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| - Fantastic meal with impeccable service and decor that would leave Alphonse Mucha green with envy.
Confronted with a hunger and desire to take advantage of restaurant week, we showed up on a Friday night around 5 without a reservation and was--amazingly--able to get a seat at a small table in the bar area.
Bread, service, and water came quickly from the attentive and friendly staff. After ordering we were attended to just the right amount: not too pushy, yet not absent.
While enjoying the bread, which is fabulously fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, we soaked in the ambiance: romantically lite room, beautiful woodwork, and mesmerizing back-lit vines.
For the first course, we shared two salads, the goat cheese and the grilled grape. Both are fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the blue cheese vinaigrette on the grilled grape, which only hints at its blue cheese roots.
Next, we had the (famous) buttermilk fried chicken and vegetarian cous cous. Again, both were wonderful. The chicken was slightly battered and fried, which was a refreshing contrast to to more traditional fried chicken. The cous cous is a cornucopia of veggies and, well cous cous, in a light tangy sauce that I couldn't get enough of. Both are highly recommended.
Finally, dessert involved sharing a walnut and pecan pie (delicious, but I like my desserts like I like my chocolate--with chocolate) and a chocolate (yay!) bread pudding. The latter earned a paragraph unto itself.
Through years of diligent research, I've reached the conclusion that many chocolaty cake desserts are a let down. They are either not moist enough, too sweet, not sweet enough, too much, or just not satisfying. Yet still, time after time, I trepidatiously order the chocolate whatever in hopes that somehow, this time would be different. Usually, I am let down. However, this time at Carpe Diem it was different: this was the perfect mix of chocolaty goodness delivered via an appropriately moist vehicle for facilitating the devouration (yes, I just made that word up) of said chocolatly goodness (the bread pudding). I realize my error has always been relying on the traditional 'cake' delivery method. No longer. If ever you get the chance, you need to devourate (oops, I did it again) this chocolate bread pudding
In a final note, there is the bar area and the official dining area. We actually preferred the bar area on account of the lighting and more intimate nature of the experience. Still, the dining area has beautifully crafted art nouveau woodwork, a flower centerpiece, and wonderful artwork. I would return just to admire the place.
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