I can't think of any situation where I want to stare into the navel of a stranger while drinking a Negroni and dipping pita into the best yogurt cheese -- let alone all dips -- so coming on a Friday instead of Saturday belly dancing night was more appealing. And, really, we went at our first chance after getting a very kind gift card.
We may have arrived just minutes after opening, and were the first ones to arrive, sometimes that's a bit of a bore for me because I really love the energy of a packed, impressive restaurant, and lo, over the course of the next 90 minutes it filled.
I'm a lucky guy -- yet again -- to be friends with people who know what they're doing when they're spending money on eating & drinking & sitting in spaces. This was one of the finest meals of 2013, maybe my favourite.
Sometimes I feel really bad about letting the server that we may want to take our time and have drinks for a little bit before ordering entrees, but she was really sweet and hopefully she saw the future of perfect lamb entrees our eyes.
They do a whacky Negroni with rhum in it. What! Yeah, it's really smart, in fact. Campari being bitter, the sweetness balanced it incredibly well, I was really, really impressed, and they added a spiced bitter.
Now. The dips. The DIPS. All caps worthy. Tattoo on my hands worthy. Never drink without these dips worthy. That yogurt cheese thing.
The lamb is cooked to a crusty edge, sealed in flavours, and it's large enough to share. The ambience is warm, not too loud but the energy is up, and the service is spot on.
I don't think there's another accent they could write on their name to accentuate how perfect of a dining establishment they are.