Winter comfort food at Gadsby's Bar American

Sous Chef was able to join me for lunch this week due to the federal holiday, providing a great opportunity for him to finally try Gadsby's.

I was happy to see a slightly larger lunch crowd this time; hopefully that means that more people are learning about this place.  What was obviously a "Mommy and Me" group occupied the large round table towards the back of the restaurant, the heads of the mothers and their much tinier tots positioned around the table in a series of human peaks and valleys.

We came prepared with a hefty appetite and a bit of time to kill - what turned out to be the perfect combination for enjoying the three-course Restaurant Weeks lunch offering.

It was only after we ordered, as the food started coming out of the kitchen, that we realized that we had inadvertently indulged an unconscious yearning for Comfort Food.  Each course proved to warm both our bellies and our hearts more than the previous one.

Smooth and sweet butternut squash soup poured around an island of delicate Bay scallops and crisp strands of leek.

Creamy coconut curry risotto and luscious lump crab, the indulgence of which was balanced by a
sweet surprise - grilled pineapple.  Like the mud field at Woodstock, I find that a good dish always has a nice hit of acid.

Slowly braised flank steak atop a bed of buttery mashed potatoes, the red skins still peeking through the white starched pillows.  Perfectly cooked collard greens stood proudly on the top of the tower.

Each course was simply plated on white dishes; embellished plates and bowls would have proved unnecessary because the food itself had more than enough to say.

I have to say, we were truly impressed with the food.  Whoever was cooking that day deserves a gold star.

Eat well.

#hocofood