Floyd & Connie's was such a wonderful way to start my girlfriend's and my Mendocino/Fort Bragg trip.
We arrived and were charmed by the inside. There were a lot of kids, and it felt a bit dim and casual at first, but over time I started really liking the vibes. They have done a play on a sort of 50s/60s aesthetic, and it's cute. The wait staff also seemed to have a good energy about them and were wearing old-school dresses.
We were invited over to the bar while our table was set up, and we both had some lovely drinks and a fun convo with the bartender, who told us about the history of the place and how new it was. Service remained pretty prompt and polite throughout the night. On to the food...
Whenever there is crudo, I'm ordering it. They had it as a special, and this was done beautifully. ZERO frills. Just lemon, good olive oil, capers, and shallot. And man did it deliver. The fish was so freaking fresh and firm, and the waitress confirmed it was locally caught. I was pleased to hear from her that almost all the seafood on the menu is local and fresh, save for the calamari.
We also decided to order the cucumber starter. It didn't blow me away, but it was fresh and delicious, and the addition of the Szechwan chili crisp was great. Definitely a simple dish, but a nice accompaniment to the rich foods we were about to order.
I decided to go for the steak. I was a little disappointed to get cut-up pieces rather than a nice big piece, but WOW. It was tender, and the garlic butter and horseradish additions were indescribably good. The butter especially--we wanted to dip everything else into that. The potatoes deserve their own stage. I think they're probably the best roast potatoes I've ever had. Super crispy outside and soft inside, with a salt and vinegar flavor. Divine.
My girlfriend ordered the trout. If I had to describe it, I would call it a luxurious salmon. Cooked to perfection. Not too soft and fatty like a farmed salmon. It just had a little more richness than most wild salmon, with a great clean taste and nice crispy skin. The succotash felt just okay after digging into my sumptuous steak and potatoes, but honestly, I didn't mind because of how well the flavors worked in it.
For dessert, we had the grasshopper ice cream cake. Simply put, this sh*t hit. If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, this is a no-brainer.
Dinner came out to right around $200 with tip for the two of us. Considering how much food we ordered, the overall experience, and prices for the area, I was pretty happy with that.
If you can't get a reservation to one of the more well-known restaurants in the area, Floyd & Connie's deserves a spot in your weekend plans. read more