Tonight's Episode: Every dog has it's day, except today

            For Valentine's weekend The Girl and I met up with another couple Mr. Heed (See also: So I Married an Axe Murder) and Mrs. Plan. We loaded up in the service loaner LR4 and took a trip to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Food wasn't the main concern, as our actual Valentine's dinner was at IHOP, but one dining experience stood out during the weekend. That would be our stop at Cedric's Tavern at the Antler Hill Village. Back in December our friends stopped there and had a great meal. We thought we would give it a shot.
            The first thing you must know about dining at Cedric's is that it is on the estate, therefore you must already have purchased an admission ticket. Located next to the Winery, Cedric's is named after George Vanderbilt's beloved St. Bernard. The restaurant itself is decorated as a modern hunting lodge/pub.  Overall it is a pleasant enough place to relax after fighting the crowds at the house.
            The girls arrived first, as Mr. Heed and I were busy tearing through the mud at the Land Rover Driving Experience. The first people seated, our two lovely ladies had a hard time getting their drinks, finally asking another server for their teas. While going through the menu, Mrs. Plan noticed that the sandwich she so enjoyed on their December visit was missing. When she inquired about the sandwich to the waiter, his rather snotty reply was that they were now on their winter menu. Remember folks, December was removed from winter.
             Mr. Heed and I arrived just as the ladies were finishing up the White Cheddar Pimento Cheese ($7). Served with crispy pretzel chips, the pimento has a nutty flavor that may not be what I think of as pimento cheese, but it still is rather satisfying. After trying the cheese my attention was stolen by the house made pickles. These are true sours, with a bite that is very satisfying.
             Picking mains, Mrs. Plan took another order of Pimento Cheese. Mr. Heed choose the Fish & Chips with fries and tartar sauce ($17). The pale ale batter was beautiful, and the fish were perfectly cooked. In the tartar sauce, however, was a surprise. Hidden below was a dark circle that looked like a burnt piece of potato. We will get back to that in a second.
            I choose the Crispy Salmon Fillet served over baby potatoes, savoy cabbage, with fresh cream and dill ($23). While my fish was cooked wonderfully mid-rare, it was totally lacking seasoning and barely warm. Even spooning the dill cream over the fish for more flavor I honestly feel I would have been better off ordering the Salmon at Ruby Tuesday.
            The Girl went with the Stuffed Boneless Chicken Breast with Gruyere, shaved country ham, garlic, and served with creamy mushroom risotto ($20). The chicken was fairly moist, and the skin very crisp, but yet again the temperature left a lot to be desired. About the time Mr. Heed noticed his large black disc, The Girl noticed the very large bone in her boneless chicken breast. The Waiter, true to form, was no where to be seen. Eventually, I got the attention of the manager.
            First thing she addressed was the mystery disc. Turns out that is a secret ingredient called sun dried tomato. How it got into the tartar sauce, she had no idea. Turning our attention to the bone-in boneless chicken, she informed us that it was an airline breast of chicken. I responded that first, on the menu, it was listed as boneless. Second, an airline breast has the first joint of the wing, not the drum, wing, and breast plate. Third, it was advertised as BONELESS.  She then acknowledged that yes, indeed, the chicken breast was improperly broken down.
              I have spent enough time working in Food and Beverage that I rarely make a fuss, and when I do complain I try to be constructive. This experience, at these prices, will guarantee that I will never dine here again. When the check came, we were informed our dinner was taken care of. No it wasn't, our bill was. Next trip to Biltmore, I will dine at the beautiful Golden Arches across the street.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 1/5
Food: 2/10
Value: 1/5
Overall: 7 out of 25 Though our friends enjoyed their last visit nothing here will ever get me back in the door

Tonight's episode: No Mr. Bond, I expect you to dine!

