Taste of Tuscany Sampler Plate is an assortment of their most popular items and perfect for sharing: fresh, house-made Bruschetta, assorted imported cheeses, Toscana Mediterranean Dip, Kalamata olives, assorted Italian Delicatessen Meats and grilled Garlic Crostini. The prosciutto wrapped mozzarella & basil drizzled with a balsamic reduction was fabulous! The reduction was really the star and made everything taste better. The white cheese, when dipped into the reduction, turned it into a dessert, just like the old country where premium aged balsamic vinegar is drizzled on thin slices of parmesano reggiano as a dessert. The charcuterie of mortadella and salami were perfectly sliced and glistening with their gorgeous natural fat. The port, sage, and cranberry cheeses worked well when combined with the meats for different flavor experiences. The Mediterranean Dip was hummus like, but not lemony at all. It was silky and matched perfectly with the sliced focaccia. You could tell it was homemade as little pools of olive oil would pop out as scooped it was out of the ramekin forming little pools of epicurean delight. Thumbs up, way up! Paired with Saxon Brown Semillon 2008; tasting notes: fruity nose, green apple flavor on the palate, well-balanced, low acidity.
Jumbo Pan-Seared Sea Scallops served with a White Wine Buerre Blanc Sauce on a bed of Mushroom Risotto and side Lemon Oil Arugula Salad. The scallops were seared to perfection, tender and tasted like buttery crab meat. The risotto was cooked al dente with a beautiful texture and flavor from the mushrooms. The arugula salad added a peppery flavor to the dish and pulled everything together. Thumbs up, way up! Paired with Patz & Hall Chardonnay; tasting notes: mild acidity with licorice flavor throughout.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon tossed with roasted garlic vinaigrette, chili flakes, and topped with parmesan reggiano. This dish had a really strong aroma of garlic, Brussels sprouts, and bacon. Is there any thing better! The vinaigrette was perfect, added just enough liquid goodness while keeping the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts crispy. The chili flakes added a touch of heat. A little more parmesan would have been nice as it got lost and would have added a great flavor addition. Thumbs up, way up!
Pork Belly Sliders are topped with housemade BBQ sauce, house pickles and garlic aioli. These are absolutely fantastic! You'll definitely have an OMG moment or two! The pork belly is super-tender and just melts in your mouth. The housemade pickles were fantastic as well! I am not a pickle person but I definitely gobbled these up and they added a nice flavor to the pork belly - similar flavor as a small Persian pickle. The garlic aioli and sweet bread helped round out the package. Thumbs up, way up!
Grilled Salmon with rosemary & lemon-honey glaze served with market vegetables. Wow, the caramelized glaze added an Asian flavor profile to the fish, like a misoyaki glaze you would get at a Japanese restaurant. The fillet was grilled to perfection, succulent and buttery inside. The vegetables were sautéed perfectly with fresh green flavor still intact. Thumbs up, way up!
Pistachio Bread Pudding is egg bread based with salted caramel and topped with vanilla ice cream. This is really good bread pudding, very custardy. The pistachios added a nice crunch texture, but the star of this dish is the salted caramel sauce. It wasn't too salty; just right and will remind you of toffee, in liquid form. It had the perfect viscosity, not too thick and not too thin. Thumbs up, way up!
Fried Green Beans with Jerk Jam Aioli uses the same coating as the fried chicken and fried to a golden brown. The coating gave the beans a great flavor and you just can’t stop at having one. The Jerk Jam Aioli was cool, creamy and slightly sweet, but the green beans held their own in the flavor department. But if you need a dip, this was perfect. Thumbs up, way up!
The brick and mortar location is the only place you can get the bone-in Fried Chicken and Waffles. The chicken was fried to a perfect golden brown with a moist and juicy interior. The secret is in the spices on the coating which makes you want to take bite after bite. This is definitely “crack” for the fried chicken lover! The waffle was soft yet sturdy to hold up to the chicken with a beautiful golden brown color. Everything is made fresh to order so you are getting chicken and waffles at their peak flavor and temperature. Thumbs up, way up!
Collard Greens made the home-style Southern way. They were cooked to perfection keeping their green flavor intact. The seasonings and bacon just make you want more. The perfect side dish to fried chicken! Thumbs up, way up!
