Sable - Heather Terhune's yummy cuisine (& craft cocktails)

One of the facts of life in the restaurant business is that some restaurants get lots of attention, while others "fly under the radar" even though they are turning out wonderful food. Sable seems to be one of the latter, without its own topic in this LTH forum even though it's been open about a year. I ate dinner there a few nights ago, and I think it's great and worth a shout-out.

Sable is hidden inside in the new Hotel Palomar in River North. I say "hidden" because there is absolutely no signage for the restaurant either on the exterior of the hotel or in the hotel lobby off which it's located. The décor is contemporary. And the only criticism I have is that the dining room is very loud, even when it's not full (it wasn't on Thursday evening). But it was nice to watch the open kitchen, with Chef Terhune working hard alongside her staff. She certainly made her mark heading Atwood Café for ten years, and she's doing it again at Sable. I had been looking forward to trying Sable after enjoying her cuisine at Atwood and after looking at the menus on Sable's website. I would encourage anyone to check out the menus on their website and see if they strike the same appeal in you as they did for me. Oh, and I'm not much of a drinker, but from what I could see from the cocktail menu (which you can check out on their website), their drink offerings are among the best anywhere in the city; it's no surprise their staff includes master mixologists and veterans from the Violet Hour.

One great thing about the menu at Sable is that most of the dishes are available in full portions and half portions, so you can mix and match whatever you like in whatever order you like. Half orders let you try more items, and heck, you can always order another half if you like something and have room for more.

I started with a half order of the steamed Blue Hill mussels ($10), which were great - a bit small but very tasty, and the portion size was very generous (it certainly didn't seem like a half portion). The broth was nicely flavored, not only with garlic, chunks of tomato, and white wine, but a bit of chili pepper to give it a nice kick. They were served with several pieces of toast to sop up the broth.

I then had a half order of the pretzel crusted fried calamari with honey-mustard sauce ($5). Calamari can be tricky to cook, but these were cooked absolutely perfectly, so they were moist and tender without being even the slightest bit rubbery. The honey-mustard sauce was quite spicy (but nicely so), and the kick made me think of Chinese mustard, even though it used a whole-grain mustard.

For my "main" course, I had a half portion of the bison short rib sliders with root beer glaze ($7). I love short ribs, and these were as good as any I've had in the entire city. As they were billed as sliders, they were served on two smallish pretzel rolls. The root beer glaze was not prominent, but oh well. Again, the portion size was very generous; the two pieces of short ribs were comparable in size to the amount typically served as an entrée in many restaurants for 2-3 times the price.

As an accompaniment, I had the sweet corn crème brulee ($8). This was another standout dish! Just like it sounds, it consisted of kernels of sweet corn in a custard, although the texture of the custard was silky and moist, more like a typical flan in texture than the typically denser/firmer crème brulee. Just like the crème brulee dessert, it was topped with sugar run under a flame, but they then sprinkled coarse sea salt on top, and it all worked perfectly. It took a while to eat, because it is served in the mini cast iron skillet in which it was cooked, so it was very hot and stayed hot for a long time.

I can typically eat a lot, but after these four courses (three of them half-orders), I was comfortably full, so I passed on dessert, even though the desserts sounded as great as everything else on the menu. When I was first ordering, I was wondering how big the portions would be, given the half orders and the low prices; as it turned out, though, they were quite generous. Getting four items for $30 from one of the top chefs in the city is quite a bargain; I can only assume that they make most of their money off the cocktails and other alcoholic beverages rather than the food.

The service was similarly outstanding. My server, Rachael, had a great attitude - casual, friendly, and helpful, in a spirit of "we're here to have fun and - wink, wink - I'll try to give you the inside scoop where you need it".

I don't often create topics here, but I'm still fondly thinking highly enough about this dinner, even two days later, that I figured I'd pass along my recommendation. All the food was simply outstanding, and the relatively low prices make it a bargain as well.

Sable Kitchen & Bar
Hotel Palomar
505 North State Street
Chicago 60654
312-755-9704
sablechicago.com

nsxtasy wrote:One of the facts of life in the restaurant business is that some restaurants get lots of attention, while others "fly under the radar" even though they are turning out wonderful food. Sable seems to be one of the latter, without its own LTH topic even though it's been open about a year.

