The Velvet Note

Don't let the strip mall location put you off - this is one cool jazz spot.

We ventured out on a recent Sunday evening (like last night) to hear some great jazz from Joe Gransden and Kenny Banks. The music was terrific and the venue was a nice surprise. Located in a strip mall on Milton Parkway?, you walk into a place modeled on the Blue Note, only with even better accoustics, thanks to a 43' ceiling above the stage.

The food wasn't special - avoid the pasta dishes and the Caesar salad is not "authentic" as claimed (ask them to go easy on the dressing) - but the crab cakes and key lime pie were truly delicious, and the drinks mostly reasonably priced. The service was quite attentive and the Mistress of Ceremonies is clearly a warm-hearted lover of coool jazz.

Check it out - worth the drive. We'll go again.

My wife and I went with another couple to see Josh Lawrence.  The music was outstanding.  The venue only seats around 30 people, so it is a very intimate setting.  The acoustics are very good.  We met for dinner before the performance, so I can't comment on the quality of the food.  We plan to return.  I would definitely recommend this place for a date night.  Even if the artist turns out not to be your flavor, it is a different experience.

This place is really, really adorable. Although on the smaller side of things, the ambiance gave a romantic and intimate vibe. I noticed that the seating arrangement was four per table, so if you are in a group of 2, be prepared to sit with another pair at your table. Luckily for me and my boyfriend, we chose to sit on the side near a small (side?) table so we didn't share our area with anyone.

I think service was a bit spotty. They were really attentive at first, then kind of drifted away near the middle/end. We used our half off depot gift certificate which gave us two desserts on the house, and they nearly ran out of the dessert. We only got one piece but they made up for it by taking care of an item on our check.

The band that played that night was the Dara Tucker Band. The music was uhhhh-mazing. I can definitely see us coming back in the future!