Mac and Cheese was fantastic! The mac and cheese craze has lasted a few years now and I really have not had any that have made me want to write home about. They are either tasteless or they resemble the cheap mac & cheese dry mix box from the supermarket. Lucky J’s makes a cheese sauce made from real cheese and uses fusilli bucati pasta, corkscrew shaped pasta that is hollow like elbow macaroni. The fusilli grips the sauce really well and the gooey cheese just makes you smile. It’s the best mac and cheese I’ve had in a LONG time. It pairs superbly with the fried chicken. Thumbs up, way up!
Ms. M Waffle Taco (as seen on Eat St.) is a boneless fried chicken strip, bacon, and Swiss cheese wrapped in a waffle. It’s a sandwich that ties it all up its own package – savory, perfectly fried chicken tenders, creamy and slightly bitter swiss cheese, crunchy, salty, smoky bacon, and the tender, fresh waffle. Drizzle on some honey and/or siracha sauce for a spicy kick and you’re good to go. Thumbs up, way up!
Prawns are spot prawns (local shrimp from the Pacific Ocean), Yukon potatoes, uni (sea urchin), Osetra Caviar, and pistachio vinaigrette. This is an artful blend of flavors, very light and awesome. The prawns were cooked to a soft consistency, missing the typical snap from a perfectly cooked shrimp. The potatoes were soft and velvety. The sweet uni contrasted well with the slightly salty caviar. The pistachio vinaigrette was a bit too light in flavor but that didn't diminish the overall flavor perfection of the dish. The only thing missing was a contrast in textures. The elements of the dish were soft so just a bit of crisp or crunch would have been an interesting addition. This will not appear on the regular spring menu, but may pop up as a special now and then, so be on the lookout for it. Thumbs up, way up!
Halibut is roasted halibut, pea puree, Hen of the Woods mushrooms (maitake), and saffron emulsion. The halibut was perfectly roasted with a crispy, buttery exterior and melt-in-your-mouth juicy interior. The fresh peas resembled edamame (soy beans) in flavor. The pea puree was refreshing smooth and better than any pea mash you'll ever have. The mushrooms had a woody flavor and chewy texture. The saffron emulsion was light and paired well with the halibut. Thumbs up, way up!
Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta served with blood orange and honeycomb. The panna cotta was perfectly smooth and the lemon flavor was just right, not overbearing or sour. The honeycomb was a nice surprise adding a crispy texture to contrast the soft, creamy texture of the panna cotta. The oranges were perfectly sweet and tasted fresh from the orchard. Thumbs up, way up!
Kale Salad is fresh kale, crisp apples, pecans, and bleu cheese crumbles tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. Jeremy loves this salad with seared ahi on top. The salad was vibrant and crisp. The pecans were candied and added a great flavor. Apples were sweet and crisp. Bleu cheese was perfectly paired with its creamy and punchy flavor. The balsamic vinaigrette was just right adding just the right amount of flavor. Thumbs up, way up!
The Psycho Burger is a half pound hamburger patty topped with melted cheddar, Swiss, and American cheeses, lettuce, tomato, crispy onions, and bacon all served between to grilled cheese sandwiches. The hamburger is made with premium beef. Sounds crazy, right?! The burger is aptly named and pretty damn tasty. It's HUGE! The buns alone are a meal! The burger is cooked to your liking and loaded with gooey melty cheese. It comes with garlic fries which were perfectly crispy with a beautiful golden brown chip flavor. Just come hungry or bring some friends! Thumbs up, way up!
Grilled, Fried Fish, or Shrimp Tacos is succulent, fresh halibut or shrimp grilled or fried and served on warm corn tortillas with onions, cilantro, and a lime aioli. These tacos have a good portion of fish fillet inside and are grilled to perfection. If you add dash of salt and some Cholula, these tacos are rockin' good. The lime cilantro rice is iconic and has a really good, refreshing flavor to it, not like ordinary Mexican rice. And when you mix it up with the rice, it becomes almost Puerto Rican/Cuban in flavor. Another option to offer for the fish is blackened. Cajun flavor works well with fish and would make these tacos more awesome.
