Last night we went to a favorite of our friends, Sue and Zola. They are truly regulars at Charcoal, a restaurant which I guess would best be labeled New American. We’ve been going there for many years and find the food just keeps getting better and more innovative with every visit. It’s byob, so just up my alley. Be forewarned that they charge for their bread. Also, be sure not to miss the bread. It’s made in-house and served with a cultured Vermont butter that’s really sweet and delicious.
We started with Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts which were flavored with scallion, toasted peanut butter and lime. A sort of sweet and spicy treat.The Cucumber and Melon Salad included avocado, poppy seeds and a cashew buttermilk dressing. It’s shown here half eaten due to a lack of patience on my part.I couldn’t decide which pasta to choose so we sampled several smaller portionsof different offerings. This is the Sourdough Shells Cacio e Pepe with grilled scallions and Parmesan.Though Cacio e Pepe is usually made with Romano,manychefs indulge their artistic license and substitute Parmesan cheese. This one was a knockout.Zola is a fan of duck, so he ordered the Duck Breast with Parisian Gnocci, English pea kosho and King Trumpetmushrooms. Perfectly cooked and tasty as hell.Barb ordered the Barbecued Jerk Spiced Cod with roasted mushrooms, but substituted broccoli for the banana polenta. She was thrilled with her dish.Sue ordered Charred Eggplant Chitarra with nduja,roasted corn and Boursin cheese. Translated into English: Yowza!! Red Pepper Rigatoni included mushrooms,sun-dried tomato, cheddar and vodka sauce. Not too spicy, totally enjoyable.My second pasta choice was Rye Radiatori, bacon Bolognese, arugula,egg yolk and Parmigiano Reggiano. Decadently delicious.Our very thoughtful server was Jill who often takes care of Sue and Zola and guided us well through the menu.These are the chefs who deserve kudos for putting together a very creative menu and follow it up by meeting the expectations that the menu generates. This is not always the case.
The reason I have not been posting as often as I’d like is not because I haven’t been eating out. It is because a number of my recent meals have been blah to mediocre. As I’ve said before, it’s not my goal to be a hardass restaurant critic. I choose to turn people on to good to great restaurants and fun, delicious establishments. I’d rather say nothing than potentially harm someone’s reputation or livelihood.
Having said that, I highly recommend Charcoal and feel you will enjoy this fine cuisine. The menu is somewhat limited, but always has something for everyone. They change the menu with the seasons, offering lots of opportunity for return visits.
The few times I have eaten there I always thought the food was very well prepared but the portions ridiculously small. I see that for the most part that has changed big time. The brussels, pastas, and Barb’s fish dish are making me very hungry and wish I lived back east.
JoshEatsandDrinks 
The few times I have eaten there I always thought the food was very well prepared but the portions ridiculously small. I see that for the most part that has changed big time. The brussels, pastas, and Barb’s fish dish are making me very hungry and wish I lived back east.
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