I loved this place. Their dishes here are creative, indulgent, and a bit whimsical. The decor is a bit rustic / modern, which matches the menu as well. It's not often you find a place where the decor is indicative of the cuisine. To start, we did the chicken fried chicken mushrooms. For those of you not familiar, a chicken mushroom is a super meaty fungi, that while certainly not chicken, could be passable as a vegetarian option if you are of the persuasion. The flavors and texture are really nicely done for a fried chicken dish. It would probably be excellent if they made it with actual chicken. The beef tartar, while somewhat standard issue, was executed really nicely. For my main, I decided to go light and have the duck confit pot pie. This dish is not for those of you on diets, have high cholesterol, or dislike deliciousness. It's super heavy, super rich, and super delicious. This could easily be shade by two people, but there no shame (or maybe just a little) in eating it yourself. The larger menu is filled with equally interesting items... I'm looking forward to trying a few more. read more

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Small place w a great chef/cooks and staff...Food is definitely top notch- it is BYOB but there is a liquor store across the street. Definitely recommended read more

Love this spot so much. Food is top notch and service is impeccable. The vibe makes us feel like we're back in BK. I love that its BYOB and they are great about bringing ice. The potatoes are amazing and the deserts are fantastic! read more

Incredible food and service. Highly recommend the chicken and dumplings, but you really can't go wrong with any options

The food is impeccable. The service is great. It is a byob place. The place is long and crowded even on weekday. But not noisy. Make reservations. Come prepared to eat well. Buy wine next door at Grape Collective and enjoy your meal. read more

After several dinners since last review definitely ready for 4 stars. Maybe 4 1/2. Firstly, service is always great. Starters are nicely varied, salads super fresh and super quality, dressed modestly, and entrees have been excellent - beautifully arranged and certainly executed well. Simple and modern preparations, elegant but not pretentious. Recently the halibut we tried was amazingly fresh, delicious and perfectly cooked - not under or over. Half chicken was not only generous but the flavor of the meat very fine and served beautifully. Brussel sprouts have been tired and boring for years elsewhere but here sliced thin and lightly cooked and seasoned. Perfect. Dessert a bit overly sweet and goopy on several tries but done with high quality ingredients and house made. In all excellent and recommended. We'll be back. read more

Everything we ordered was solid. I'd have to go back to see if it's consistent or a one and done. If it's good the second time it's a keeper which is hard to find these days. read more

The food here is sooo good. We've made repeat visits and this restaurant consistently delivers. The service is on point and the decor is cozy but modern. It's byob and there is a wine store right across the street, in case you forget or need another bottle. :) We split 4 appetizers and 2 entrees and the bill was super reasonable $120 (without tip). I believe the quality of food is the best in the area, with a good selection of meats and seafood dishes. For appetizers, we tried the pate, oysters, pork belly and fennel salad. The oysters were fresh, very sweet. The mignonette added just the right amount of acidity. The chicken pate was super rich and came with pickled onions, mustard and toast points to even it out. The portion was generous, more than enough for the two of us. The fennel salad was refreshing, but kind of forgettable. The pork belly was my favorite, I especially loved the crackling. For our mains, we had the pork special and raviolo. The pork was prepared two ways: fried schnitzel and braised in a vinegar based sauce. Both preparations were excellent and was served with pears. The raviolo was delicious too - from a presentation perspective you wouldn't think so, because it's a pool of white. But there are expert touches including a beautiful runny egg yolk when you cut into the delicious pasta, and it is garnished with black truffles. Overall, the food is super high quality and the service was equally matched. I can't wait to come back!! read more

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You can't go wrong with Turtle and Wolf in Montclair. The long standing staple, and with good reason always dishes out innovative specials and an ever evolving menu showcasing seasonal favorites. On our last visit for dinner we sampled the Arancinis, Barley risotto, Fish of the day (halibut), roasted beet toast and a side of the shishito peppers! That was quite a spread for two people! We didn't devour every last bite of this fantastic meal, but that didn't stop us from savoring every bite! Everything was excellent, but we enjoyed the smaller plates a tad more than the mains. A meal for two (without drinks - they are BYOB) and without desert - if you order on the above lines will cost you about $100 with tax and tip! read more

