Welcome to the next installment of the quarterly bonus dinner series. After receiving excellent…read morerecommendations from the renowned Meena P, my group decided to switch it up and venture to Winston-Salem for dinner. OpenTable made dinner reservations a breeze as we were easily able to snag a table for 6 at 7:30pm a week in advance. With The Katharine being downtown, parking can sometimes be a challenge. The menfolk were gentlemanly enough to drop the ladies off at the door and park the car themselves. After our group was fully assembled, we were seated promptly. I'm not drinking at the moment, so I sadly wasn't able to partake in the craft cocktails The Katharine is known for. However, I did enjoy an alcohol alternative, Evergreen N/A (seedlip, thyme lavender syrup, lemon juice, soda water). It was a nice, light, citrusy beverage. We also shared some appetizers together. We ordered the Oeuf Mimosa (deviled egg, caviar, microgreens), Escargot á la Bourguogne (garlic herb butter, cognac, red wine reduction, puff pastry), Roquette Salade (baby arugula, baby kale, shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts, lemon vinaigrette, balsamic reduction, cracked pepper), and Gratinèe Soupe à l'Oignon (croute, aged gruyere, chive). The deviled eggs were delicious as expected, which was no surprise, as they are known for them. I would have liked to know that the order only came with 4 egg halves since we had a group of 6. We would've ordered two if we had known, since they're not the easiest things to split. It was also funny to see the table "fighting" over eating every last pine nut on the salad plate. For our entrees, everyone at the table tried to order something different from the menu so we could fully experience it. We were mostly successful, as the only repeat was the Boeuf Bourguignon (braised beef short rib, cipollini onion, wild mushroom, brussels sprout leaves, pomme puree, red wine sauce). The Bourguignon had a nice sweetness to the sauce that balanced the dish's saltiness. I ordered the Saumon et Gruau de Mais (seared salmon, stone ground grits, smoked garlic buttermilk sauce, black lemon, chervil, chili oil). The salmon crust was so flavorful and well seasoned, and the grits were voted the best side by the table for being nice and creamy without being too heavy. Other entrees that were ordered included Truite Meuniere (North Carolina trout, haricot verts, parsnips, chili-almond crunch, brown butter, lemon), Steak Frites (8 oz Brasstown Farms flat iron steak, truffled parmesan pomme frites, beurre de fete), and Steak au Poivre (12 oz pepper crusted NY strip steak, sauce au poivre, pomme puree, brussels sprouts). Both of the steaks were cooked beautifully. Playing musical chairs with each other's food was probably my favorite part of the night. I highly recommend doing this with your friends! Last but certainly not least, we decided to share some desserts to round out the evening. We ordered the Bittersweet Chocolate Pot de Crème (dark chocolate, torched marshmallow meringue, toasted graham crumb, chocolate ganache), Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee (organic Tahitian vanilla bean custard with burnt sugar), and Banana Pain Perdu (croissant bread pudding, caramelized banana, vanilla bean ice cream, banana chips, salted rum caramel). All of the desserts were stunning, and the banana bread pudding was my personal favorite. The rest of the table was fighting over the pot de crème. The Katharine was spectacular and delivered on everything I hoped for in a nice dinner with good friends. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Had dinner and breakfast both here while staying at the hotel for the weekend. Dinner, reservations…read moreare highly recommended. We had dinner reservations at 8:30 our evening there, our host greeted us and seated us within a couple minutes the place was packed. The interior of the restaurant is 1930s art deco, think "Metropolis" and inspired by the original design of the building. The restaurant itself is not very big and gets busy, when full it is also loud. Dinner was very good, the service professional and attentive. The food was good but not exceptional and at the price point, it should be. A dozen oysters on the half shell, were a good start. My entree was good, however very basic in thought and presentation. Trout, nicely cooked with green beans on top, then shaved carrots. Nothing new or original. The Salmon my partner ordered was even simpler in its presentation. Again nothing inventive or original. The food was good but at the price point one expects it to be great. Breakfast, is walk in service, it is as well busy or was on the two mornings we ate there. A different experience overall, more rushed and noisy. The food was okay, but nothing special or beyond ordinary. When breakfast is $30 bucks or more each it needs to be great, this was okay to average. Then with the slow turn around on our order from the kitchen, almost half an hour to get eggs, sort of a let down. The second morning was better as far as timing goes, the food was again okay but nothing special. 3.5 Stars rounded up for the dinner service staff's effort 01132

