When we arrived, we asked if it would be alright if we still had dinner despite our late reservation. The manager was very friendly and accommodating and made us feel welcome and he took us to our table.
Once seated, I noticed there was a gentleman playing the piano in the main dining room where we sat, however it was a bit too loud for a dining area so small. There was also a gentleman who was obviously inebriated who kept talking to/annoying the man playing the piano.
The older couple sitting next to us at the restaurant struck up a conversation with us after asking if we were celebrating anything special. I'm guessing it is not very usual to see college students there since it is an upscale venue.
Since the couple next to us were finishing dinner right as we arrived, their waiter brought them the dessert tray to showcase the desserts. The gentleman turned to us and asked, "which one would you get?" Audrey suggested her favorite dessert, creme brulee, so the gentleman told his waiter to bring us an order on his tab. It was a very nice gesture and we greatly appreciated it.
After we placed our drink orders, our waiter brought us two amuse bouche, compliments of the chef, which composed of a toast point with marinated sirloin topped with a bell pepper chimi churri. It was flavorful and got me excited to order the starters and entrees.
As a starter, Audrey and I both ordered salads; she ordered the Roquefort Apple Salad and I ordered the Caesar Salad Carbonara.
The Roquefort Apple Salad was comprised of a spring mix of greens topped with julienned granny smith apples, an apple cider vinaigrette, and usually comes served with spiced walnuts, however do to Audrey's nut-allergy, these were omitted. The salad was also served with a wedge of Roquefort cheese on the side of the plate which allowed you control how much cheese was in each bite. The salad was not over-dressed and the dressing itself was sweet but not overly so. This spectacular salad left Audrey anticipating the main course.
My Caesar salad carbonara was equally enjoyable and was served with crisp pieces of bacon, cracked pepper, croutons, and shaved Parmesan cheese. Like Audrey's, my salad was perfectly dressed. It was not overly creamy and seemed more like a vinaigrette which I actually prefer. The bacon was slightly too crispy which made it difficult to stab with a fork as it kept breaking into smaller pieces. It was one of the better Caesar salads that I've had.
Shortly after we had finished our salads, our main courses arrived. Audrey ordered the Shrimp Platter from the menu while I ordered the daily special ribeye steak.
Audrey's Shrimp Platter consisted of two rum grilled shrimp, two stuffed with lump crab, and two fried with charred Creole rémoulade. Her shrimp were served with small portions of sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach, and roasted vegetables. The fried shrimp was clearly the best and the rémoulade certainly helped it stand out. The lump crab stuffed shrimp was not spectacular and the wide assortment of side dishes was confusing and lacked focus. The sauteed spinach was oily and the roasted vegetables had a bizarre sauce which tasted like lemon meringue. The mashed potatoes were also lumpy and were a tad on the cold side. Overall, while everything tasted good individually, the plating was too busy and the flavors failed to compliment each other. Since the apple salad was so delightful, the shrimp platter was noticeably outshined.
I ordered my ribeye medium rare and when it arrived it was cooked to perfection. The meat was tender, flavorful, juicy, and melted in your mouth. It was served with "smashed" red potatoes accompanied with chives and grilled asparagus garnished with pickled red onion and a cognac sauce. The potatoes were creamy and the potato skins and chives added a nice contrast in texture. The grilled asparagus was soggy. The cognac sauce that accompanied the steak was savory and complimented the dish very well. In contrast to Audrey's entree, my dish was plated very well and was as pleasing to the eye as it was to the tongue.
After we both finished our main courses, our waiter brought us the creme brulee the nice couple next to our table had bought for us. The top was caramelized a little unevenly as certain parts seemed a slightly over done. The custard itself however was very light and not overly sweet or eggy. Overall it was a good way to end an enjoyable meal.
Overall, Christopher's is a nice restaurant. The atmosphere offers a romantic experience with dim lighting and candles at each table. The live music was pleasant albeit a bit loud for a dining area of that size. The food was timed very well as each course flowed seamlessly. read more