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I ordered our Passover dinner (sorry Mom if you're watching from above) because I just didn't feel like cooking. It included matzo ball soup, roasted root vegetables, mashed potatoes, a chicory salad and the piece de resistance Goffle Rd poulet with wild mushrooms. This place does it right. Everything warm and delicious and enough for some leftovers today. Thank you T and the W for making my life easier and for providing great food for our Seder. read more

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LOVE this place! The art and décor are so cool. Everyone is friendly and professional. The place fills up, so do use their reservation system. There's metered parking on Valley Road or in the municipal lot behind the restaurant. Like most restaurants in Montclair, it's BYOB... We got ours right across the street in the wine shop on our way into the restaurant. The food was outstanding. We got appetizers, entrees, and desserts. The stars were the chicken liver mousse with quince, pickled onion, and thin crisp bread; the PEI mussels with garlic and white wine (plus focaccia to soak up that broth); and the maple pot de crème. I will definitely be going back. read more

The decor to the food was very excellent. This is my first trip and I must say, right off the bat, they do pork dishes very well. I liked my friend's berkshire pig better than my squid ink chitarra. As other Yelpers have mentioned, the service experience could leave one feeling possibly rushed. My friend and I did not have any problems on this trip. We had a great waiter. However, I think being closer to the kitchen and rear allowed for more staff to pass and keep an eye on us. On a side glance there was one of the wait staff walking back and forth with her eye on us. I felt like I was naked under her surveillance lol. Confirmed, checks are coupled with either dessert or your ending coffee. No biggie for me, a lot of restaurants operate like this. read more

We just had a private event there and so the chef did a private menu for us! First of, what an awesome Art Deco and great atmosphere restaurant, this is a beautiful place! Then the food was exceptional, everything we had was executed perfectly! I'm not gonna lie, that fried chicken is one of the best I've ever had, and I've been blessed in my life to try many places! The suckling Pig was excellent as well, great flavors and perfectly done! If you find yourself in Montclair you have to stop by this wonderful place! read more

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Let me tell you a story about a turtle and a wolf. Actually, I don't know anything about it, so let Lauren, the chef/owner tell you about it on the "vision" tab of the restaurant's web site. After reading up on his (not her) culinary background, I now understand why everyone has been raving about this place and why we had such a great meal here. We walked in around 7:30 on a Friday night. We were asked if we had a reservation, which we did not, so the host directed us to the bar. Our waitress Megan (sp?) gave us plenty of time to settle in before coming over to introduce herself and explain the menu, which is the perfect size. Probably about 10 appetizers, 6 or 7 entrees, 5 or 6 sides, and 3 desserts. We didn't know where to begin (or end), so we spread out the enjoyment by sharing just about everything. Started with the deviled eggs (1 1/2 eggs). For $3, how could anyone pass these up? They were super fresh and delicious. Just the right amount of filling and paprika. The Beausoleil oysters ($18 for 1/2 dozen) were equally fresh. Kudos for the addition of the peppercorns in the mignonette. The baked clams carried a nice enough amount of herbs, I think anyone who doesn't like clams would probably appreciate these. The roasted beet salad with pistachios and goat cheese wasn't a first for me. This combination seems to be picking up steam at other farm-to-table concepts, but the freshness theme continued throughout. When it came to entree choices, it didn't matter what Megan recommended. I saw that brisket on the menu before I even walked in the door. No one was going to talk me out of it. It was as tender as I dreamed of, though the parsnips were probably just a tad undercooked and the puréed potatoes a few seconds overpuréed. The exotic mushrooms with crème fraîche as a side didn't do it for me, probably because the mushrooms were cold. I almost think these could have been served warm on the same plate as the brisket, less the crème fraîche. Megan really sold me on this place when it was time to order dessert. The three choices were the flourless chocolate cake (no thanks), the zeppoles or the apple and cranberry tart. When asked if the tart came with ice cream, Megan informed us T&W doesn't have a freezer. SOLD. A true sign these people have the whole farm-to-table thing down. Instead, the tart came with mascarpone, and it rocked! Elisa (sp?), the floor manager, also came over at one point to see how everything was. Classy. Overall, excellent service, food and ambiance. All that, combined with BYOB, means 5 stars from me! The only thing I'd say they need to chill out on are the espresso prices. $5 for a single; $8 for a double. Yikes. In fairness, though, all that we did order only came to $114, not including tip. read more