I don't think Sable has flown under the radar. This thread, which is dedicated to its food and drink, seems pretty healthy to me:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=28245

nsxtasy wrote:Sable is hidden inside in the new Hotel Palomar in River North. I say "hidden" because there is absolutely no signage for the restaurant either on the exterior of the hotel or in the hotel lobby off which it's located.

Unless they took the sign down since yesterday at around 5pm, there was a fairly large one for the restaurant on the corner of the building that has been there for as long as I can remember.

happy_stomach wrote:I don't think Sable has flown under the radar. This thread, which is dedicated to its food and drink, seems pretty healthy to me:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=28245

I guess I missed it because I searched the Eating Out in Chicagoland forum, which doesn't have a topic in it about Sable. And that topic, which is in the Something to Drink forum, concentrates primarily on the cocktails, rather than the food, and the atmosphere for drinking, rather than eating. Which is too bad, because IMHO the food is worth shouting about, including for those who never venture into the Something to Drink forum.

Seems like it may not have flown under the radar as a drinking establishment, but as a restaurant, this is still its first dedicated topic in the Eating Out in Chicagoland forum.

happy_stomach wrote:Unless they took the sign down since yesterday at around 5pm, there was a fairly large one for the restaurant on the corner of the building that has been there for as long as I can remember.

I didn't see it Thursday night (it was after dark). Maybe I missed it; in any case, it sure wasn't obvious to me, and I knew I was looking at the right building. (There's also some construction at that intersection that has some of the sidewalks closed off, so perhaps I was not walking along what would otherwise be the normal approach to the building.)

nsxtasy wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:I don't think Sable has flown under the radar. This thread, which is dedicated to its food and drink, seems pretty healthy to me:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=28245

I guess I missed it because I searched the Eating Out in Chicagoland forum, which doesn't have a topic in it about Sable. And that topic, which is in the Something to Drink forum, concentrates primarily on the cocktails, rather than the food, and the atmosphere for drinking, rather than eating. Which is too bad, because IMHO the food is worth shouting about, including for those who never venture into the Something to Drink forum.

Seems like it may not have flown under the radar as a drinking establishment, but as a restaurant, this is still its first dedicated topic in the Eating Out in Chicagoland forum.

happy_stomach wrote:Unless they took the sign down since yesterday at around 5pm, there was a fairly large one for the restaurant on the corner of the building that has been there for as long as I can remember.

I didn't see it Thursday night (it was after dark). Maybe I missed it; in any case, it sure wasn't obvious to me, and I knew I was looking at the right building. (There's also some construction at that intersection that has some of the sidewalks closed off, so perhaps I was not walking along what would otherwise be the normal approach to the building.)

There's some digression about the Drawing Room in that other thread, but most of the posts about Sable do include some comments about the food...

Here's what their signage looks like...certainly not the most ostentatious, but hardly non-existent.



On the eating front, I'll add that their 3-course lunch is something of a bargain for the area...choice of soup/salad, any sandwich/burger and whoppie pies (which they'll happily wrap to go) for $15.

Thanks for the photo! From the photo, it looks like that small sign is on the south side of the building, and would not be visible to someone approaching the hotel from the north (as I did) or standing in front of the hotel's entrance on State Street. (And again, there's no signage in the hotel lobby, either.)

In any case, the purpose of my post was to highlight how much I enjoyed the food at Sable. And the food is what most of us here care about, right? Can I mention again how much I enjoyed the short rib sliders and the corn creme brulee?

I just ate at Sable for the first time today and enjoyed the food very much. I went with the $15 lunch special, which includes a small salad or soup, a sandwich or burger, and two mini whoopie pies. The butternut squash apple soup with pumpkin seed oil was very good, but the wild mushroom burger was delicious. I'm not a huge veggie burger person, but I absolutely loved this burger. It was a rice and mushroom patty with goat cheese, red onion jam, and some type of light mustard on a pillowy bun. It was a nice sized portion as well. I didn't have any alcohol, but my ginger cinnamon iced tea (and my friend's raspberry cucumber lemonade) were very tasty. I would definitely return.

