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| - We were sitting at home last week trying to figure out where in the world we could celebrate our 200th Queen City Restaurant Review when all of the sudden... The Fig Tree Restaurant popped into our heads. The Fig Tree has been on our must-hit list for a very long time and an obvious pick for our 200th review.
The Fig Tree is located in a 1913 bungalow in Charlotte's Elizabeth neighborhood just minutes from our house. I made reservations online a week prior and left a note requesting our table be somewhere in the house with decent lighting. When we arrived we were seated quickly and at a table at the front of the house with amazing natural light just as the sun was setting.
We kicked off the night with a Fig tart with taleggio and prosciutto over a red wine reduction. It seemed largely inappropriate to order any appetizer not featuring figs while at the Fig Tree Restaurant and without a doubt it was the right decision. The deliciously flaky crust was obviously home made and came topped with a melty and salty cheese that balanced out perfectly with the sweet figs. The red wine reduction added a a great touch of sweetness and fruity tannins to compliment the figs.
The Sweet corn chowder with prosciutto come out next and despite being delicious... may have been a little underwhelming also. For the most part it just tasted like a big bowl of fancy cream corn. Im definitely not a chowder expert but if I could offer one suggestion it would be to add some herb crusted roasted potato cubes.
I (Ella) got the Grilled New Zealand Elk Chop over smashed finger link potatoes with Smoked Bacon-Braised Purple Cabbage and Boursin Dijon Sauce. It doesn't happen often but I was really excited to see something on a menu that I have never had before. I was expecting it to be gamey kind of like a bigger version of venison, but I was pleasantly surprised by its subtle flavor and tender texture. The dish originally came with a horseradish spaetzle which went well with the other side items, but I don't particularly like horseradish so I went with the mashed potatoes instead. The mashed potatoes matched nicely with the smokey cabbage and delicious dijon sauce. I really enjoyed everything about this dish and cant wait to try elk again.
I (Curtis) got the Grilled Filet Mignon topped with Stilton Cheese and Mushroom Duxelles over a Sweet Corn Polenta Cake with a Veal Demi-Glace and a side of Asparagus. Filet Mignon always leaves me wanting more... more flavor, more meat, more anything. The Stilton cheese was delicious but was countered by the lack luster and not-so-sweet corn polenta cake. The high points to the filet mignon were the euphoric aroma, the plate composition, and the filet was cooked to a perfect medium rare.
I (Ella) was very impressed with the dessert menu at Fig Tree. As a pastry chef myself, I get really bored with the same old dessert options that I see on every dessert menu. Luckily for me the desserts on this menu were complex and full of interesting flavors and garnishes. The Dark Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Glacage over Coffee Crémeux and Almond Shortbread with Coffee Gelato caught my eye for dessert. The chocolate mousse was deliciously light with a dark chocolate bitterness that matched perfectly with the coffee flavors in the cremeux and the gelato. The almonds added a much needed crunch to a very soft dish and the pulled sugar garnish seemed like a halo topping a perfect dessert.
Despite some light redicule from my pastry chef partner... I (Curtis) went with the only classic on the menu, the S'mores Cheesecake. Unknown to me the S'mores cheesecake was nothing like the original classic I have come to love over the years, it was way better! It was smaller than normal but the small size packed a very large flavor. The graham cracker base came topped with a very dense cheesecake cube, a micro pond of dark chocolate, several hand made torched marshmallows, and a very adorable chocolate swirly thing. The whole dessert was amazing and a must have for anyone visiting the Fig Tree.
The Fig Tree Restaurant lived up to our expectations and despite not falling in love with the Filet Mignon we cant wait to go back. The app was delicious, the entrees were unique, and the desserts were more than memorable.
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