Turtle + The Wolf - Brisket. Delicious! - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Wonderful food with wonderful company. This past Sunday, I dined at Turtle + The Wolf with my boyfriend and his parents for an early Valentine's Day dinner. We were greeted at the door and brought into the restaurant by the welcoming staff and sat right by the open kitchen. The vibes were rustic, yet hip; the artwork covering the walls always catches my eye. It's a BYO so we paired some vino with our meal and it was perfection! Turtle + The Wolf is never disappoints! Great place for a special occasion ($$$) Food Line-Up: Rosemary Focaccia (2) for 4 people Shaved Fennel Salad Blistered Shishito Peppers (always my weakness): careful! These peppers are Russian Roulette. Sometimes, you bite into a spicy one Entrees: Berkshire Pork (pictured) Squid Ink Chitarra (pictured)- My entree. The Blue Crab Ragout made this dish One particular adjustment I would've like was to have it in a bowl rather than a plate. My boyfriend's mom even thought it was a salad when it came to the table Fish of the Day (Halibut) (pictured) Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart (pictured) Brown Sugar Pound Cake Overall, amazing experience. Will definitely be back read more

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Great food and service... waiter was incredibly patient and nice. Food was delicious. BYOB is huge, we'll be back

Excellent dinner and exceptional staff. Our dinner was excellent. We started with beef tartare and it was as good as we have ever had & our main course was excellent too. I had the chicken schnitzel & my wife had the salmon and both done to perfection. Great place and BYOB. read more

We came in here for the first time for dinner and we had the focaccia bread which was great and the oil Easters and we also had an appetizer of the Arancini My husband ordered the salmon dish I think it was a special it was sliced very thin and I had the beat ricotta dumplings which were pretty interesting and for dessert we had a butter scotch custard and it was good enough for me The restaurant was in itself very clean and the wait staff was very attentive we had Vanessa as our server but the hosts and busters were on point with their timing we took a kid pizza home to go for our son there was parking right outside but it is on the main street but the atmosphere is very nice and the Decour is very simple but contemporary This is probably the kind of place that I would only go to once just to check it out I don't see myself going here over and over but you bring your own bottle read more

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I am going to talk about one of the best experiences I have ever had. Let's start with when we walked through the door. We were quickly greeted and asked to sit at the bar area (where we got a close up glimpse of the kitchen), before our table was ready. Only a few minutes passed before we were seated. Ben quickly introduced himself and grabbed our bottle of wine. We quickly picked a few different appetizers, small plates however you want to call it.. and decided and 7! With the help of Ben of course. He split the food in two courses, to save room at our table. My best 3. The burrata, beef tartare, and the grilled peached. In that order. I savored every single bite. The burrata was burrata.. amazing as always, but paired with a tomato salad. The pickled onions and vinaigrette. It was the perfect amount of sweet and acidity. So perfectly paired. The beef tartare comes with little crostini cracker things.. also wow. It was packed with flavor. I just mashed it all up together. chives too? Maybe. It was glorious. And the PEACHES. Followed by the Chicken liver mousse, pork belly and clams, and shishito peppers. I personally like peppers to be more dry, less juicy, but my boyfriend loved them. The Mousse was so smooth. Can chicken liver be so smooth! The pork belly and clams were also packed with flavor. I was so full by the time the 2nd course arrived that I just had to stop eating. But I did leave room for dessert! The Peanut butter chocolate tart. With toasted marshmallow. Mmm.. imagine the best, and this is it. Other than how wonderful the menu was.. the service was impeccable. Everyone helped each other out with clearing plates, bringing new utensils, and keeping my ice cup full of ice. They also delivered the courses at the same time. So Ben helped Ben.. deliver all of our 1st and then 2nd course at the same time. I noticed a 4 top also had all of their meals delivered.. AT THE SAME Time! It's all about the details folks and Turtle + the Wolf has fine tuned their menu, the service they provide, and makes you feel at home. Bring your favorite bottle and come enjoy the menu and the staff.. for they are just excellent! read more

Great food and ambiance. The foccacia bread is to die for. And the place is byob. Definitely recommend!

