Tag Archives: the foodies

We wanted to start our 2012 reviews big, so we decided to take you to one of Charlotte’s most prestigious and innovative five star dining experiences… otherwise known as Barrington’s. Head Chef Bruce Moffett opened Barrington’s with the intent of serving upscale American cuisine in a bistro style setting twelve years ago, and the place has received countless awards and recognition ever since. Seating is limited to a mere 45, and with its popularity those seats are in high demand, so make sure you make reservations. We’ve also checked out Barrington’s new spin-off restaurant, Good Food on Montford, a few months ago and loved it so much we couldn’t wait to try the original sensation.

We made our reservations earlier in the day and landed an 8:30 dining time. We arrived 10 minutes early and were seated right on time.

Within minutes we were greeted by the matre d’ with an authentic french accent and a waitress with a light southern accent. We were promptly given our menus. Ella’s coat was placed in a closet, our bread was served and our drink orders were placed. Being the trained professionals we are.. lol, we didn’t have to look at the menu long to decide what we were going to indulge in for the night. We ordered the cream of mushroom soup, roasted duck breast, pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, ginger cake and coconut cream pie.

To tide us over until our app and entrees were ready we were given a few slices of french bread, a small bowl of roasted garlic and a shallow dipping dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread was decent but a little disappointing considering the immense talent housed inside Barrington’s. The real winners for this part of our review were easily the roasted garlic and the super high quality balsamic vinegar.

After a short wait Ella was able to kick off the fine dining experience with her warmed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic and thyme, topped with a truffle whipped cream. The soup can only be described as utter perfection mixed with sheer excellence.

From the moment it was set in front of her a light aroma of truffle oil wafted over her. The soup itself was warm, silky and the epitome of umami. This was definitely the perfect start to a wonderful meal.

A few minutes later the real fun began :)

Ella ordered the roasted duck breast with a posole of chile, braised duck leg served with hominy, avocado, lime sour cream and crispy tortillas strips. Her duck was ordered medium rare and it was right on the money. The whole dish had a Mexican vibe to it which was a really fun twist to the typical traditional duck. The avocado mixed with the lime sour cream tasted just like guacamole and the crispy tortilla strips added just the right amount of crunch to make this dish one of the best she’s ever had.

I ordered the herb rubbed pork tenderloin with macaroni, collard greens, crispy pork belly, red eye gravy and a side of truffle mashed potatoes. The presentation and taste can only be described as a swirling duo of pure decadence. I ordered the tenderloin medium well and I think it came out just shy of that, but it made no difference because by the first bite I had already fallen in love. The collard greens were unexpectedly addictive ( I don’t like collard greens ) and the macaroni was one of the best I’ve ever had. The best bite of the night had to be the combination of crispy pork belly with a little bit of the red eye gravy and the truffle mashed potatoes mixed together.

For dessert Ella got the warm ginger cake with frozen apricot yogurt, whipped cream and blackberry coulis. The ginger cake was full of warm spices and tasted great, but was a little dry. However, the star of this dish was easily the fresh made frozen apricot yogurt. It had a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. She would have brought home gallons of it and bathed in it for hours if she could have :)

My coconut cream pie was to die for, and a happy new addition to our Foodie Favorite list. Barrington’s coconut cream pie comes with a chocolate salted crushed cashew crust, topped with an incredibly soft meringue and garnished with fresh pineapple. I’ve eaten a lot of coconut cream pie over the years and nothing has ever come anywhere close to Bruce Moffet’s innovative spin on this classic dessert.

Barrington’s has been named “Tops for food in Charlotte” in the ZAGAT’S 2003-2010 Top Restaurants in America Guide, has received 4 out of 4 stars by the Charlotte Observer, and AOL ranks Barrington’s as one of the top 11 restaurants in the country. We can honestly say we agree with all the hype and all the critic’s accolades. If you’re interested in trying something innovative, and eating a work of art made by a highly skilled Chef, you should definitely check out Barrington’s.