MilkWood

We will definitely return to Milkwood, as I think it is a place that will become honed and better with each turn. Portions are smaller, with entrees $11-28 and starters $7-10, sides $3-4

This is the breakdown of what we ate:

Starters:

Rock Shrimp Sausage-This was kind of like a play on a deconstructed fish sandwich. The shrimp sausage was delicious (salty and light), laying on a mayo sauce with pieces of toast scattered along the plate topped with an asian style slaw.

Fried Chicken and Waffle-This was also in a deconstructed style, but I think all the scattered pieces kind of fall flat here. It's basically chicken and waffles but chopped into pieces. I'd rather just have a whole small waffle with fried chicken perched on top. The radish and buttermilk dressing accompanying the dish made it taste more like a fried chicken sandwich vs chicken n waffles. Still delicious!

Sides:

Collards and Kim-chi-The smoky/tangy combination was perfect. We almost ordered a second bowl but were trying to pace ourselves so we could eat dessert;)

Lardo-cheese cornbread-This left an explosion of flavors on the tongue. Chunks of moist cornbread with pockets of pungent cheese meets a drizzle of a salty sweet sauce.

Entree:

Caramelized Scallops and Shaved Porkbelly-Probably the least exciting of our dishes, but the scallops were cooked perfectly with a savory crust. They were nestled on top of grilled bok choy-which is how I want my bok choy cooked for now on-and thick strips of pork belly. The dish was also topped with cashews, which I didn't think added anything to the dish.

Dessert-

Doughnut Holes-warm donut holes bobbing in a dark chocolate ganache, with slivers of candied ginger. Next to it was a large, creamy scoop of what is described as condensed milk ice cream. We pretty much licked the small bowl clean of its contents.

My wife and I went this evening with two friends prior to see Actors Theater's new play "Girlfriend".
One word: Phenomenal

In a town filled with some amazingly talented chefs and recognized around the country as a foodie destination, it was quite simply phenomenal. From the unique pre-dinner cocktails, to the appetizers, to the main courses and finally the creative desserts it was all exceptional.

I was even delightfully impressed with how the wine menu was laid out. Rather than your standard dueling lists of white versus red, the menu breaks them down into further subcategories based on titles such as "Earthy", "Spicy", etc. The same was done with the mixed drink menu which highlighted the areas of the tongue (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, etc) the drink would entice.

You MUST put this place on your lists of restaurants to try. Its going to be an amazing down town dining destination for anyone down town, not just the theatre crowd.