Last Friday was my turn to host our Supper Club. I decided to stick close to home and chose the new gastropub Gram & Dun on the Plaza. Gram & Dun is part of the trio of restaurants owned by the Bread & Butter Concepts. BRGR and Urban Table are the other two restaurants. Supper Club Six visited BRGR last year. Interesting to note the name Gram & Dun is derived from the owners wives' maiden names. They must love their mother-in-laws. After meeting at my place for wine, we headed to the Plaza for our 8 pm reservations. When we arrived, they were not quite ready to seat us. No biggie. We headed to the bar. The host assured us she could find us despite not handing us any contraption to buzz us to attention. The place was hopping.
The bar area was packed with fellow patrons waiting to be seated. We nudged (elbowed) our way to the bar and ordered a round of drinks. Maggie and I stuck with our standard Dirty Martinis. They did not disappoint. Joan--who was in town and making her second guest appearance at Supper Club--ordered a D Cup. This was by far the most popular choice copied by other members throughout the evening. It was a combination of Kettle One Citron Vodka, St. Germain, lemon and lime juice and simple syrup. The space in general was very nice. Although self-described as a Gastropub, it isn't very "pub like". The decor is almost like a mountain sky lodge. Exposed wood and leather lend to an upscale feel. Definitely a different vibe than Baja 600. Cozy elegant.
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| Wild Boar and Bison Meatballs |
We proceeded to chat away and away and away. The bar started to clear out and we were ordering a second round. Something was wrong with this picture. Around 8:40, I went to see if they forgot us and was assured we would be seated soon. 8:40 became 9 and then finally our host found us. To be fair, we added a party when we arrived but an hour wait when you had reservations seemed excessive. We weren't expecting to have two rounds of drinks before we were seated. When our host finally seated us in a table, we were lit and ready to eat.
Now on to the menu. Unique is the only way to describe it. The cocktail, wine and beer list are very extensive. Our server was delightful and knew her way around the menu. She answered all our questions and made recommendations. We ordered an insane amount of appetizers. Lightly battered peppers--Kathryn ate all of these. Wild Boar and Bison meatballs, Joan and I inhaled these. The meatballs were delicious and the sauce very subtle. We actually did share the first order with the table and then Joan ordered a second round. We slapped the hands of anyone that tried to have a bite. We also ordered the potato chips with the unique ketchup trio--a vanilla bean, avocado and blood orange habanero. Very tasty. The French Onion Dumplings were excellent combination of Gruyère, sweet onion broth & brioche crouton.
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| Chicken and Waffles |
Kim ordered the short rib grilled cheese. Although she expected a more interesting variety of cheese (and more of it), she thought it was tasty. Michelle ordered the mushroom ravioli and I believe licked her plate clean. She also enjoyed the D Cup Martini but may have instead ordered a Double D. Holly had the scallops which were served with blackened cauliflower and covered in a Bourbon cherry butter sauce. She said the cauliflower may have been undercooked but I believe most of the vegetables were served more on the crispy side. I enjoyed the double pork chops. Very moist. Perfect temperature and served with brussel sprouts which I've come to love in the last 5 years or so. I have to admit I did not do my meal justice because I was over served appetizers. Maggie took home my leftovers. Joan enjoyed the fried goat cheese and avocado salad. Kathryn ordered the shrimp and grits with an jalapeno avocado sauce. Very different dish. A bit salty so the verdict was so so. Maggie ordered the dish I wish I had but didn't. The chicken and waffles. Cute little round waffles with lightly battered chicken--without the bone. There was a concern by some the chicken would still be on the bone. The combination of waffles, chicken and syrup was divine. I'm so ordering that the next time I go.
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We really enjoyed our experience at Gram & Dun despite the long wait. Our server more than made up for it in her extensive knowledge of the menu and her genuine engagement with us. It is nice to see an establishment with a fresh concept on the Plaza. This location is prime real-estate and I always thought this was the best patio on the Plaza. We definitely recommend that you try Gram & Dun.
