As we told you guys, we were invited to dine at the new Murray Hill restaurant 1171 (1171 Edgewood Avenue) this past Friday by the owners Lance and Fernando.......and WOW! we had a great time. The attendees were Jason & Robin and Tal & Michael.
Our reservation was for 8PM and we arrived promptly at that time; we were seated immediately. The space itself is pretty large and very wide open. The place was packed and, though you would think the noise would be overbearing, the rafters in the ceilings did a pretty good job of muffling much of the chatter. Chef Fernando informed us that they still have a few more plans in the works to better the venue, including a few more soundproofing ideas.
Jason and Michael had the Ruby Soho Martini - A generous pour of vodka with fresh pink grapefruit. So DELICIOUS they had 3 of them.Robin had the Pomegranate Martini - A generous pour of vodka with fresh pomegranate juice (and seeds). Also DELICIOUS, but he did end up switching to the Ruby Soho after one or two. Tal had a Jack & Coke, we didn't bother taking a picture of that.
So, we all sat and enjoyed our beverages and the crowd. Tons of familiar faces were speckled amongst the masses and a few people stopped by our table to chat, everyone was having a great time.
We then ordered an appetizer.....the Seared Scallops over Vanilla-infused Polenta, topped with Crispy Pancetta, Balsamic Reduction and Bail Oil. Fantastic! The scallops were cooked to perfection and the flavors were quite complementary.
Jason had the Bordelaise Braised Beef Short Ribs over Creamy Polenta with Seasonal Vegetables. They were the most tender and succulent short ribs he's ever had. Literally fall-off-the-bone succulent, the beef was like butter and melted in the mouth. The polenta and veg accoutrements were a great pairing.Finally, we all shared a piece of NY Cheesecake and a piece of Carrot Cake. Both were delightful but the Carrot Cake....TAKES THE CAKE! It was, by far, the BEST CARROT CAKE any of us had ever eaten. We can all thank Fernando's wife for that, she makes all of their desserts.Robin feasted on the Pan-Seared Duck Breast over Roasted Sweet Potato Puree' with Garlic Spinach and Orange Port Demi Sauce. Again, the Duck was cooked flawlessly, just enough pink and the most delicious taste, and the orange demi sauce gave it a clean finish. The sweet potato puree' was creamy and flavorful and married well with the garlic spinach. This may have been the best dish at the table, but the short ribs are really neck and neck. Tal ordered a house salad along with the Escargot in Bourguignonne Butter on Puff Pastry Shells Topped with Melted Brie. Wonderful! The escargot and brie went together amazingly and the puff pastry was light and flaky, not soggy as we expected it to be. It was all quite pleasing. Michael enjoyed the Butternut Squash Risotto with Truffle Butter and Herb-Braised Wild Mushrooms and he added a piece of Salmon to it. The risotto was really really good, great texture, flavor, etc. The salmon, though cooked well and flaky, was a bit fishy (not like old fishy, more like farm-raised fishy) and really the risotto didn't need the accompaniment.
10 comments:
Looks pretty good. What was the average price range of the main dishes?
If you click on the 1171 hyperlink in the first sentence of the post. It will take you to another post with links to each menu and those include all of the prices.
Changes coming at 1171!
Look for new bottles and glass offerings on the wine list.
New Cocktails coming as well...
oh my goodness...what a disappointment. I've had lunch here twice. First time was fab! but the second time was OKAY. Tried the dinner menu over the weekend and what a waste of money. The service was below average. When asked if we could have water ..." oh sorry I thought you already had some"...uh? Hello? all four glasses are as dry as when we sat down twenty minutes ago. Oh boy. Have you had the water? gross. Tasted like it could of come from Donna Maries kitchen dishmachine, ugh! Otherwise the food was just okay. I hope they get it together before the super restuarant moving into Avondale and whoever takes over Presevation Chophouse blows them outta the water. I do wish them the best as I can see they are hard working.
After reading "The Editor's" review, I just knew that I had to dine @ 1171. What a lovely experience! For my appetizer I chose the Escargot in Bourguignonne Butter on Puff Pastry Shells Topped with Melted Brie. It was perfect -- exactly as described in your review. For my entree, I chose the Low Country Shrimp My Way which was a well-balanced mix between a traditional Southern favorite and a gourmet delicacy. My friend chose a cup of California White Corn and Shrimp Chowder that she said was amazing. Her entree was the Filet Mignon atop roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, served with Bordelaise Sauce, sautéed Wild Mushrooms and Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables. She simply loved her choice! After experiencing 1171, I highly recommend this establishment to Jacksonville's culinary connoisseurs.
