For your entertainment and information, I am bringing you decent food and good service in a bit boring and somewhat inside voice atmosphere. Live music is there, but the music seemed to be quite soft. You may think this weirdness has brought you to the Twilight Zone or Futurama's The Scary Door. But no, you have actually entered Winter Garden's The Attic Door.
Introducing the protagonist, myself, having dinner at 8pm on a Saturday. I made a reservation using OpenTable. Upon entering, I got seated immediately at the small table in a corner near the bar area. I was given water immediately and found out that cocktails are not served, so I settled on a crafted tropical fruit cider for 8 dollars. It was by Kopparberg and tasted fruity without being sour. There was only 4 percent alcohol content, so it felt like that a kid lightly tagged me and said that's it. For food, I was informed the pulled pork stacker (15 dollars) would be the most filling. It came quite quickly, and as an appetizer size, which should have been shared. But it was small enough for me to eat the whole thing. There was an ample amount of pulled pork with coleslaw, chives, fried onions, and a good amount of pickled jalapenos. It was on top of creamy polenta. I was asked first if I liked jalapenos and after telling them that I really enjoyed them, it looks like they provided an extra amount of them. The pickling took away most of the heat, and the polenta helped balance it as well. The pork was tender and had a light bbq flavor. The dish was quite filling without making me stuffed. Thus I decided to try the banana foster bread pudding (10 dollars) for dessert. It took a while because it came directly from the oven. It was presented in a skillet, which I wasn't informed that it would be quite hot. The bread pudding was ok and surprisingly on the lighter side without being too sweet. The brandy sauce could have been stronger as I didn't really taste the spirit (pun intended). The highlight were the bananas as they are sweet and very tasty from being brulee'd by a torch.
My server was friendly and informative. He helped me choose wisely from the menu so I can feel full without being stuffed. I was however surprised that my main dish came quickly while my dessert took time. The dining room area was a bit small and can get crowded, especially during the time when there is live entertainment. One room has a bar with some seating areas, while the other room is more for the lounging and kitchen area. Next to the entrance is where the musician plays. When I was there, it looked to be a guitarist playing boring soft rock music. During the breaks, it was the same type of music piped softly from the soft conversational background by the guests. While it wasn't too quiet, you can feel the library or guesthouse vibe from the patrons using their inside voices. And the library vibe continued from the amount of books in the bar, the drapes from the ceiling and windows, and the lounging area that is comfortable enough to read books. There was a small outdoor seating area in the front for people watching, and enjoying the cars passing by. If you are lucky, you can park directly in the street and walk to the restaurant. However, most likely you will find easier parking at the free garage nearby. Reservations are recommended when there is live entertainment as waiting can be up to an hour without one.
From the decent food and service in a library like atmosphere that has music and patrons using their inside voices, the weirdness can make one feel like being in the Twilight Zone or Scary Door. But instead, you are actually in the Winter Garden's B Rated bistro, The Attic Door. read more