As much as I have always really enjoyed chef Heather Terhune's food (Atwood Cafe, various charity events), bartender Mike Ryan -- and his extraordinary collection of spirts and original cocktails -- might be the stars of the show at Sable Kitchen & Bar. The expansive shelves behind the bar are filled with premium spirits and the impressive cocktail menu reads like a piece of literature, though it's not nearly as long. It's organized into 13 sections, each one headed up with a clever bit of prose which lays out the theme of the section. Together, the sections form a loose, running narrative, beginning with Bubbly (sparkling wine-based cocktails) and ending with Your First Crush (wines by the glass). In between, 'chapters' like An Auspicious Occasion, Conquer the World, The Perfect Date and Trust Me list all sorts of intriguing, original libations. In addition to the custom creations, many classics are offered and it's very clear that a great deal of detailed attention is paid to these drinks, as well. It took no more than a few moments sitting at Sable's bar to understand that this is a top-tier bartender and a top-tier bar. It's unmistakably the real deal from beginning to end. And I don't think it's any secret. Our visit was on a snowy Monday night and by 6:30, the bar area was pretty much full with happy imbibers.


Mike Ryan shakes a cocktail in front of his awesome wall o' spirits

Our party of 4 had a lot of cocktails. On this night, I stuck to the darker sprits. Mike started me out with a spicy, tart and balanced bourbon-based Hot Toddy. Over the next 4.5 hours, I ordered a Chuck Yeager (Smith & Cross, El Dorado 12-year, yellow Chartreuse, cinnamon bark syrup, fresh lime, Angostura), a Gravity Storm (Laird's Applejack, cranberry-infused maple syrup, Carpano Antica, fresh lemon, Fee's Old Fashioned bitters), The Birthright (Old Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond, house-made fig-garam masala syrup, fresh lemon, Angostura), a Fedora Cocktail (Buffalo Trace, housemade grenadine, fresh thyme, fresh lemon), a Cloak & Dagger (Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond, Carpano Antica, Cruzan Blackstrap, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Greg's Physical bitters) and a Globetrotter (Banks rum, housemade grenadine, fresh lemon, Angostura). These were all sensational, as were several other gin-based cocktails that I tasted along the way.

After a couple hours at the bar, we headed back to the dining room and had some dinner. But first, one more drink . . .


Globetrotter Cocktail

The food menu is divided into 5 sections: Hors d'Oeuvres, Fish, Meat, Farm & Garden and Brick Oven Flatbreads. The four of us ordered 3 rounds of dishes, for a total of 12. Most dishes are available in half and full portions. I thought that many of the dishes we ordered were oustanding. Here are a few pics, though I was somewhat inebriated and they're not of the greatest quality . . .


Deviled Eggs with truffle oil and black trumpet mushrooms



Rock Shrimp-Corn Fritters with chili dipping sauce



Crispy Pork Belly BLT's



Corned Beef Reuben Strudel with thousand island dressing



The open kitchen at Sable, which runs along the length of the dining room



Duck Fat fingerling potatoes with foie gras butter and sea salt



Cauliflower Gratin with taleggio cheese and white truffle oil



Bison Short Rib Sliders with root beer glaze



Smoked Black Cod with pumpernickel croutons and horseradish-dill cream



Buttermilk Fried Chicken Drumettes with spicy ranch sauce



Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds with spicy ketchup glaze



Crispy Red Lentil Cake with cocount curry broth, peanuts and zucchini salad



Flatbread: Spicy housemade lamb sausage with pecorino romano, arugula and mint pesto

Across the board, I thought that conception and execution of the dishes was very high. We'd had a lot to drink and as such, I think some details were lost on me. The potatoes were perfectly cooked but I wasn't tuned in enough to pick up the foie gras butter. That said, they still tasted great and had a satisfyingly crispy texture. Some of the other, boldly-flavored dishes we had made for quintessential bar fare. The fatty and tender short rib sliders were totally compelling and the pork belly sliders were crispy on the edges and unctuous throughout. I also loved the cauliflower gratin -- it's my second favorite veggie -- and this was an intensely flavorful preparation. The corned beef reuben strudel was perfection in a roll and even though I hit a wall and was too full to do more than try it, the crispy red lentil cake was delicious. I also really loved the smoked black cod. It was moist and supple, and carried a sweet smoke, which was a perfect accent for the fish. The addition of the crispy skin garnish was a very nice touch. But why oh why is this fish, which is also known as sable, simply referred to a black cod on the menu at Sable? This should be their namesake dish!

Desserts looked tempting but we were too full and knew that ordering anything else would be ill-advised.