The ambience and the service was really good. The menu was unique and had a lot of great options, the flavor was lacking on every dish. I would give the restaurant one more chance and go back because the service is so good. read more

Turtle + The Wolf = Excellent Dining Experience! We made the wise choice to pre-order the fried chicken for our table of four. Was delicious and was indeed a feast with plenty we had packed in doggie bags. Everything was delicious including the biscuits and potatoes. Not only was the service and hospitality as good as the meal, but the ambiance and vibe invited cross-table conversation despite having been quite busy....a very welcome attribute! read more

Excellent food. Interesting menu. Attentive service. Bistro atmosphere. Plan well ahead to get a reservation.

Montclair has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to restaurants, but this might actually be the best. My wife and I came here on a Saturday night because we could FINALLY get decent reservations for the place. We grabbed a bottle of sparkling red wine and headed over to Upper Montclair to check it out. First things first, this restaurant is gorgeous. The exposed ductwork, subtle art, paint colors we're considering stealing for our house, it's all there! And the food doesn't disappoint either. Some people get grumpy when a restaurant charges for bread, but it's well worth it here. Do it! We did the grilled whole wheat flatbread with whipped pork lardo, and it was fantastic! We also did the local burrata with roasted tomatoes, perfectly seasoned with ginger vinaigrette and creamy in every way you'd want burrata to be. I'm such a sucker for a good burrata. For dinner, my wife had the roasted and braised chicken after I reminded her I could make cacio e pepe at home. I had a squid ink chitarra with crab ragout and sea urchin. I can't eat sea urchin without hearing Ruxin from The League say "you can really taste the urchin," but I love sea urchin and this has the perfect balance of heat, richness, and umami. So so great. All in all this was a fantastic place and we can't wait to go back. What a gem! read more

Turtle + The Wolf - Squid ink chitarra with crab ragout and urchin - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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The two stars doesn't concern the restaurant as a whole - I'm just talking about the fried chicken here. The fried chicken is a family style meal, $45 a person. Comes with coleslaw, potatoes, biscuits, salad, and dessert to share. I won't do the math here, but it came down to about $5 per piece of chicken for us (Group of 3). I don't know why we wanted to order fried chicken from this type of restaurant. I guess we were expecting gold leaf or something. The chicken itself was disappointing. It was dry and flavorless. We felt like it must have been overcooked. Listen, I make a lot of jokes, but I'm not trying to be unreasonable when I say this: it is the exact texture and flavor of grocery store fried chicken. You know, the kind you can find under the heat lamps in the deli section? The service was professional and admirable as always. I just felt like I should probably say something about a dish that is so out of character when you consider Turtle + Wolf's reputation of quality. I'm still waiting on that gold leaf. read more

Turtle + The Wolf - Dry, flavorless; think grocery store fried chicken. - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

I heard of this restaurant by word of mouth and decided to try it out. It's located right in downtown Upper Montclair and it's actually pretty easy to miss if you don't know it's there. The restaurant is long and narrow but they have a decent amount of tables available. We made reservations for 5:30 and when we arrived at 5:15 there were already quite a few tables filled. Our waiter Sarah was great. She was very attentive, polite, and professional. She started us off by offering some complimentary still/sparking water. She then ran down the specials of the day and was patient with all our questions. We started off with the oysters and the pecorino arancini. The oysters were good and the arancini was AMAZING; the sauce was really the best part! For our entree, we decided on the rib eye special; $125 for two people. The steak well-seasoned and perfectly cooked. My only complaint is that there was more fat on there than what I would have expected for such a pricey plate. I would say a good 35% of the steak was pure fat. We also had a side of potatoes (which were okay but not memorable) and some ramps. The highlight of the night was actually the ramps! So crispy and tasty! I couldn't stop myself from eating them. I wish I had made it to dessert, but that will come the next time we visit! Also, just a few FYI's 1. BYOB - if you forget your bottle you can run directly across the street to grab some wine! 2. Plenty of street parking 3. Make a reservation because the place fills up quickly! read more

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Crazy delicious and wonderful ambiance and service. Smarter than most NJ restaurants that claim to be on the cutting edge.

