bread & butter concepts' best yet. i had the opportunity to try gram & dun for the first time last night, and this is easily the best execution of the bread & butter concepts family (brgr and urban table being the other two) yet. i was blown away by the service on many levels--the host station being able to come find me and my party in the hopping (and crowded) bar area, with only the initial interaction upon which to identify me. i loved the fact that our server was able to talk knowledgeably and at-length about the various menu options, and i enjoyed the fact that the runners had no trouble pairing the correct diners with the correct dishes. all these things are subtle, but are often lost at restaurants that aren't on the same level as the american, michael smith, bluestem, etc... now, i'm not saying that g&d isn't on that level, but it is certainly less expensive than those other options. another major plus in my book.
the food and drinks were excellent. we, upon recommendation from our server, tried the not-so-standard potato chips, which were essentially chip-shaped fries that came with three unique and incredibly tasty ketchups: guacamole, vanilla bean, and blood orange-habañero. each had the distinct flavor for which they were named, but were still distinctly ketchup in nature. we also each sampled a different salad--i had the shaved brussels sprouts, which was very good, but i think a gentle cooking/searing of the brussels before shaving them would have really made the flavor explode. as it was, it was just a very good salad.
the highlight of the night was easily the main course. mrs. foodiophile sampled one of the evening's specials--a pan-roasted halibut dish with spinach and carrots that looked excellent. so excellent, in fact, that i sampled the fish and it was cooked perfectly; a nice crispy carmelization on the outside, while remaining moist and succulent inside. i was tempted to order it myself, but ended up being glad i went with the sweet tea braised pork shoulder that came with lemon rocket and a cornbread stuffing.
speaking of my choice, i had been debating between the pork shoulder and the other night's special (a rabbit sausage) but went with the pork, again upon recommendation from our server. she said it would "fall apart", and she wasn't lying or exaggerating. in fact, i ate the entire thing with nothing but a fork, and at times had a hard time getting the food into my mouth because i couldn't get it onto my utensil without the meat melting apart when i would try to skewer it with the tines of the fork. before the food arrived, a runner brought me a nice, big steak knife, which i can only imagine is done to accent just how ridiculously tender the meat was. it's almost as if they bring it to say "you won't need this". the cornbread stuffing was delicious, with sausage lending an earthy, smoky flavor to it, but the star of the dish was the play of flavors between the pork shoulder and the lemon rocket. upon eating the two components together, the lemon dressing and the sweet tea marinade combined to impart the feel of an iced tea with lemon. it was an incredibly successful dish and i will be hard-pressed the next time i return to try something new instead of getting the pork shoulder again.
we wrapped up with dessert--the strawberry shortbread--and it was good, but nothing amazing. it's entirely possible that it just didn't come up to the lofty standard established by the pork shoulder. perhaps next time we'll have to try the gram & dun bar, which i've heard from several people is exceptional.
i have a feeling that g&d will be a staple on the plaza for a long time to come. well, at least i hope it will be.
update
i had to comebackand modify my review to rave about one of the house cocktails at gram & dun: the smoking dun. the thing that really sets this off is the smoked ice cube that imparts a subtle but hauntingly tasty smokiness to the drink without being overpowering. if you are the type who likes artisan cocktails, try the gram & dun.