A few days after this initial visit, I found myself back in the neighborhood and stopped in with a group of 6 for a couple rounds of after-lunch drinks (gotta love the holiday season! ). On this occasion, Mr. Ryan was not in the house but Nate, who was tending the bar, took equally great care of us. The cocktails and service were stellar and I ordered a couple of bourbons that I really liked: a Johnny Drum 12-year (which I'd never tried before) and a barrel-select bottling of Evan Williams that was chosen by Mike Ryan himself and bottled exclusively for Sable (which Mike let me taste during the first visit). The spirit list at Sable is lengthy and impressive. I could spend a lot of time working my way through it and the cocktail menu and the food menu . . . and I plan to do just that.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:the impressive cocktail menu reads like a piece of literature, though it's not nearly as long. It's organized into 13 sections, each one headed up with a clever bit of prose which lays out the theme of the section.

It can be viewed on their website here.

Happy to see Sable getting the love since it's become my go-to place. The mix of such great cocktails with really good food matches so many eat out occasions from business lunch to celebration.

One thing not mentioned is that the menu which clearly appeals to meat lovers alsonis very satisfying for vegetarians and vegans which made it a great spot for me when my vegetarian son was in town - I could go for pork belly and apple flatbread while he was loving the mushroom sliders and cauliflower and we both adore the butternut squash soup.

They share recipes for favorites in their newsletter - the soup was in the last issue ... And generally have a great attitude and a happy crew.

Siun wrote:One thing not mentioned is that the menu which clearly appeals to meat lovers alsonis very satisfying for vegetarians and vegans which made it a great spot for me when my vegetarian son was in town - I could go for pork belly and apple flatbread while he was loving the mushroom sliders and cauliflower and we both adore the butternut squash soup.

And everybody can enjoy the sweet corn creme brulee!!! (Thinking back on my dinner there, everything was great, but if I had to label one dish as "don't miss", that's the one I'd choose.)

I'll join the chorus in praise of the food:
Sweet corn creme brulee: A creative and tasty dish, if a bit too sweet for my taste.
Wild mushroom sliders with onion jam and goat cheese: My favorite disch, with big earthy flavors and a great texture.
Pork Belly BLT: How could this be bad, and it wasn't. The buns were exceedingly butter, which when combined with the pork belly, well.... My second favorite.
Deviled eggs: A great rendition, the mushroom on top added the needed dynamic touch.
Butterscotch pot de creme with shortbread cookies. I barely got a taste.
Bread pudding with cherries and chocolate sauce and salted caramel ice cream. One of my better desserts in a long while.

What I really liked about this place were the half portions. My wife and I are modest eaters, and three of the above were half portions (the creme brulee doesn't come in one), which allowed us to taste four savory dishes and still have room from dessert. Service, cocktails, all are terrific. This is, above all, a FUN place to eat.

Jonah

Jonah wrote:Sweet corn creme brulee: A creative and tasty dish, if a bit too sweet for my taste.

I'd like to add a comment describing this dish, because it's based on a dessert but is served as a savory dish. It is not really all that sweet; the custard itself is less sweet than a dessert creme brulee. It does have the thin layer of broiled sugar on top, as the name implies, but on top of this, Chef Terhune sprinkles some gourmet large-crystal salt that provides a great counterpoint to the sweetness of the sugar layer underneath. I thought the interplay and contrast of the sweet, salty, and savory was divine.

I agree that the salt (I assume sea salt) provided a great crunchy balance to the sweet corn flavor and it's not as sweet as a dessert. It's a very good dish, but I only needed maybe a quarter of it. My wife, on the other hand, happily finished it. Perhaps my slight hint of criticism was only because every other morsel was near perfect.

I had a tasty bowl of soup for lunch at Sable, but wasn't enthused about the rest of the meal.

White Bean-Sausage-Kale Soup w/ parmesan and olive oil:


Though there were lots of elements in the menu listing, the most prominent flavor was not. A more descriptive name for this item would be "chicken broth". And a very nicely-flavored, rich chicken broth it was. The other stuff added some pleasant textural contrast, and the olive oil was particularly grassy and good.


Farmhouse Steak Burger with caramelized onions on a pretzel bun:




The fries were excellent - crisp despite the very light color, and natural-potato tasting. The very lightly pickled vegetables were inoffensive. But the burger was horrible. Overcooked, which wasn't the worst part. The worst part were those caramelized onions, which were unnaturally sweet and cloying - just completely destroyed by a cook who must suck rock candy as a hobby. I scraped as much off the burger as I could but a sugary layer remained anyway. Didn't eat much.