This address is a pretty bad luck location. Remember when this place was Bistro 17? That place was good! Wonder what happened to them? Since then, it's been maybe 2 other restaurants. (not to mention fatty tuna next door, that became aura thai, then shut down again, arghh) Anyways, 1171 is alright, but I was expecting a little bit better cuisine on the fine dining totem pole. My wife and I spent about $85.00 on dinner for two, with 2 glasses of wine, and a dessert. Not bad, but the food was not great. If you like this type of cuisine, i'd suggest Matthew's, Medure's, or even Cafe' Carmon. Jon.
1171 is a superb restaurants with an outstanding chef. Along with Pastiche, 1171 serves the best gourmet food in Jacksonville. The prices are reasonable and the portions generous, unlike the two pretentious places both beginning with the letter M. Chef Fernando creates dishes with a splendid combination of color, taste and texture. The food is not only lovely to behold, but delicious to taste at the time of eating and to savor afterwards. Fernando's wife, Emily, is the pastry chef and her desserts, especially the chocolate concoctions,are as scrumptious.
1171 is a superb restaurants with an outstanding chef. Along with Pastiche, 1171 serves the best gourmet food in Jacksonville. The prices are reasonable and the portions generous, unlike the two pretentious places both beginning with the letter M. Chef Fernando creates dishes with a splendid combination of color, taste and texture. The food is not only lovely to behold, but delicious to taste at the time of eating and to savor afterwards. Fernando's wife, Emily, is the pastry chef and her desserts, especially the chocolate concoctions,are as scrumptious.
I have eaten at 1171 approximately 8 times now, 5 or 6 times for lunch and 3 for dinner. And I can honestly say, it's a nice experience.
So far I've had or shared with a group the cheese plate, the chowder, the burger three times, the roasted chicken, the jambalaya, and one of the pasta dishes, as well as their desserts and cocktails.
The chicken dishes are fantastic, and I can't recall having more flavorful or better prepared pasta. The jambalaya wasn't so hot. While the seafood was fresh, it's really more of seafood ratatouille, not jambalaya, and did not come together all that well. There is very little spice, no rice, no sauce to speak of, and not a whole lot of flavor. Jambalaya is a 150-year old creole dish with known ingredients, it's not really the best vehicle for experimentation. I will give them creativity points for their presentation, though, as it is unique.
The burgers were a mixed bag. The first one I had was incredible, cooked perfectly, great quality, and very little grease. It was also good the second time I had it. Then the last time I tried it, this week, it was also made with a noticeably lower quality meat, was much greasier, and lacked flavor. Not sure what's behind the change, but it was noticeable. I barely made it halfway through it, eating it was kind of a chore.
Also, all three times I've ordered the burger I asked for it with onions and ketchup, and every time it's come out with mayo, lettuce, and tomato, and no ketchup. Each time I had to wait for 10 minutes for a side of ketchup and a side of onion, while my food got cold. This happens whenever you get the burger, and occurred with 3 different servers, so I don't think it's a server issue. I guess the kitchen just sends it however they're going to send it and they don't take special orders for this item. Pretty stupid for a burger, and also any lunch item that's served with fries should automatically come out with ketchup...that's pretty basic.
On to the rest of it, the corn and shrimp chowder is great, and I really enjoy that. Also the cheese plate is excellent and fresh, and is large enough for 3 or 4 people to munch on. I will also note that they are the only place in town with 2-4-1 premium cocktails, so if you like belvedere or tangueray, then you won't get cut out of happy hour. This is a very nice touch.
Pricing is on the high side, but is better for lunch than it is for dinner. A recent lunch for two people, consisting of two soups, two iced teas, and two burgers ran $48 including 18% tip. This is high, even considering the good food quality. Sterlings has the same quality, but that same lunch for two would run <$30. Still, overall, it's worth it, especially if you order an entree, since it's the same high quality stuff you get for dinner, and almost the same size, just without the steep price tag.
Dinner is relatively pricey. A good portion of the lunch and dinner menus cross over, and there isn't that big of a portion difference between them. I have had the same roast chicken for both lunch and dinner, and the lunch portion was easily 75% (or more) as large as the dinner portion, but the dinner portion costs 200% more. Red meats run $30+, fish dishes in the mid/high $20's, and chicken and pastas are in the high teens and low $20's. Expect dinner for 3 or 4 people with appetizers to run over $150. If you order cocktails or wine, then that same mean will jump to $300. It's definitely expensive.
Overall, I really do think it's worth it though. The food is generally good, and the few minor issues I noticed are attributable to their being new and still working the kinks out. The staff are some of friendliest, most professional people you'll ever meet, and the atmosphere is fantastic. The bar is great as well, they have a good pour and know how to make every possible drink properly. The desserts are also top-notch. I would definitely recommend 1171 to my friends.
I called tonight to make reservations for my 2nd anniversary and they said they closed the business :( What a shame.
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