Nestled on the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square, the three-story brick building that houses Cotton Row Restaurant was built in 1821 along the cotton exchange. I chose to dine at Cotton Row for my birthday meal this year. I made an excellent choice!
As regular readers of the blog know, we dine in all sorts of restaurants. Cotton Row ranks in the high top 5 of all the restaurants we enjoyed.
We were greeted warmly and seated immediately. Paige, our server, offered our menus, took our drink orders, and then returned to share all the specials of the night.
As a happy surprise, San Pelligrino (my favorite) was offered.
I chose Steeplechase (Aperol, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, champagne) as my birthday beverage. All my favorite flavors in one glass!
Sweet Harold chose The Lola made with Tito's Vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, thyme simple syrup, and ginger beer. Served in a Tito's mug, he said this hit the spot!
We started with Cornmeal crusted Apalachicola oysters served with a smoked hickory aioli. For our order, we EACH received five oysters. They were perfectly fried, crunchy on the exterior and tender on the inside. Absolutely superb.
Piping hot mini-loaves arrived next at the table.
Paige's descriptions of the menu items made me ask if it would be possible to have a tasting platter with a sample of everything.
I selected the seared Cape Code Diver Sea Scallops served with creamy Abruzzese pasta, asparagus, oyster mushrooms, citrus butter. It's a common saying that we eat with our eyes first. This meal had such a beautiful presentation. The scallops were perfectly seared. The pasta was cooked al dente and creamy, the asparagus was tender-crisp, the mushrooms paired nicely with the citrus butter sauce.
Sweet Harold chose one of the night's specials: Wild Columbia River King Salmon served with julienned summer squash, locally foraged mushrooms, and lemon pesto. Once again, a fantastic presentation. The salmon was cooked to his requested medium, and the vegetables and mushrooms were expertly prepared.
Here's another angle to showcase those beautiful julienned veggies.
Of course, we made sure to order dessert!
Again, Sweet Harold chose from the night's special menu: Espresso Cake with caramelized figs with caramel sauce. He ordered a French press coffee to enjoy alongside. He inhaled the entire thing before I could grab a taste!
I was very intrigued by my dessert choice. I channeled my inner child, and when I spied a peanut butter and jelly choice, I immediately ordered!
How about peanut butter and jelly wrapped in phyllo dough, with a strawberry compote, chocolate ice cream, salty peanuts, and marshmallow fluff! It was as delicious as it sounds.
If you're wondering how I enjoyed this birthday dessert, here's the answer.
Thank you to everyone at Cotton Row Restaurant (especially Paige!), who made my birthday meal very memorable.