Whoopie Pie:


There was nothing particularly noteworthy about these cookies, which were packed in a to go container. The marshmallow filling, which tasted just like the onion, was very oozy.


I drank a glass of Normandie Cidre with lunch, and thought the 9 bucks or whatever it was too much for such a short pour.

I sense that there's better stuff to be had at Sable and it's very close to my office, so I'll probably be back eventually.

Kenny,

You did the lunch special?

Friend and I were excited to go for lunch. We got the lunch specials. Corn creme brulee was very good. Deviled eggs were good. Butterscotch pudding was outstanding! Everything else was forgettable. Whoopie Pies tasted stale. We were sad.

pairs4life wrote:Kenny,

You did the lunch special?

Friend and I were excited to go for lunch. We got the lunch specials. Corn creme brulee was very good. Deviled eggs were good. Butterscotch pudding was outstanding! Everything else was forgettable. Whoopie Pies tasted stale. We were sad.

I did. How did you get deviled eggs if you did the lunch special? Just curious, because I got them too, gratis. I think because it was taking them forever to get my burger out. I thought they were tasty.

Kennyz wrote:

pairs4life wrote:Kenny,

You did the lunch special?

Friend and I were excited to go for lunch. We got the lunch specials. Corn creme brulee was very good. Deviled eggs were good. Butterscotch pudding was outstanding! Everything else was forgettable. Whoopie Pies tasted stale. We were sad.

I did. How did you get deviled eggs if you did the lunch special? Just curious, because I got them too, gratis. I think because it was taking them forever to get my burger out. I thought they were tasty.

We ordered them a la carte & the butter scotch pudding as well. It was my friend's birthday gift from me along with some canned pickles, preserved peaches with rosewater, and home roasted coffee.

The worst part were those caramelized onions, which were unnaturally sweet and cloying - just completely destroyed by a cook who must suck rock candy as a hobby. I scraped as much off the burger as I could but a sugary layer remained

Are you saying that the onions were too sweet from natural caramelization or that sugar was added?

Kennyz wrote:the burger was horrible. Overcooked

From the photo, it looks to me like medium-well, which would be perfect for my personal preference.

Did you specify a doneness when ordering, and if so, how did you ask for it?

Jazzfood - I did not ask and I realize that onions can get very sweet and jamlike when caramelized low and slow. Even knowing that, I would be surprised to learn that a cook did not add sugar. A lot of it.

Nsx - server asked how I wanted the burger and I said "medium rare unless the chef recommends otherwise". He said that was exactly what the chef recommends.

I had dinner with some friends and Sable last night and came away extremely impressed.

There were four of us, and given how the menu is constructed we were able to try quite a few dishes. We had:

Fried cheese curds
Tuna tartare tostadas
Deviled eggs
Lamb burger sliders
Scallops with chutney and chili oil
Smoked black cod
Grapefruit and avocado with fried rock shrimp
Pork rillettes with apricots
Pistachio duck sausage with grits and sour cherries
Blueberry jelly donuts

Just about everything we had was pretty fantastic. The fried cheese curds came with a great spicy ketchup, the lamb burgers were perfectly cooked (as were the scallops), the deviled eggs were an excellent rendition of a now ubiquitous dish, the grapefruit and avocado salad was bright, with the shrimp providing a nice contrast of temperature...I could go on and on actually. My only quibbles would be that the tuna tartare was a bit bland (but definitely benefited from a squeeze of lime) and the cod was just a little too smoky for my tastes (also, the skin served with the cod was rubbery, not crisp which was unfortunate).

It was a school night so I didn't try as many cocktails as I would have liked. I had a couple War of the Roses and they were definitely tasty and nicely balanced (it's probably possible to drink way too many of these without even realizing it).

Service was friendly and easy-going on a fairly quiet Sunday night. A couple of guys in the kitchen even took some time out to answer some questions from one of my dining companions. The whole place really emanated a warm and friendly vibe (even if the room is a bit cold and modern).

There were at least half a dozen more dishes I would have liked to try so I will definitely be back.

My wife and I want to try this place tomorrow night. However, I tried to make a reservation a few days ago and the pickins were slim. Nothing's opened up yet but when I called they said that the full menu is available at the bar.