          In the realm of Charleston fine dining there are many contenders for the throne of Best Restaurant. Ask your five closest friends, and you're likely to get five different answers. Ask Travel + Leisure, AAA, Forbes, Andrew Harper, or Wine Spectator, and you'll receive one answer: The Dinning Room at Woodlands Inn.
          I have been surprised at how often in Charleston I hear "Where is that?" about The Woodlands. Situated in a sprawling Neo-Georgian home in the heart of Summerville, The Woodlands oozes southern plantation charm. If you do not have a SUV, I suggest not taking the main entrance off Parson's Road; take the back entrance. The lack of paving can do a number on your car. My other piece of advice is to use the valet. Those boys work much harder than your average valet, the five dollars isn't going to kill you, and I was once a Woodlands valet many years ago.
          There have been minor changes to the Dinning Room over the years, including the addition of a small casual dining area known as The Pines. That being said, gentlemen, please wear a jacket. By the time you can afford to dine at The Woodlands, or Grill 225, or Peninsula Grill you should own at least two suits and a sports coat. This would be an occasion to wear one of those.
        The service is impeccable. There really is nothing more to say on that end. You will love the service. The change from world class sommelier Stephane Peltier to the current sommelier, whose name I never did catch, may not be seamless, but you will still be in knowledgable hands. As far as the fare offered by new executive Chef Andrew Chadwick, expect fresh and local. He has gone so far as to plant his own garden on the estate to help provide a more sustainable menu than in the days when Chef Ken Verdinski ran the kitchen.
           For starters, The Girl chose the Lobster Bisque with Lobster Salad and Herb Jellies off the 3 for $30 menu. The presentation is beautiful with the lobster salad and log of herb jellies in the plate, then the lobster bisque poured over the top. The bisque was light and creamy and handled with a deft hand. The herb jellies frankly scared The Girl, as it was a rectangular log of dark green jelly. While an interesting technique, overall it added very little to the soup as it was too firm to blend in and was overpowered when in the spoon with the bisque. I went with the Grilled Octopus with Pesto, Marinated Feta Cheese, Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes, and Meyer Lemon ($18). Two large tentacles of octopus were grilled just to the point of being done, avoiding the chewy mess that it can become. The pesto was pretty, but added little flavor. The Meyer lemon, when topping the octopus, gave a citrus tang that verged on the effervescent. Both starters showed great technique and were a delight to eat despite some needless additions to the dishes.
           On to the entrees, The Girl went with the Heirloom Pork, Roasted Root Vegetables, in a Cider Reduction. My complaint with this dish was portion size. It was TOO DAMN BIG!!! This turned out to be a double cut pork chop, Frenched, over a large pile of root vegetables. This seared club 'o pork makes a statement, loud and proud, that The Woodlands is no dainty food destination. The crust Chef Chadiwick achieves is crisp without being chewy, the meat delicate and juicy. What a winner of a dish.
For my main, I chose an herb stuffed Sole with fennel ($28). The fish was delightfully mild, sweet and buttery, though the large fennel bulbs made the plate look unbalanced.
           After our trip to Grill 225 it was no surprise that The Girl went with the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta, with Smoked Chocolate Mousse, and Raspberries. The panna cotta itself was amazingly light and creamy, and when you mix it with the smoked chocolate, you are blown away by the depth and richness of flavor achieved. I caution you to not eat the chocolate by itself. It tastes remarkably like licking the inside of your grill lid. I chose the Passion Fruit Creme Brulee with Banana chips and Candied Mangos ($10). The Passion Fruit flavor comes out of left field, taking a French classic on a tropical vacation. The most surprising part was how well the smoked chocolate from The Girl's dish worked with my creme brulee.
           The Dinning Room at The Woodlands is a premier destination for a special occasion. The standards of service and the classic surroundings take you to another time and another place. There may be some small cases of showcasing technique over need, but the plates are beautiful, the food stunning, the service perfect. It's hard not to compare The Woodlands today with the days of Ken Verdinski, but that would be unfair to Chef Chadwick. Walking out with my arm wrapped around The Girl, our stomaches happily full, I couldn't help thinking this was a great evening.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Food: 9/10
Value: 2/5
Overall: 21 out of 25 A taste of elegance at an elegantly large price