I had been wanting to check out Turtle and the Wolf for a while. I had heard good things from friends and it lived up to the hype! We made reservations for New Year's Eve about 2 weeks before the day. We had no problem booking online. New Year's Eve had a special menu of fried chicken with lots of sides on a pre fixe menu. First we started with deviled eggs and a cracker loaded with caviar. Next course, we had a salad with a lite creamy dressing on it. And then it came time for the fried chicken! OMG. Excellent chicken. So good I think they should be featured on "Chicken Watch". The exterior of the chicken had a nice dry rub on it that gave it a BBQ chip flavor. It came with a few different dipping sauces but most times I ended up just eating the chicken undressed. The sauces were tasty though, a local honey, a bbq sauce, and something else spicy. The chicken came on a large platter that was plenty for me and my wife! We ended up having left overs the next day. I'm not sure if the fried chicken is offered all the time but I would definitely recommend trying it if available! I would like to check out Turtle + the Wolf again with a full menu. read more

Amazing food, superb staff and a great atmosphere. I will definitely make this a monthly visit! Lauren was beyond friendly and made everyone feel special. read more

Turtle + The Wolf - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Turtle + Wolf is truly a special place. I first took my girlfriend here for Valentines Day, and we quickly fell in love with the place. The atmosphere is hip, yet romantic. The service is impeccable. I have eaten here 3 times since, mostly because my girlfriend can not get enough of the turtle and wolf! The food here is amazing. Not only the best in Montclair, but in the whole state of New Jersey. My girlfriend literally cried tears of joy when she had the Squid Ink pasta. She said it's one of the best things she has eaten - ever. I have had many variations of the pork special. I've had the pork belly, shoulder, and 36 oz. shank. Out of the three, the shank is my favorite. The pork belly has a crispy skin and fatty underlayer. While the shoulder is very meaty. It is served on top of a creamy polenta that is to die for, along with turnips and apples. Appetizers: We love the chicken liver mousse (we get this everytime we go). We also love the oysters. They are perfectly briney and sweet. There is not enough good things I can say about the Turtle + Wolf. It is pricey, and the type of place you need a reservation to eat at. However, it is worth every single penny. We love you T+W! read more

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This was a fantastic place with great food and an awesome vibe! My girlfriend and I went here for our 1 year anniversary and it was perfect. The place has a very hipster vibe and all the waiters/waitresses are dressed in casual attire which I found to make the setting very comfortable and inviting. Our waiter Ben (who has dope hair btw) was extremely friendly and very attentive to us in case we needed anything. He knew about all the specials and also told us the price points for each dish, which I appreciated very much. I ordered the summer sausage that was the special pork dish of the day and my girlfriend got the fish special of the day which was a white fish where the meat came off in these big flakes that were very juicy. Needed a bit of lemon but other than that it was seasoned and cooked very well. The sausage was delicious and made my mouth water with every bite that I knew was to come. Portions for both were perfect; not too much where you feel so full after eating but not too little where it leaves you wanting more food to make you feel fuller. Would recommend for either a night out with a small group of friends or even an anniversary! Will definitely be back again soon. read more

Turtle + The Wolf - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Excellent for all to enjoy Burrata an appetizer of Brussels sprouts-onion soubise-pear-and cottage cheese Wow what a combination to tickle your tastebuds My entree was an unannounced special of scallops and mushrooms in a creme sauce Dessert was chocolate peanut butter tarte I'm coming back soon read more

