The Doctor and I came with friends to check out Ardor. We were excited at the the prospect of them being BYOB, but they now have a liquor license. You can bring in a bottle, but I believe the corkage fee is either $30 or $35.
I was curious about this place because when it was Sojourn, we use to eat there all the time for dinner and brunch, as well as getting carry out for the Davis Street Theater. I am happy to say that even under new management, the food is still very good.
Decor wise, they removed the TVs that use to be there and I ain't mad about that. Don't get me wrong, I love watching TV, but sometimes the stuff they had on wasn't always something I wanted to watch. They did keep the same set-up, with the room being split in half by an open bookshelf, but the colors are a little darker and more sophisticated. The entrance that would have lead to Sojourn has been blocked up, so Ardor has its own separate bar area.
Normally I like to go to a restaurant's website to check out the menu, but for some reason Ardor does not have theirs on the main website, but did have photos of the menu on their Instagram page I discovered later. Not a deal breaker for me, but I typically like to scope out the selection so I can narrow down my choices.
We didn't do starters because we had eaten earlier at brunch, so we stuck to the main courses. The Doctor got the Smash burger and our friends got the Salmon (served with mashed potatoes and broccoli and a beurre blanc sauce). I went for the boneless half chicken with the roasted veggies. Although small potatoes were a part of the selection of veggies with the chicken, I opted to also get a side of mash potatoes because I need them in my life when I have meat or poultry.
The Doctor's Smash Burger was HUGE! It looked pretty impressive in size and came with a choice of cheese (cheddar or Havarti) and Cajun fries. The Doctor said it was a good burger and he ended up taking half of it home. The fries were good in the restaurant, nice and crispy, but going home they did not fare well...again not a deal breaker. The burger on the other hand was just a tasty, probably better as the juices had settled and created a new flavor profile.
Our friends both loved the salmon and said it was well prepared. My chicken was on total point. Not only was it flavorable, but the whole no bones thang had me tripping! The idea of getting half a chicken with no bones is a winner winner chicken dinner for me. Initially I was thinking about substituting the roasted veggies with the mashed potatoes, but our server talked me out of that and I am glad he did! The veggies were a nice side that complemented the chicken. As I had eaten earlier, I did not finish the meal and took it home. It made for a lovely Sunday breakfast, heating up nicely.
Because my one friend and me have birthdays in March, we were treated to a piece of chocolate mousse cake each, which we shared with our menfolk. If you have read my previous reviews, at some point you will see I am not a big fan of dessert, but I have to say that this mousse cake was pretty delish and I cleaned my plate, but did let The Doctor have some.
Our server was really cool and attentive, answering questions and making recommendations. Had his name on the receipt but don't have it with me at the writing of this review, but he was charming (blonde gentleman with slightly long hair).
There was also another gentleman that checked in on us, had a beard and mustache. Not sure if he was the owner or GM, but he was cool as well. I have to say that the meal was a pleasant experience and I could definitely see coming back here again. read more