Can anyone chime in on how difficult it is to get seating in the bar area on a Sat. night (7ish)? We don't mind where we sit, and it seems like sitting near the bar might be pretty entertaining.

the sleeve wrote:My wife and I want to try this place tomorrow night. However, I tried to make a reservation a few days ago and the pickins were slim. Nothing's opened up yet but when I called they said that the full menu is available at the bar.

Can anyone chime in on how difficult it is to get seating in the bar area on a Sat. night (7ish)? We don't mind where we sit, and it seems like sitting near the bar might be pretty entertaining.

I think Saturday night at the bar at Sable is going to be pretty crowded. Not saying it wouldn't be fun or worth it -- especially because they kicked off their new, Spring menu this past Monday -- but I'd definitely expect a wait for the bar at 7 pm on Saturday.

=R=

Had a really great meal at Sable this past weekend. Started off with a few cocktails.


Speaking in Tongues | Del Maguey Mezcal Vida, Luxardo Amaro Abano, fresh lemon, muddled strawberry


Running with Scissors | Hendrick’s Gin, Solerno, Campari, muddled strawberry, lemon

Ordered a number of half-plates and a flatbread.


Bacon Wrapped Dates, ewe’s blue cheese


Bison Short Rib Sliders: root beer glaze


Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles: bourbon maple syrup


Grilled Peach Flatbread, brie, toasted hazelnuts, honey


Butterscotch Pot de Crème, Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread, Candied Kumquat


Blueberry Crostata, Almond Ice Cream

We enjoyed everything that we ordered. The short rib sliders, in particular, were phenomenal. I wish I could get a sack fo 10 of these sliders! Unfortunately, we didn't get to dig deeper into the cocktail menu, but I plan on making it back in the near future to try some more drinks and food that we didn't get to.

We had dinner at Sable again a week ago and it was one of the best dinners I've had in the past year. Just about everything was absolutely delicious; this time, standouts included the corned beef reuben strudel, the pistachio duck sausage, the sweet corn creme brulee, and the orange-buttermilk panna cotta. The service is reliably great too, with enthusiastic servers who are knowledgeable about the food as well as the craft cocktails. Sable has rapidly become one of my favorite restaurants, where I can count on memorable food, meal after meal. The reasonable price is just icing on the cake, but it makes the decision to return an easy one.

I had dinner at Sable last night and the pistachio duck sausage with parmesan grits and sour cherries was the highlight of the meal. The eggplant and tomato gratin with parmesan and an herb crust was fantastic as well. I didn't really care for the avocado and grapefruit salad because our shrimp were not very fresh and there were far too many wontons thrown on top. The smoked black cod was okay, but not too memorable and my dessert, the dark chocolate souffle cake with peanut butter sauce, was nothing special. I was expecting more of a light, souffle texture, but this was just a cake. The salted caramel ice cream was a nice accompaniment though.

Our waitress said they're going to overhaul the menu in October with a menu full of completely new dishes. So I'll definitely be returning to try that!


Grapefruit and Avocado Salad / Sable by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Eggplant Tomato Gratin / Sable by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Eggplant Tomato Gratin / Sable by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Smoked Black Cod / Sable by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Pistachio Duck Sausage / Sable by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Dark Chocolate Souffle Cake / Sable by TrackBelle, on Flickr

I've been dining at Sable a lot recently - and just love it! Each time we've ordered quite a mix of small plates and each time had a really delicious and fun meal. Along with enjoying the food and the cocktails so much, I just never get tired of the good service and overall wonderful welcome at Sabl. Each time I take guests - some business, some friends and family - they love it but also comment on just how the Sable team - and especially Chef Terhune make you feel like they really enjoy cooking for you and want to make sure you have a great evening.

A friend is in town for a conference this week and I chose Sable to meet at for a bite on Monday night. I've been to the bar many times for small bites but never to the restaurant.

We ordered in rounds, two dishes at a time. No photos, though many are pictured above.

- Deviled eggs. I've had these before -- my only complaint is that they are sinfully rich and a little goes a long way

- Crispy Pork Belly BLT Sliders. I know everyone raves about the Root Beer Shortribs, but I really prefer these. Not the first time I've had them, and they did not disappoint.