Yam, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese had a good combination of flavors and textures. The yams were naturally sweet with a soft, smooth texture. The walnuts were sweet and crunchy. The goat cheese was creamy with that unmistakable aroma at the back of the palate. Thumbs up!
Lemongrass Chicken Salad is a masterful blend of Scarsborough Farms baby mixed greens, grilled chicken, mango, grilled pineapple, jicama, toasted coconut, cashews, Thai chili, and Thai basil with lemongrass lychee vinaigrette. It's a great mix of proteins, vegetables, fruit, and nuts, but kind of fell flat in the flavor department. The vinaigrette was too light. It needed a little more seasoning like some sea salt, ground pepper, and maybe more Thai basil to refresh the palate. I really liked the candied cashews!
Turkey Melt on Pretzel Bread is sliced turkey topped with caramelized onions, Dijon mustard, and melted Gruyere cheese. OMG! This sandwich is AMAZING! They had me at pretzel bread. I absolutely love pretzel bread. For example, I can only eat a hot dog from Wienerschnitzel if it is on a pretzel bun. Just love the glazed flavor and slightly sourdough texture. The mix of sliced turkey, sweet caramelized onions, and gooey Gruyere cheese was fantastic! One of the best sandwiches I've had in a LONG time! The touch of Dijon mustard was just right. Thumbs up, way up!
Buttermilk Fried Chicken served with mashed potatoes, mustard greens, and surrounded by andouille country gravy. I have heard tales of this famous fried chicken and am honored to have finally tried it. The coating was perfect. The collard greens were the best I’ve ever had with a slight sweet flavor. The country gravy was creamy, buttery, and added a nice touch to the mashed potatoes and chicken. The gravy would also be good on buttermilk biscuits! Thumbs up, way up!
Pumpkin Chocolate Bread Pudding was custardy with a melty chocolate goodness. The crème anglais was fantastic by a adding a velvety, creamy blanket of flavor to the bread pudding. It’s been a long time since I’ve had bread pudding this good. Thumbs up, way up!
A Sprinkles Sandwich consists of a generous scoop of your choice of ice cream, sandwiched between two cupcake tops, (choice of chocolate, vanilla, or red velvet tops). Check the menu board and look for the red dots that indicate which ice cream flavors are available that day. This is a fun and inventive way of having your cake and eating it, too. Such creativity is what makes Sprinkles a standout. We chose milk chocolate cupcake (Belgian dark chocolate cake) tops with Cherry Vanilla (imported morello cherries, simmered in California Pinot Noir, mixed generously throughout pure Madagascar bourbon vanilla ice cream). This just happens to be Charles Nelson’s favorite ice cream flavor. The chocolate cupcake tops were moist and rich in chocolate flavor, just like homemade. The creamy vanilla ice cream lovingly held a vibrant, sweet flavor, with the cherries delivering just the right amount of tartness. It will put some spring in your step. We found it can get deliciously messy to hold and eat. A suggestion would be to ask for a cup to make your eating experience a little easier. You’ll want to savor each bite and not waste a drop of this ice cream dessert. Thumbs up, way up!
Sprinkles Sundae is made with your choice of ice cream and cupcake flavor of the day. The salted caramel ice cream tasted exactly like salted caramel but in a creamy, ice cold form. The ice cream is flavored by caramel, (made in-house and in small batches), then liberally sprinkled with imported fleur de sel crystals. I really can’t get over how creamy these ice creams are. The dark chocolate cupcake (Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate icing) was moist and rich in the dark chocolate flavor you crave. The frosting was rich and creamy. The chocolate sprinkles, looked like shiny, mini chocolate tiles. What a beautiful touch! Thumbs up, way up!
Red Velvet ice cream served in a Red Velvet cone. The sweet cream was very rich and luscious, covering your taste buds in a creamy, velvet coat. The Red Velvet cupcake (Southern style light chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting) was moist and had the perfect red velvet flavor you know and love. The pieces of cake were frosted as well, so you won’t miss out on the sweet cream cheese experience. The crispy Red Velvet cone was reminiscent of a pizzelle instead of your run-of-the mill waffle cone. Thumbs up, way up!
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