Eat Arkansas

we think that for the price and quality of food and service that brave's is as good as anywhere. my wife and i have never been disappointed there and have gotten to where it is our special occasion home.

Acadia is always my choice for my birthday dinner. Last year, Mr. EY's birthday dinner was at Sir Lion's Inn (sniff, tear). This year, it was at Arthur's. However, I think you can't go wrong with Ferneau, Brave New, Trio's, Caper's....and those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head with barely any coffee in my system.

Capeo is a favorite speical location of The Mordy's. Wonderful food, great atmosphere and outstanding wine. Also been known to frequent Sonny William's on special evenings. We're saving up in our piggy bank to hit Arthur's, but I think we're going to need a bigger bank.

Although lately, Mr. Mordy's birthday destination has been even better than anything around here...New Orleans! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Brave New Restaurant is totally overrated. No offense, because I know that many people hold Brave New dear to their hearts, but I just don't get what all the fanfare is about. While the outdoor patio is beautiful and boasts incredible views, the indoor dining section reminds me of the kind of restaurant you would find in an airport. The cutlery was stained and cheap. The stemware was a complete joke- (why do so few local restaurants understand the importance of proper stemware?) On top of that, when we asked our server whether or not she would recommend a particular bottle of wine, she paused, and then apathetically retorted, "Umm... it's... good?" The food I ordered was mediocre, at best. How fried food served on top of more fried food is supposed to be appealing or "brave", I'll never know. There was absolutely no ambience, not visually or audibly (no music), and the whole experience just about bored me to tears. For special occasions or any occasion, Ferneau is always at the top of my list. They have the best food and service, hands down.

I have to agree, I never really got the hype with Brave New. Although I like the use of local ingredients, and the fact that I can get a Malbec (sometimes), that's about it. Some of my dishes have been really good, others are just ok. I think of Brave as a step above generic dining out spots, but definitely not in the top ranks.

Usually I cycle through a few places any time I want a special meal: Fernau, So, Nu (well, used to), Imagine and Ciao Baci. Another good place is Capeo, but usually I stick on this side of the river. I tried Lulav for the first time at lunch and liked it (other than the terrible service), so maybe that will make it into the rotation. I probably go to Ciao Baci the most out of those listed.

JenRob, how wonderful that someone agrees.

It's refreshing to hear that at least someone else isn't falling all over themselves to dine at Brave New. It's just so stale and predictable, and not the least bit adventurous.

I also just recently tried Lulav for the first time, and thought the food was great, though the service was horrible. I'm almost sure that our server was on drugs, because he was just unbelievably inept. It was like something out of a bad sitcom.

Trying Capeo for the first time this weekend- really looking forward to it.

JenJens, seeing as it's the highlight of my neighborhood, I frequent Capeo quite often. You should try the meatballs, the Duck Valentine, the deep-fried sage leaves, and the tagliatelle. Those are my faves on the menu. Oh, and order a cocktail, because the bartender is outstanding.

I agree that Brave can be somewhat overrated. Their fish is always outstanding, I wish he'd think of some sauce other than breu blanc or whatever. However, last time I was there he had a side of pasta with a smoked tomato sauce that blew my socks off. Good thing I was wearing sandals.

I can understand why restaurants might not use the very best stemware. Imagine someone getting sloshed on wine that costs less then the glass it's poured in. I don't require a fabulous glass, I just want one large enough to swirl my red wine about. I'm not trying to impress anyone, it's just a good way to be tactile with my food.

Trios is my favourite place in the city. Sure, it can seem cramped sometimes, but the food is always excellent and the prices are quite reasonable. I don't need to look dreamily into my co-diner's eyes during dinner whilst a string quartet plays unnoticed in the corner. It's all about the food.

Pollen:

On the note of food being "what it's all about" I agree, but only to a small extent. To me and my co-diner, it's about every aspect of the entire experience of the restaurant blending beautifully together: the decor, the music, the crowd, THE SERVICE (always the service), the food, the cutlery, and most definitely the stemware. The second a server looks at me as if I have asked him for a brief history of the Pythagorean Theorem when in reality I've only asked him his opinion on a bottle of Zinfandel, I'm totally turned off- particularly when you're throwing down serious cash expecting a lovely evening out. This goes the same for walking into a carpet-filled restaurant and noticing food ground into little footprints across the floor. It's disgusting.