- Chicken and waffles. I was a little disappointed by this dish. Despite the smell of cooking waffles wafting by the kitchen, our waffles were room temp to cold, and my chicken (looked like breast meat) was so dry that it was flaking as I cut it. I left half of mine uneaten. The bourbon maple syrup was fantastic though.

- Grilled Venison: sweet potato, bitter greens, cranberry gastrique. Fantastic. The venison was far more tender than I would have ever guessed it could be (to be fair, I'm not very experienced with venison though). I am not ashamed to admit I gnawed the bone.

- Corn creme brulee. By far, for me, the standout of the evening. The texture was exquisite and the salty/sweet/creamy play was just perfect. I'm already plotting how to replicate this dish.

- Duck fat steak fries with cheddar. Not my preferred style of fries (I prefer more of a frite thin and crispy style) but crispy on the outside and fluffy inside.

- Butterscotch pot de creme. My favorite dessert, described above as well. Loved the cookies and marmalade.

- Brown Sugar cheesecake with caramelized bananas. The banana slices actually had a layer of bruleed sugar on top of them, total standouts. The cheesecake was fine but not amazing. Interesting flavor from the brown sugar though.

All in all a mostly great first full dinner. I was stuffed by the end but we couldn't settle on one dessert.

Sable continues to be one of my favorite places to stop in. The bar staff is always friendly, the cocktails amazing (tonight I had gimlet #1), and the food rarely disappoints.

I've been to Sable many times for cocktails and rarely have been disappointed. The drink menu skews a little sweet for my taste, though I can usually find a couple that work for me, but the draw for me is their deep bench of capable bartenders always willing to mix up something more my speed.

With all the positive reviews I read I decided to give it a try for dinner. Overall I'd say the meal was inconsistent, with some high points and a handful of misses. I really enjoyed the fried cheese curds that featured larger-than-usual curds well fried so the outside was crunchy and the inside was chewy and stretchy. They were served with a forceful house-made ketchup that pepped them up nicely if you showed restraint when dipping. Also good were the shrimp and grits that married the plump shrimp with creamy grits really well.

On the other side of the coin, the veal meatballs were crusty and hard on the outside, as though they were sitting in a heating tray for a long time. Similarly the short rib sliders with root beer glaze were too sweet and sticky and served on a somewhat stale bun. The duck fat steak fries lacked any crispness on the outside to balance out the starchy inside and I couldn't pick up the rich duck fat flavor. The menu says they are served with aged cheddar, but I could barely detect that bitter contrast in flavors over the mouthful of starchy potato.

Also, I made the observation at the end of the meal that while the cocktails were really good (as always), they didn't really go with the food very well. This is not a criticism since I'm not sure there are many foods that pair with complex, layered cocktails (perhaps spiced nuts or mild cheese), but it is something to consider since, for me, the biggest draw to Sable is the drinks.

I really liked that the dishes were offered in half size portions and the vibe of the place (we sat in the bar area) leant itself well to ordering a couple dishes at a time and grazing while hanging out with friends. I still love Sable, but I don't think I'll make it a point to eat dinner there again. It's certainly worth grabbing a snack at, but I didn't think the cuisine rose to the level of the cocktails.

Mr. X and I had dinner at Sable the other night. We walked through the bar to get to the host station and I was glad we weren't staying in the bar. It was really loud. Once seated, I ordered the War of the Roses (Pimm's, Bombay Dry Gin, St-Germain, mint, fresh lime) while Mr. X had the Power of Love (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Carpano sweet vermouth, ginger, lemon, egg white). My cocktail skewed a touch sweet but was tasty. We both loved Mr. X's drink. For my second cocktail, I had a Bombay Dry gin martini. Mr. X stayed with bourbon, but I don't recall which drink he had.

For food, we did half orders of everything: bacon-wrapped dates, shrimp and grits, mushroom-asparagus risotto, mini lamb burgers, and the blue hill mussels. The mussels were my favorite dish. I thought the garlic/tomato/chili flake/white wine broth the mussels were cooked in was phenomenal. The other dishes didn't do it for me. Some dishes were over-salted, others didn't come together flavor-wise. My overall impression of the menu is that every dish had a lot going on...perhaps too much.

We passed on dessert at Sable and ended up finishing the night with a flight of sparkling wine and chocolates at Eno in the Intercontinental.

I'd like to try Sable again, but probably only for drinks. I wasn't wowed by the food.