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| - My husband, some friends and I attended the Friends and Family preview last week, and were thoroughly impressed with the creative, contemporary cuisine and the nice, modern but cozy atmosphere.
The name of the restaurant matches the exterior-- we passed by it three times before we finally spotted it, wedged among the larger restaurants along Elizabeth. Keep your eyes peeled!
For our meal, we shared the poached pear salad (Arugula, Butternut Crème Fraiche, Roasted Walnuts, Spiced Citrus Vinaigrette) which was out of this world. Imagine an adorable, soft perfectly plump pear and slightly bitter arugula and the crunch of walnuts. This was definitely a memorable salad. (I've had enough walnut pear and Gorgonzola, thank you very much!)
Because the kitchen was backed up because of the special event, the owner, Joe was very sweet in offering us some fried pickles. (Who doesn't love fried pickles?) They're nothing out of the ordinary, but were well executed.
Now, for the main event.
I had the 18-Hour Short Rib (Parmesan & Bourbon Creamed Corn, Whipped Garlic & Chili Infused Yukon Gold Potatoes) and yes, it was ONE rib. Don't let this deter you, it's enough food. Perfectly seasoned and fall-off--the-bone yummy. The creamed corn was really special too. Slightly sweet, and cheesy, I could have eaten just the corn.
My husband had the Crispy Chicken (Thyme Waffle, Salted Caramel Butter, Chili-Infused Honey) which I had anticipated to be boring, like other chicken and waffles I've had. But the touches like salted caramel butter and thyme infused waffle was a really nice touch and made the dish special and memorable. The only tiny, tiny, tiny critique...the waffle could have been a bit crisper, and maybe fluffier. Otherwise, we have a fantastic dish.
My friend across the room had the pasta, which is made in-house, and from what she said, absolutely incredible. Another friend had the eggplant starter, which looked super crisp, and really pretty.
My husband also loved the NC craft beers available.
Overall, Smalls leaves a great impression. They're the kind of restaurant you eat at, and as soon as your done eating, are already planning your next visit and who you'll bring with you. I think our exact words were "...let's put this into our regular restaurant rotation".
Well done!
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