Savory Grain

I was going to do a post on Jorge's Cantina first, but then my friend told me their brunch is AWESOME and I haven't been yet.  So I should probably hold off until then.  In the meantime....

Where Empress once stood, now there is only Savory Grain.

The new restaurant opened its doors at 2043 W. Broad Street in March or April….spring of 2013 damn it.  Some friends and I went to check it out back in May.  We had a group of 11 and thankfully made reservations because even on a Thursday it was crowded (and from what I’ve seen, restaurants in that area that don’t have a thriving bar scene don’t typically get busy…or do well…hence Empress’ closing). 

We were seated in our private little dining room/nook, and I must say I found it quite charming.  The decorations and ambiance of the place are homey with a touch of class.  It’s very relaxing IMO.

A friend and I started out by splitting the calamari as an appetizer, and it was the most interesting calamari I’ve ever come across. In a good way – a VERY good way.  It’s tempura battered calamari served over a fresh tomato sauce and mixed with grilled jalapenos, chorizo, smoked shallots and topped with a fried egg. Say whaaaaaaat?  Even though I typically stay away from spicy things (stomach problems) I still went for this and was so glad I did. It does have a kick (how could it not?), but it was so good it was worth it.  And it was only $8!

In fact the prices at Savory Grain impressed me more than anything.  This group does a monthly “let’s try a new place” dinner, and it’s typically at a pricey place.  But at Savory Grain you can get a good selection of appetizers, salads or sandwiches for $8 or $9.  And their entrees run anywhere from $14 to $22.  Not diner prices or anything, but not too shabby.

For my entrée, I chose the grilled quarter chicken.  Since I got a fried appetizer, I decided to go the healthy route for the main course.  It was good, nothing out of the ordinary.  It was served with a Belgian herb au jus, and maybe if I was familiar with that I would’ve known what to expect, but what I got was a lot sweeter than I had anticipated.  Wasn’t a huge fan of that.  But the chicken was a little dry so I kinda had to use it.  But the red skin potatoes were really good, and the grilled zucchini was…grilled zucchini. Not much you can do with that when it’s just a side on an already tame dish.

Other dishes ordered include the Mimi’s crab dip, house made bruschetta, and lamp “pops” for appetizers, and the Savory Grain burger (I mean, obviously people got other things and liked them, but the myself and the people immediately around me were too caught up in our food to discuss it too much with folks across the table J).  The crab dip was really good with a tiny kick, but heavy. Definitely for sharing.  The bruschetta was fresh and delicious.  And I didn’t try the lamb but everyone who did raved about it.  My friend who had the burger said it was good, but with a little shrug.  So I’m sure it was good but just nothing spectacular.

Overall, the Savory Grain is a place you can go to over and over again for good food and good wine (and beer) for moderate prices.  They also have a patio area on Broad Street which will be an excellent ahng out spot come fall.  So, 3 out of 5 stars in Yelp terms haha.

Check them out at the Savory Grain website or call them at 804-592-4000.