My friend and I grabbed lunch at Essex on a Tuesday afternoon. We arrived about 10 minutes before noon to avoid the lunch rush, and it was a good thing we did! By the time we left at a little before 1 p.m., the restaurant was packed. If you are coming with a group, be sure to call ahead for a reservation.
The venue is absolutely beautiful. There is a large patio that sits on the square - we didn't eat out there, but it looked great. The interior has a nice mix of textures - wood, brick and fabrics that are very pleasing.
The service was impeccable - fast, friendly and helpful.
The menu at Essex is very unique with flavors from all over the world - surely something to suit everyone. I had the warm brussel sprout chicken caesar salad. The brussel sprouts had the perfect amount of crunch, the asiago caesar dressing was very flavorful and the chicken was perfectly moist. My friend had the blackenened grouper tacos with a side salad. The tacos were stuffed full of tasty grouper and the side salad was crisp and quite large.
Overall, our experience was wonderful. I'm excited to go back!