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| - Only in town for 3 days - So many restaurants, not enough time! After much consideration, I chose FnB and did not regret it. Located on a charming street in Old Town, this place was walking distance to several other restaurants and pubs. The atmosphere was chic and bustling, while service was sincere and personal. But mainly I picked this place for the unique counter seating that lets you watch the action in the kitchen.
I appreciated that Friday night reservation was ready on time despite a full house, and my party of 4 was given the corner of the counter as promised! Thank you!!
FnB features local and seasonal produce, meats, and even wine! We started off with some Arizona vino, which was surprisingly nice (even for the wine snobs in the group). The food menu was extremely limited, even for a restaurant of this size. There were only four entree selections... and NO FISH OPTION! This is how I felt about that: /:(
Here's what we ate:
* Braised leeks w/ mozzerella - This dish was praised in Food & Wine so perhaps my expectations were too high. It tasted like leeks, cheese, and a fried egg. There were no special flavors in this dish, and after sitting for 2 minutes the cheese got hard and rubbery.
* Rainbow Valley Butter - Butter as an appetizer? What the hell, we're on vacation! The generous mound of freshly churned butter was awesome on top of crusty bread with local honey and cashews. The radishes seemed an odd accompaniment but I was told radishes and butter are a classic French pairing.
* Crispy Jidori Chicken - It's a good, basic roast chicken.
* Pasta du Jour - The pasta was a unique kind of shape, but other than that there was nothing special here. There was a little bit of chewy pancetta and a ton of cauliflower florets in the pasta. The sauce was broth-based with a hint of lemon. Not great.
* Seared Scallops - Lame dish. The scallops were served on top of plain steamed jasmine rice/quinoa (but primarily rice), with a lemony relish.
Overall take? Pleasantly surprised by atmosphere and service, underwhelmed by food. Entrees are probably overpriced for what they are, but we still left full and happy. Would possibly come back after checking out other restaurants in the area!
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