The food is usually the highest priority, but so few restaurants in this town seem to have caught on to the idea that not everyone wants to order the Heart Attack Special or any other redundant version of typical "southern" fare. Where's the sense of adventure and creativity on the menu? Why always play it safe? Furthermore, there have been several recent trends seen in finer dining restaurants that reflect a desire for healthier dishes with simple themes: clean taste and fresh produce. Any establishment that charges high prices and classifies itself as fine dining owes a serious debt to its patrons to have options for healthy dishes, proper cutlery, proper stemware (as to enjoy the notes and flavors of wine to their absolute fullest potential), and for GOD SAKE, a wait staff who has at least a faint understanding of what they serve at their place of employment. I'm not paying them to waste my time or money.

Argenta Girl: Thanks for the recommendation. Capeo has a great reputation for their food and service- I have very high hopes.

Brave's is the dining experience of choice for us, too...unanimously. I can't even believe some of the commentors above went to the same restaurant. All we do is walk in, sit down, and find out what the chef's special is, and order it. I've never been disappointed there, EVER. And I'm not exactly easy to please. In either a tie or a close second, for me, would be Miles James' restaurant in The Inn at the Mill.

Brave is my favorite restaurant in town specifically because it doesn't have to be a special occasion on to go there. You don't have to spend a ton of money to have a great meal. It's just great, fresh dishes consistently well prepared with relaxed, competent wait staff. I think Peter just wants folks to come in and enjoy a meal and a view and a drink. No muss no fuss.

I agree JenJen. I don't want to drink wine out of a Dixie Cup (which actually happened once at a Brownbag Italian place out Hwy. 10). A good server should be totally familiar with the menu including wines and cocktails. I've been to places where the server instinctively recommends the pricest wines on the list. I'll drink a pricey wine on occasion, but not if it's doubled in price and I'll have to tip 20% over that just so someone can open it, and refill my glass more often than is needed. Hell, show me where the water pitcher is and I have no problem refilling my water glass. Apart from knowing the menu, my main requirement from a server is to make sure the kitchen gets my order right. It also helps not to be forgotten when the food is ready for the table.

All that being said, my best meals are consistantly the ones cooked by my friends and myself. We drink better wines then also, and don't have to pay double plus tip to do so.

Pollen:

Agreed. The meals you prepare yourself are often the most rewarding. And, you can always find a great bottle of wine for under $20. Maybe we just went to Brave New on an off night but either way, I wasn't terribly impressed by anything that restaurant had to offer.

I know what you mean about waiters immediately suggesting the most expensive wines on the menu- it's presumptious. And that's amazing that someone served wine to you in a Dixie cup. Whatever gets the job done, eh?

I just think if servers utilize common sense and treat their customers with a little dignity and sincerity, then everyone wins. Common sense (to me) equals the waitstaff knowing their wine list (and menu) up and down before they are allowed to serve customers. Better to know your sh*t than to ignorantly turn a profit for your employer. It's reflects poorly on the restaurant.

Mr EY and I had a celebratory dinner last night at Imagine. Neither of us had been there before, but I'd heard about their focus on locally-grown, fresh ingredients. I had an asparagus vichyssoise garnished with smoked salmon, Mr. EY had a lovely salad with some very nice tasting tomatoes.
My entree was seared scallops with a charred tomato risotto. The scallops were HUGE and cooked perfectly; the risotto very good. Mr. EY had an ahi tuna with a pineapple salsa over roasted potatoes. I think both of us were expecting a big slab of tuna next to a pile of potatoes. Not so. The tuna (which was beautifully rare) had been sliced and placed on top of roasted sliced potatoes. The pineapple salsa was sprinkled on top. The dish was flat out goregous.
Dessert was also impressive. I had a warm chocolate cake and Mr. EY had a pecan pie cheese cake, which was crust, a layer of pecan pie filing-like stuff and then cheesecake on top. Pecan pie being his fav dessert, he loved the cheesecake.

Their wine list was diverse and all but 2 of the whites were available by the glass. I didn't look too close at the reds since I wouldn't be having one, but they were impressive as well and plenty by the glass.

If you haven't gone to Imagine, do. It's well worth it.

Brave and Capeo are the Knights' top two. We also like Trios, Graffitis and Capers. Haven't tried Imagine yet. For a chain, Bonefish Grill is very good.