The Grove

I don't usually go out to eat downtown because I am not very familiar with the after work hours restaurant scene, but have always wanted to try The Grove. I was downtown for a play and so we decided to dinner at The Grove before the show. This restaurant is located in Discovery Green and apparently has a wonderful rooftop bar. However it was very chilly when we went, so we didn't get a chance to check it out. The layout of the restaurant is different from most restaurants in that you walk into the bar area and the hostess stand separates the bar from the restaurant. In the back there is a large private dining area and the kitchen is open and runs the length of the restaurant. It had super tall ceilings and everything is very open and just flows. I started off with a tropical amaretto which was pineapple juice, Amaretto and sweet and sour topped with a maraschino cherry. I usually don't like pineapple juice, but it was really good. It was definitely on the sweet side so if you aren't a fan of sweet, this isn't the right drink for you. The ingredients created some layers in the glass so it was pretty to look at.

The Grove is a special restaurant because they have their own tomato and herb garden on the rooftop and uses recyclable materials whenever they can. They building itself contains recyclables and uses compost on the property...not your average downtown restaurant. Since the weather felt appropriate for some soup, I ordered the pork and chicken chili, the soup of the day. The chili had huge chunks of pork and chicken, so it felt more like a stew than chili, but either way it was tasty. It was topped with some green onions and some pieces of bread. It was flavor and definitely warmed up the chilly night. It wasn't at all spicy but there were tons of spice notes going on in the chili.

I also decided to try a side of the wild mushroom macaroni and cheese. This was done with the traditional elbow macaroni and a variety of mushrooms and topped with a sprinkling of bread crumbs. It was interesting because the cheese sauce wasn't super heavy, but was still smooth and creamy. It also seemed like there was a mixture of different cheeses since it wasn't a yellow color (and no I wasn't expecting it to be the unnatural orange color). It was nice with the mushrooms because it added some earthiness and depth to the flavor. It was nice to not feel so lethargic after eating it because it was a lighter version. I am not saying it was a healthier version necessarily (though I can't be sure), but it definitely didn't immediately make me want to nap afterwards. 

Though I didn't try it, my friend ordered the shrimp and crab salad. It was tossed with a Serrano chili oil, so there was quite a bit of spice to it. If you are a spicy person, then be sure to try this. It was a light salad with different greens and tomatoes. However, when you eat a salad that means that you can have an order of truffle fries with it. These were interesting and I am not quite sure that we every really decided how we felt about the. It seemed like half of the fries had been fried twice and the other side was only done once. It also seemed like there were pockets of truffle oil. There was some kind of aioli served with it and I think the final verdict was that the fries were better with the sauce. I can't say that I would recommend these, but maybe out order was a fluke. Other than the fries, the rest of the meal was really yummy. I have also heard that they have a great brunch so I will probably be back to try that and hopefully check out the rooftop area. If you are looking for a restaurant and haven't visited The Grove, then you need to stop by.