Victoria chose the Tea Garden Cooler ( Sipsmith gin ( soft juniper and green olive notes ), fresh lime juice , basil , cucumbers , club soda ). She found it to be a very refreshing drink , and a perfect start to the evening .
Deb claimed the Abigail ( Skyy blood orange vodka , limoncello , Aperol , fresh squeezed lemon juice ). This little amazing drink was as great tasting as it was visually appealing . Deb loved it .
Like my drink , I am a little old fashioned . I ordered my go-to Old Fashioned with Bulleit Rye ( Bulleit Rye , simple syrup , Angostura bitters , orange peel , Luxardo maraschino cherries ). It just doesn ’ t get much better than this .
After taking a quick pic of our colorful drinks on the bar and a clanking of glasses with a “ Cheers ” to ourselves in celebration of our completing the first workday of the week , the night began . We took our time at the bar just because Michelle was so fun and entertaining . We all shared laughs in between her dropping geek-worthy information on her favorite drinks and her thoughts on what we should try on our next visit . We voted her as “ most lovely and cheerful ” bartender ever .
For appetizers we collectively chose the Coconut Crusted Shrimp ( Coconut crusted shrimp , sweet peppers , scallions , Thai curry broth , mango , micro greens , peanuts , and macadamia nuts ) and WH Iron Skillet Poblano Cornbread ( roasted poblano peppers , sweet , creamed corn , drizzled with a jalapeño honey butter ). Both appetizers were incredibly tasty . We were batting a solid 2 for 2 . Hailing from Louisianna , Brian is an expert in both shrimp and cornbread . He especially liked the light flavor of coconut on the shrimp appetizer — noting that it wasn ’ t overpowering . We all agreed . The cornbread had just a hint of poblano spice that worked perfectly with the sweet cornbread flavor . The jalapeno honey butter drizzle created a beautiful glazing and brought a seductively sweet flavor to the party , rounding out this delectable hors d ' oeuvre .
Willard Hicks offers two private dining rooms . The Willard Room seats up to 14 for a private dinner , and the Hicks Room seats up to 10 . After a great “ settle down ” session at the bar , we migrated into the Hicks Room where Nestor — our extraordinary Maître d ’— welcomed us into the room with Willard Hick ’ s incredible charcuterie board ( a selection of our fine cheeses , cured meats , fruits , nuts and WH house made breads ). Nestor presented the menu and offered his insights and expertise , helping us settle on our final choices for the main course . Based on our selections , he suggested a bottle of Decoy Pinot Noir ( 2021 Sonoma County ) which paired exceptionally well with our variety of entrees .
Brian ’ s entrée of choice was the Blackberry Glazed Filet Mignon ( 8oz Certified Angus Beef Filet Mignon , Blackberry demi-glace , fire roasted grapes , smoked bleu cheese , served over a truffled parsnip puree , blackberries ). The filet was melt-in-your-mouth-good . The bleu cheese and parsnip puree were bursting with flavor , and the fire-roasted grapes were little bombs of sweetness . Even sweeter were the blackberries adorning the plate — which were Brian ’ s overall favorite . Since we tend to do our Dining Out meals family style , we all sampled the flavors and found it to be a wonderful meal .
Victoria affixed herself to the Willard Hicks Sticky Chicken ( Mary ’ s Free Range organic chicken breast , tempura fried and tossed in our house made sweet chili ponzu sauce . Served with Nishiki Sushi Rice , and a grilled mango and arugula salad topped with candied orange zest and coconut flakes ). The flavors were incredible . The chicken was perfectly prepared . The grilled mango and arugula added a sweet , savory zing to the plate . The sweet
gmhtoday . com gmhTODAY Magazine : Go . Make history ... WINTER 2024 29