Café Violette is pure culinary perfection in the heart of vibrant and spunky Blowing Rock. My wife…read moreand I came up for a quick getaway, and this spot turned out to be the highlight of our trip. We lucked out with a table on the cozy patio sitting on Main Street, where the town buzzes with life. The interior is beautiful and refined, but the outdoor setting, with the fresh mountain air and the hum of the town, created the perfect backdrop for a special evening. Service was impeccable. Gracious, attentive, and perfectly timed throughout the night. We began with a chilled French Chenin Blanc that paired beautifully with our appetizers. The escargot, bathed in a garlic cream and Gruyère sauce, was rich and mouth meltingly tasty. The braised and seared octopus was incredibly tender, deeply flavorful, and quite honestly, one of the best we've had anywhere. For mains, we shared the heirloom tomato burger, which was juicy, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor. Alongside that, we split the mushroom burrata orecchiette, pillowy pasta coated in a creamy lemon pistachio pesto with locally sourced mushrooms. It was rich, bright, and beautifully composed. When dessert rolled around, we switched things up with cocktails. I had the old fashioned with a pistachio twist, complex and not overly sweet. My wife enjoyed a smooth and flavorful espresso martini. Both paired wonderfully with the finale: a creamy, light tiramisu and a house-made French éclair with fresh peaches. Each bite was the perfect ending to an already stunning meal. From start to finish, Café Violette delivered. The food, the service, the atmosphere, and the view all came together in the best possible way. This is French fine dining with soul, nestled in one of North Carolina's most charming towns. An absolute must-visit in Blowing Rock.

This restaurant is a must if you are in Blowing Rock. Planning ahead to make a reservation is a…read moremust as the restaurant is on the smaller side. Service (Ellen) was excellent, value was high and food was outstanding. The grouper was prepared perfectly. The scallops are rich and delicious and paired well with the pickled grape salad. Did someone say duck fat fries. These were the best fries ever.

My son and I were in town from Portland Maine for a tour at UNCSA, and ate at Salt and Sage Bistro…read more It was the last day of February but it was pretty warm. We sat outside for dinner and had an amazing culinary experience. The heater was on just right, the food was amazing, and the service was great. Responsive but not too pushy. We started with the bread service and it blew us both away. The breads were all so flavorful (and we're a sourdough family). It was on another level. The spreads were fantastic and he even enjoyed an olive tapenade even though he's not an olive guy. For dinner we got steak frites and a fish special that had a crab beurre blanc sauce. Both were fantastic, and we'd order them again in a heartbeat. The price for a great experience like that was totally affordable. We've paid more and received less. So get here and enjoy yourself! Might want to make reservations though if it's a weekend...

I was excited to try Sage & Salt; I'd heard good things and loved Willow when it was in the space…read more The internal updates are cool, with neat booths and a huge wine collection. The menu is well composed with a lot of variety to please just about anyone. The service was prompt, courteous, and responsive. Where Sage & Salt fell short in my visit was in the quality of the food, which did not live up to the prices. We had steak frites (described as "ok" by my dining partner), leek soup (which he called exceptional), a half Caesar Salad ( adequate, but the dressing was almost the consistency of butter) and chicken parm (exceptional pasta sauce, but the chicken was hard and dry). The wine list is really inflated, with a couple bottles under $100, but more that were several hundred or even in the thousands.

Went on a Saturday night, it was pretty chilly so we wanted to sit inside which meant a short wait…read more Very limited indoor seating. One table was a group celebrating a birthday and the noise level was pretty loud. Had to wait a while for our order to be ready. When the food did arrive it was hot and delicious. Crepe had the perfect amount of crunch and fillings were spot on. At least 3 different people checked on us during the meal to see if we needed anything.

We came to penny path on Valentine's Day and the weather was beautiful. All of the chairs on their…read moreoutdoor patio were totally full and the inside was as well. There was a wait, but it's located in such a beautiful plaza so the time flew while we were waiting. We ended up eating at the counter, which was so cool because we could watch them make all of the crepes. The crepes tasted so fresh and came out fairly quickly as well. The waitress was also very attentive. I also love the decor with all the pennies on the ground- a cute touch! Will definitely come back!

First night in blowing rock we got a rez here. Such a beautiful inn and restaurant and great…read moreservice. I had the halibut and chose acorn squash (all entrees come with mashed potatoes too). Delicious! One got steak au poivre and it was highly peppered but so tasty. One got steak and crab cake. One got Parmesan crusted chicken. Everything was so good! We brought home their signature banana cream pie and a peanut butter pie. Both great!

This was such a nice experience. We were able to snag some last minute items reservations which was…read morea win. Initially we were told we were going to sit in the bar area which was fine considering we booked late, however, when we got there, they seated us in the Cellar dinning area. We went down the stairs and a nice quaint and romantic space was waiting for us. They really had a nice ambiance, including soft music. On to the food. We ordered the starter sampler which was a special for the night including oysters Rocafella, shrimp cocktail and crab cake. The oysters were my favorite and the crab cake was my least. (I'm from MD so unless it's Maryland blue lump crab cake it's not good to me) For entree we both couldn't pass up the scallops. It came with red skinned potatoes and asparagus. The scallops were delicious and huge! The drinks are nice and strong. I would def go back to try the other entrees.

