I really enjoyed my time at Essex. I had pretty much no idea what I was getting into, only that the menu was vegetarian-friendly enough. We had a 6:30 reservation on a Saturday night.
The location is very cool in the middle of Uptown. The restaurant is covered in glass. The interior is quite dark and decorated in a typical upscale restaurant fashion.
We both ordered two plates. Our food came out so fast that it actually beat our drinks. I had the warm Brussels sprout Caesar salad and a flatbread. Both were absolutely delicious. The salad in particular blew my mind. Shaved Brussels ( I think steamed then broiled? Unclear how it is prepared) with a fantastically creamy dressing. And not a tiny portion! And, as expected, the flatbread was delicious.
We followed dinner with pumpkin cheesecake that was also great. Didn't QUITE have the crust-to-cheesecake ratio that I like, but I'm very picky about that so I'll let it slide.
This is a VERY busy spot. You definitely need a reservation. Your waiter may disappear for a bit (the space is larger than you might think) but other than a mistake on our bill, I don't really have complaints. Essex is a definitely an experience, so you should go for a special occasion (and make sure your wallet is ready for it, too).