Jeffrey's
Erin informed me that Jeffrey's is a sister restaurant to Josephine House and I am happy to report that it meets (or exceeds!) the high standard set by its sibling. We were seated in a cozy booth near the back of the restaurant, near a crackling fire. The light/noise-level, isolation worked together to massage away the day's cares and prime my belly acids for the treats that would follow.
Our server was quick, knowledgable, pleasant and had a well groomed beard. That's him in the background, tending the fire. Nice work, guy. That's Erin in the foreground. She's smiling at something charming that I said.
Ambience
Word to the wise: they bring you lots of little complimentary treats here so go easy on the hor d'oeuvres! Like this bowl of popcorn. Where did that come from? and who ate half of it?! (spoiler alert: it was me).
Little golden bowl of popped corn
Some bread. Freshly baked. Salted butter pads. Yums.
Because Erin doesn't eat pork, they brought us regular bread
Truffled deviled eggs (we ordered). Not only was the filling infused with a serious dose of truffle oil, they are also sporting a shaved truffle hat! FYI that hat does double duty as a textural highlight. I wish I had twelve of these right now.
Truffle deviled eggs
Pretty standard olives and salami (we ordered). The salami had a nice oily kick with gamey notes -- maybe boar? Anyway it tasted like $, and that's what I demand.
Charcuterie plate
After eating the above, they suddenly and unexpectedly landed these babies on the table. Popovers cooked in lard. Warm, crisp exterior. Melt-in-your mouth soft on the inside. These things were amazing. My only regret is that Erin couldn't have one, (on account of the lard) so I described the experience in great detail for her.
Popovers
Salads they brought out as a spacer between courses. There were like twenty different kinds of greens on this bad boy! Some of it (I have it on good authority) grown in their own little garden. Lots of pepper. A weird tomato thing that was somehow sweet? Persimmon? Perfect.
Perky little salad
My entree. Beef short rib with cheddar grits and red wine jus. The ribs were tender, smokey, rich. By volume it wasn't much food, but I could barely get through it it was so rich. Very good. The cheddar grits were just OK, the texture a bit off-putting for me with the little grit bits suspended in soupy sauce.
Beef short ribs
Erin had the sole. She said the shaved nuts on top gave it a nice texture. Her words, not mine!
Filet of sole
Surprise parting gift. How touching. Little grapefruit dandies & truffles coated in bitter chocolate. This is great because I never have room for desert, so one bite of rich chocolate is exactly what I want.
Little touch of sweetness for the road
Jeffreys is the real deal folks. 4.6 Aemon Stars. Much of that due to the awesome ambience and service.