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We can't say enough about the food and the staff. The menu is beyond incredible. The chef actually cares about what he's serving. Every dish is made to order and spectacular. You can't find a better BYOB. You have to make reservations and go family-style. You will not be disappointed. An incredible husband and wife team cook and run this little hidden gem. It's worth a ride from New York. Whether you're a group of 2 or 10, you're guaranteed to be overly satisfied with your meal. Enjoy ! read more

Turtle + The Wolf - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This has become one of my favorite places to eat not just in town, but ever. I've been 6 times, half of which were for brunch, and there is almost nothing bad I can say about this restaurant! The food is eclectic, different and downright delicious. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu plus its BYO! I love the vibes and decor is super chill and very foodie-centric. The focaccia is made fresh in house, and served warm, ugh so good. Charcuterie is old school with house cured meats, sauces and cheese obviously. Their menu is seasonal so things are always changing but if there is a white clam lasagna on the menu it will change your life - so creamy and decadent! During brunch, the Biscuits and Gravy, Focaccia, Shrimp & Grits, Chicken and Waffles are all worthy of your cheat meal. There's nothing Turtle + the Wolf can do wrong. Now, onto the large format menus - Fried Chicken or Roast Pig.. yum!! read more

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I don't think they need another wonderful review but they are one of the best restaurant in the area. All our dishes came out hot and quickly with wonderful staff to help us decide. Their gnocchi is a must along with their beef tartar. If you love octopus definitely order it. It was so tender you didn't need a knife. read more

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So so yummy and great service! Came on a friday night for an anniversary dinner and we were seated right away (had a reservation for 9 pm). Otherwise, every table was taken. It is byob so definitely bring your own if you would like. Our wine was warm because we just bought it so our waiter (his name is ben but theres apparently two of them, haha) brought over an ice bucket which was very nice. He gave us the specials and we ended up ordering the mussels as an appetizer. OMG these mussels, wow. It was so delicious, the sauce, the bread. There are just no words, i highly recommend them. Next we ordered their fish of the day and their pork of the day, both were absolutely delicious, especially the pork! Ben told us its apparently what they specialize in and let me tell you, he was not wrong. It was a sausage with i think polenta under it (? Cant remember) and it was SO yummy. Ben was super lively and really great at explaining everything, down to how the stuff was cooked! And the service was pretty quick which was nice. Overall, great place. Highly recommend. read more

Turtle + The Wolf - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This is a nice, cute restaurant with great food and ambiance. I got the roasted chicken with celery root and sunchokes, which was perfectly cooked and delicious! Other people at my table ordered the braised short rib and the mussels, which were both tasty as well. For dessert we shared the maple pot au creme which was rich and creamy, almost like a maple creme brûlée. I really loved the ambiance of this restaurant, with the open air kitchen and the cozy but modern decor - this would be a great spot for a date or even just a nice dinner with family or friends. I'll definitely be coming back soon! read more

Turtle + The Wolf - Roasted half chicken - New American Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Ambiance and service were great! The food was good and the specials interesting. You can walk in and sit at the bar.

Oct 5 2019. We pre ordered their Fried chicken dinner for 2 people. It It was accompanied by fried potato wedges, coleslaw, 4 biscuits and plate of shishito peppers. The chicken itself was nicely battered however, the seasonings fell short. What didn't fall short of was the overwhelming flavor of the Smokey chipotle seasoning that took over any other flavor. To make things worse is the fried Potato also had the chipotle seasoning with no relief from it. The coleslaw was the only thing that was balanced in flavor. After spending $95 for fried chicken and coleslaw one has to wonder if Popeyes would be a better choice. Don't fall for the hype.. read more

Wow! Everything we ordered was a homerun and the service was very friendly and funny. We had the oysters special, the beet and watermelon salad and the burrata. Next up was the Agnolotti, the Pappardelle and the Short rib. We closed the evening with 3 out of the 4 desserts. All the dishes had amazing flavors and presentations, and we cleaned off every plate. Also, we ordered the bread with sea salt and it was very addictive. We sat outside, which was really nice. Oh, and the bathrooms are adorable! Bon appetit! read more