or receipts for our visit last week. (Parsons tells me the logo is just about ready now.) But we had some marvelous food. The simple: a beautiful plate of housemade cheeses, with finely diced fresh beets and thinly sliced pear and apple; a dazzlingly crisp house salad with bright vinaigrette; perfect, light, hot rolls. The complex: a tremendous bone-in pork chop brined in mocha stout and served with quinoa pilaf; and pappardelle (ribbon pasta) with shiitake mushroom confit and Hercules peas (a heritage seed: think field pea rather than green). The odd: a weird version of beef Bourguignon in which the beef is rolled around pickled vegetables.
The look: Extremely simply furnished, with artwork of vivid produce and livestock (though I'm not sure how I feel about looking at the handsome pig), this dining room remains an uptown treasure -- all pale gold walls and dark wood and windows facing an attractive view of Tryon.
The service: Our server was enthusiastic and well-trained, explaining the local concept immediately, and giving sound advice. Sharing the vision with diners will be critical; that's off to a promising start.
Quirks of note: Local-grown Avett Brothers were prominent in the soundtrack. Wouldn't a restaurant that played all local music be cool?
Details: 237 N. Tryon St.; 704-342-1193. Hours: weekdays, breakfast 6:30-10:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday brunch 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner (entrees $13-$23) nightly 5-10.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
First bite: Harvest Moon Grille (non-truck version)
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9 comments:
Does this replace Monticello? Or in addition to that fine restaurant?
Ate at Harvest Moon for lunch today and it was excellent! I will certainly continue to support this establishment, not only for the tasty and thoughtful dishes, but also for the sake of supporting a farm-to-table concept that is all too rare in uptown. Can't wait to go back for dinner!
"Wouldn't a restaurant that played all local music be cool?"
Only if they play bands like Fetchin Bones/Sugar Smack
This does replace Monticello.
I just went there this past weekend and the food (I had) was very close to terrible and way over-priced. I ordered the fried chicken (marinated in some kind of herbal tea) and received 2 legs and HALF of a boneless breast ($12). The breast was good, but the legs were undercooked and unacceptably pink/red near the bone. This led me to believe that the internal temp of the legs was incorrect ... combined with hot oil the, the outside cooked too fast and had to removed sooner than it should have. The one side item was three pieces of green-leaf lettuce. My brunch partner had steak (hash) and eggs. The steak was actually roast beef and tough (ugh). I went there for Monticello's shrimp and grits, but found this spot. The waiter was friendly and the service was 'OK', but I will never go back. I'm all about local food, but I'm also about GOOD food. I've eaten at numerous high-end and low-end restaurants from Portland to Los Angeles to Chicago to New York to Asheville to Charlotte and many more. So, I know what's good and what's NOT. What a ripoff!
Was sorely disappointed when I visited Monticello on their last day. Made reservations a few days in advance so I could treat my mom to this after seeing Mary Poppins at Blumenthal. Not once did anyone at Monticello mention they were going out of business and that would be the last night or them (would have gone elsewhere). Well service was good but menu selection was nonexistent. I have dined throughout Alaska, Seattle, Toronto, San Fran, Portland, Oregon and throughoutNew England-esp. Maine so I appreciate quality food and selection. A week of phone calls later I basically got an oh we're sorry.....I will not dine there nor will I suggest to others based on my visit and the lack of response by owner, chef, and manager......
This is a fantastic concept- the food comes straight from the Chef's farm! The server was very knowledgeable and excited about all of the food on the menu coming from local farms. I had the cheese plate based on the server's recommendation and it was fabulous, the restaurant has their own cheese-maker and they even make their own crackers. I then had the pork chop that was from the Chef's farm and I have to say it was probably the best pork chop I have ever had and cooked perfectly. I would highly highly recommend this new restaurant to everyone- delicious food all local and fabulous.
This new restaurant is in the Dunhill which can be confusing at first as Monticello used to be there, however Monticello closed and has been replaced by Grateful Grower's owner chef Cassie Parsons. I have been dinning at establishments across the city that carry Grateful Growers products but were not completely farm-to-table as they claimed to be. This restaurant is completely farm-to-table and everything is local. I went for lunch and had the real hamburger made from pork from the Chef's farm, and it was amazing! Served with a fresh side salad and a light house vinaigrette. I can't wait to go back for dinner!
Love the sweet potato burger and carrot soup. I'm not vegan but I could be at this place. Delicious! A nice change from other uptown fare, too. After more than a decade of working in uptown, I'm ready for new concepts, new places to share lunch with coworkers -- esp. something like this. We'll be back!
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