My very thoughtful husband made dinner reservations at Meridian located in beautiful downtown Winston Salem Sunday and it was scrumptious to say the least! The view of the city was amazing and the atmosphere was warm and inviting! We started off the evening with drinks, Nate got a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and I got a Stinky Filthy Martini.My first Martini and it was AWESOME! Stinky, because it was served with blue cheese stuffed olives, which were hand stuffed with a very creamy,very pungent Roquefort blue cheese (YES, I asked for extra olives once I tasted them)! I love Roquefort blue cheese and I love olives, I know you they are sold in stores, but when you buy them from a store, the cheese in the middle soaks up the olive juice and it loses its flavor! Filthy, because they put olive juice in it since the salt from the juice knocks the edge off of the strong vodka taste; I asked for extra filth and it was perfect!
We started our dining experience with a couple of appetizers that immediately caught our eye! The first was Pan Seared Foie Gras with grilled candy onion, brandied pear, balsamic reduction & Verjus gastrique. For those who don't know, Foie Gras is goose or duck liver. The name actually means “fatty liver” in French. This is something we've wanted to try for awhile but have not had the opportunity because we've never seen it on the menu, so opportunity knocked and we answered!
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| Pan Seared Foie Gras with grilled candy onion, brandied pear, balsamic reduction & Verjus gastrique |
I was impressed with the deliciousness of the candied onion and the brandied pear was cooked perfectly retaining it's moisture and flavor, the foie gras on the other hand, was not impressive at all. The foie gras had very little flavor and wasn't at all what I expected, especially after hearing all the hype about it on the food channels; we were a little let down, but at least we can say we tried it!
The second appetizer was absolutely amazing! We chose the Fried NC Oysters with creamed spinach, applewood bacon & lemon hollandaise!
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| Fried NC Oysters with creamed spinach, applewood bacon & lemon hollandaise |
We are both huge oyster fans so of course we had to try this unique preparation of them! The oysters were fresh out of the shell, lightly breaded and fried to perfection.The bacon had a nice smokey flavor and the spinach tasted as though it was freshly picked that afternoon, the lemon hollandaise tied it all together adding a creaminess and acidity that you need when eating oysters.With all those ingredients packed into one bite..how could it be any less than perfect?
We never get the same thing when we dine out because we love to try a bit of this and a bit of that, so we picked our two favorite entrees and it was a delightful choice! Nate got the Seared Sea Scallop Risotto with Chanterelle mushrooms, spinach, local cherry tomatoes & Parmigiano and I got the Grilled 14 oz. Ribeye with sweet potato hash, Prosciutto wrapped asparagus & Gorgonzola butter.
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| Seared Sea Scallop Risotto with Chanterelle mushrooms, spinach, local cherry tomatoes & Parmigiano |
This dish was much tastier than I expected!! The rissoto was nice and creamy, the Chanterelle mushrooms were crisp on the outside but hearty and earthy on the inside adding a bit of crisp to each bite of the creamy rissoto. Just before serving this yummy dish, they threw raw cherry tomatoes into the mix adding a bit more freshness and texture. The scallops that topped this rissoto were the absolute BEST I've ever experienced! They were so large you had to cut them in two, sometimes three and tasted like they were plucked right out of the ocean, seared to perfection and placed right on our plate!
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| Grilled 14 oz. Ribeye with sweet potato hash, Prosciutto wrapped asparagus & Gorgonzola butter |
My dish was amazing too. My first bite was of the spinach and boy, not to sound redundant, but it was the best cooked spinach I've ever had! It tasted like it was fresh out of the garden and infused with garlic. The sweet potato hash and the prosciutto wrapped asparagus were cooked to just the right consistency and since the steak, with its creamy Gorgonzola butter topping, was strategically placed atop the sides, the juices flowed into them adding even more wonderful flavors! My steak was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy, I loved the Gorgonzola butter, I suggest asking for a bit extra just to get the taste in every bite!
We will be heading back to this corner of the city again soon since its a mere ten minutes away!
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