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| - Up until recently, I had only been to Butcher and the Rye twice for post-workday cocktails. I have tried a few of them, and they have all been interesting and well-crafted. I knew I needed to return here for dinner, and was very excited when I finally made plans to do so during restaurant week.
I'm usually all about the prix fixe restaurant week menus (since they are usually unique and only offered for a limited time), but the regular menu had so many appetizing options that we decided to go our own route.
We started with the focaccia. The bread was delicious and I'm not exaggerating when I say I could have probably eaten an entire loaf of it by myself. It was accompanied by three spreads: a white bean puree, olive tapenade, and whipped ricotta. All three were delicious, and the servings were generous with a good bread-to-spread ratio.
We followed this with the dry aged tartare. I loved that the tartare was served on very thin pieces of bread, garnished with capers, radish, black garlic aioli, greens, and of course an egg yolk. It was visually a very appealing dish, and the flavor did not disappoint. I will mirror what my dining partner Ashley L. said: this was the best tartare I've had so far by a long shot.
I enjoyed the seared scallops for my entree. They were served on a blue crab risotto with chanterelles (and yet more capers--I clearly love them). The scallops were packed with flavor and perfectly succulent. Risotto is often hit or miss but this was delicious and the perfect texture. The portion was a good size and again looked just as good as it tasted.
The service has been great here, both at the bar and this time while dining. Everyone has been friendly and informative. The space itself is fantastic... the restaurant is divided into small areas (and an upstairs balcony), and with the low lighting and rustic finishes, has a very intimate yet comfortable atmosphere. I love the mismatched furniture and unique decor. They really did a great job at making the place feel and look upscale without being stuffy.
I'm already looking forward to my next trip here as there are a number of other items on the menu that sounded fantastic!
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