South City Kitchen Midtown

2/4/2010

4/5 stars

*Whomp* (sound of my hitting the couch after eating here)

Oof. A large amount of very good grub. Bacon? Check. Breading? Check. Butter? Check. Waist? Um, need to check that…

Some ex-Berkeley folks (and partner) descended. And ate. Rather a splurge, but worth it. Their cocktails looked and smelled delicious. The chicken liver appetizer satisfied that craving that settled in as soon as I saw the menu… And I really enjoyed the oysters Rockefeller gratin, a combination of things I typically do not like. Both had a delicious breading that pulled together the flavor. The corn with the liver seemed a bit of an afterthought, but perhaps I just inhaled the liver too quickly. The oysters were salty, but hey, they're oysters.

The shrimp purloo is almost shrimp & grits and almost risotto but stands on its own. The country ham is a fun touch. Again, quite salty, but no more than expected. I ended up bringing half home; it's that filling. My friends shared their beef brisket (oooohhh yeah) and special-of-the-night grouper. The grouper obviously was a tad overpowered by the time I tasted it, but the browned potato served with helped carry the flavor. And after all this, I could handle only a spoonful of the pecan pie. Five of us split the two desserts… The food is that rich.

Pricey, splurgy, and fun. Not as pricey considering I have another meal even after eating 'till I was about to burst.

The servers were more attentive than we were. Our group came in split, yammered away about obscure topics, and kinda ignored our waiter a few times… But they were gracious and always available.

Definitely will remember South City Kitchen for special occasions.

Yelp tags: Southern