Bottom line: I dig the new Libations 317 at the corner of Dawson and Morgan. 4.5 stars for eats and drinks here but I round up to the solid 5 stars for the welcoming atmosphere, the positive upbeat staff, and casual relaxing vibe they offer. They truly are keeping the legacy of The Borough that occupied that space years back, and I love it.
The Deets:
A friend clued me in that there was a new bar/eatery opened up in the space formally occupied by The Borough years ago, and I needed to check it out. That, I did, and I have enjoyed visits to Libations 317 ever since. The space has been decorated well, casual and relaxing, open and inviting, including outside seating at the best people watching corner in DTR (corner of Dawson and Morgan). Each time I have sat at the bar, which is full service for drinks and eats. Seating anywhere else in Libations, you will need to come up to the window inside to order and then they can bring it out to you at your table (staffing during these times, and understandable). The drink selection at Libations is wonderful with a nice menu of wine and beer selections to enjoy. Their custom cocktail menu is a good one as well, and includes the very popular "Q" from The Borough era (5 different flavors of vodka and just a splash of juice for color, filling a pint glass). The eats menu offered is absolutely not your average bar food selection, but wonderful food choices from Chef Hamm (I enjoyed his wonderful food from PG Werth's when open, and still miss it). The spinach dip here is not to be missed! The mac & cheese is just the right consistency, with the cheese melted over the top, however with an unexpected kick of pepper (more on that later). The Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich I had was delicious (ham & Swiss with fried chicken, topped with honey mustard on focaccia bread). I had a few nibbles of the meat in the Pork Belly Bahn Mi and it was equally delicious. I was even glad to hear they do brunch on Sat/Sun 11a-3p with a good listing of brunch items such as tempting Benedicts and also build your own brunch bowls. I have enjoyed a couple of their brunches now. One thing I will note is that a few of the menu items do appear to be heavy on pepper or have a bit of kick to them. The mac & cheese I mentioned above has a distinct pepper taste. The cheese gravy offered on the brunch bowls has a bit of a peppery kick to it also (I had chosen it because I did not want the peppery taste of the white pepper gravy). I am not a fan myself of very peppery or even spicy foods, so it's a personal taste thing...many like it, just as my friend raves about the pepper in the mac & cheese. However, the best part I think of Libations 317 is the very welcoming atmosphere, the very positive, upbeat, and attentive staff...it's like your own modern Cheers, where everybody knows your name. I appreciate this part of Libations most of all, and why I keep coming back along with the food and drink selections. Chandler and Chef Hamm have made a place worthy of The Borough legacy from the past and I enjoy it! read more