Since my 2007 car crash I have been far more aware of the risks of driving long distances, especially with a cat involved. One result of this increased understanding is my choice to break up trips longer than 8 hours. So, on the way back from Tennessee I, once again, stopped in Staunton. Because I am who I am, I had already done some research on a place to eat while in town and decided upon the
Mill Street Grill. Situated along a small creek in what seems to be the heart of Staunton, the restaurant is one of two businesses in what appears to be a converted flour mill. I was drawn by their claims of having the best ribs...and an artichoke appetizer that sounded promising.
I have found that dining as a table of one sometimes leads to unsatisfactory seating. I understand, in one way, why one individual doesn't get to sit at a four person table, I do. But why the placement and lighting of the smaller tables must, necessarily, suck so much is beyond me. My seating was across from a line of booths with faux stained glass windows depicting scnes from what looked to be an Amish farm. My view? A wall with a fire extinguisher. The booths, as well as the tables two steps down and next to me, all had track lighting trained on their tables. I had the residual light from the plastic glass. If they had seated me in almost any other spot, the resulting images of the food they cooked would have come out far better. Now, I could have asked to move, but I didn't. The artichoke hearts, stuffed with homemade boursin and then fried were not as delicate as I had imagined they would be...I think I was imagining a tempura-like batter, whereas these were more heavily battered and heartily fried...in some way they reminded me of overfried crab rangoons. Their accompanying dipping sauce also had a Chinese restaurant taste to it (that hot mustard plus something). The ribs were good, almost two sweet in that first bite but with a sneaky heat to them. I do not, however, think they were the best ribs I've ever had....the leftovers did come in handy the next day when I had to trick Zul into taking a tranquilizer.
Since my 2007 car crash I have been far more aware of the risks of driving long distances, especially with a cat involved. One result of this increased understanding is my choice to break up trips longer than 8 hours. So, on the way back from Tennessee I, once again, stopped in Staunton. Because I am who I am, I had already done some research on a place to eat while in town and decided upon the Mill Street Grill. Situated along a small creek in what seems to be the heart of Staunton, the restaurant is one of two businesses in what appears to be a converted flour mill. I was drawn by their claims of having the best ribs...and an artichoke appetizer that sounded promising.
I have found that dining as a table of one sometimes leads to unsatisfactory seating. I understand, in one way, why one individual doesn't get to sit at a four person table, I do. But why the placement and lighting of the smaller tables must, necessarily, suck so much is beyond me. My seating was across from a line of booths with faux stained glass windows depicting scnes from what looked to be an Amish farm. My view? A wall with a fire extinguisher. The booths, as well as the tables two steps down and next to me, all had track lighting trained on their tables. I had the residual light from the plastic glass. If they had seated me in almost any other spot, the resulting images of the food they cooked would have come out far better. Now, I could have asked to move, but I didn't. The artichoke hearts, stuffed with homemade boursin and then fried were not as delicate as I had imagined they would be...I think I was imagining a tempura-like batter, whereas these were more heavily battered and heartily fried...in some way they reminded me of overfried crab rangoons. Their accompanying dipping sauce also had a Chinese restaurant taste to it (that hot mustard plus something). The ribs were good, almost two sweet in that first bite but with a sneaky heat to them. I do not, however, think they were the best ribs I've ever had....the leftovers did come in handy the next day when I had to trick Zul into taking a tranquilizer.
1 comment:
Maybe you were having your same unhappy seating arrangement the same evening D. asked for both of us to sit on the soft couch seating facing out, looking at the same view of the room. Told, oh no, that was a table for 4, which might be needed...of course it wasn't, and our water and wine bottles were stowed there...
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