My best friend and I took a quick day trip to The Bistro at Childress Vineyards to celebrate her…read morebirthday. We made plans to spend the entire day at the winery and scheduled a wine tasting, lunch and tour. When we arrived at the restaurant the staff was so friendly and smiling because we were rushing in worried we were late for our lunch reservations. Due to the fact we didn't want to cut our wine tour experience short. They let us know the tour guide called ahead to tell them we were on our way. The ambiance here is so gorgeous and already decorated with Christmas decorations. Giving holiday cheer and soft music playing in the background. Our table was ready and in the center of the table sat a card that read " Happy Birthday " which made my friend feel super special. The food here was outstanding from the appetizer to the main course. We enjoyed every bite. I enjoyed the pan-seared salmon. My friend said this was the best lamb chops she's ever had. To top off her birthday celebration they provided us with chocolate shots to toast to a beautiful afternoon. I would highly recommend this place for dinner, date night, girl's day out, weddings reception or special occasion.

After being seated we waited nearly 20 minutes with no one coming to our table. My husband finally…read moregot up & went to the bar for a bottle of wine. THEN a server ( who had passed our table often) dropped 2 glass napkins & said " I'll get you water". No introductions or greeting. After another 5-10 minutes, she's back with water & we wouldn't let her go & ordered. Food was good but the service was abysmal. I counted several servers in the restaurant so it wasn't for lack of staff. Also waited another 15-20 minutes to find her to get our bill. We ordered a sandwich & soup & were there for 90 minutes! For this reason alone we won't be back to the restaurant. Much better service at the Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards in Dobson

Came here for a work dinner. We had buffet with roast beef and salmon it was good. The sides were…read moremashed potatoes and salad. The ambiance is nice and the hosts were attentive. We had open bar and they kept that well stocked for our party of 25 people. I enjoyed their food and drinks.

This was our first time to Sir Winston Wine Loft. We wanted to new for Valentines Day. As a…read morebusiness owner this would have been a great way to attract people like us to become regular diners. Not so this time. When we were seated the only menu they gave us was of the V-day limited menu. It also said "$140" for two people. This was 2 entrees (super small), 2 entrees and 2 desserts the size of a Little Debbie cupcake. The steak would have been great had it not been smothered with a huge dose of super salty brown gravy. It was so hard to eat. My husband got the chicken breast. It was not bad. A little on the dry side and it alot of seasoning. Go figure. The server was great. Very friendly. The acoustics are bad in there so the saxophone player on top of the music was pretty loud but he did a great job. Then the bill comes. An automatic 22% gratuity was added to the bill. Not cool. I can understand charging 22% for a large party but not for 2 people. Not for a limited menu that only included 3 entree choices, 2 very small dessert choices, and 3 small appetizer choices. The glass of wine I had was $15. We were not blown away by the food. It's a shame because in our opinion if we are going to spend over $200 for a dinner, I would hope for much more than what was served. We felt taken advantage of. I don't know what this place is like on a regular basis but we won't be back to find out.

Food tasted freshly cooked. Good quality flavor was on point…read more Attentive service. Quiet ambience, good for dates.

Vidalia is one of the best restaurants in town (if not the best one)!…read moreOur food was very well prepared. Amazing taste and also great presentation. Service was impeccable! Highly recommend!!

Such a cozy and beautiful space for events! I held my book launch here, and it was the perfect…read moresetting warm, inviting, and intimate. From the setup to the overall experience, everything felt smooth, welcoming, and thoughtfully done. Definitely one of the best places for a special gathering.

Melrose Coffee and Boba in Clemmons is an adorable local coffee shop. They have a spacious interior…read morewith ample seating, including couches, loveseats, chairs, and high-top seating. The perfect place to work on the go, catch up with friends, treat the kids and yourself, or just come to relax. The barista was friendly and suggested one of the seasonal drinks. The owners are California transplants who aim to share their love of specialty coffee with the community. Offering a wide range of coffee, tea, mocktails, and cocktails as well as baked goods, they have something for everyone to sip on and enjoy. Offering a variety of monthly drink specials to choose from. I purchased the chocolate kiss, and it was delicious and even came with a Hershey's kiss. I recommend eating the chocolate before you start to enjoy your drink. It enhances the cocoa flavor profile and adds an extra depth to the drink's taste.

I was here last year with the kids and I came back tonight for my other daughter's birthday and…read morewe're having champagne and it's so good! This is a very cool hang in Winston-Salem I highly recommend coming here to play pool and drink

Decided to stop by on an early Friday evening after work. Loved that they had both indoor and…read moreoutdoor seating options. Didn't love the bartender after the first interaction. I had looked at the instagram page before arriving and saw a drink that I wanted to try. I couldn't remember the name when I got there and asked for the drink menu. I was given a look that made me feel like I was wrong for asking for it. One of the patrons was nice enough to show me a basket with menus in it. I ordered the drink and went to find a seat with my friends. Even though it was fairly crowded, there was ample seating. One of my friends ordered the $5 old fashioned and ended up ordering several more. Definitely a great deal for the price and alcohol ratio. I chose the hoopla and then a sidecar. Both were well executed. I wanted to try some of the food, but unfortunately we had eaten before arriving. Several people we spoke to said the jerk wings were a must try so I'll definitely come back for those! Outside of the first interaction with the bartender, the other one was very pleasant and continued to serve us with no issues.