Dining Out Southeast: The Rail Public House, Gadsden, AL

Tonight, to celebrate Sweet Harold's birthday, he chose to dine at The Rail Public House.  Gadsden is indeed fortunate to have this caliber of restaurant.   

Loren was our server and she was a delight.  She was familiar with the specials of the evening and, when she learned it was a birthday meal, she told us to take our time and not to feel rushed.  Our drinks were kept filled and she made sure to check on us from time to time.

We started our meal with the evening's appetizer special:  Brussels Sprouts with a soy sauce/balsamic vinegar glaze, caramelized onions, and blue cheese.  This was an amazing combination of flavors and textures.  

Sweet Harold ordered one of the night's specials:  A thick cut pork chop with chorizo cream sauce with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, and asparagus over wild rice.

The pork chop was well seasoned and perfectly cooked.  The chorizo added a touch of heat to the dish.  The grilled asparagus was delicious and the wild rice was nice and fluffy.  The serving size was extremely generous and the birthday boy had enough left over to bring home for lunch tomorrow.

I chose the pasta special of the night:  Blackened Chicken Alfredo.  Instead of the normal pasta noodles, this dish had large cheese ravioli with a generous amount of Alfredo sauce which was rich and creamy.  The chicken was not spicy from the seasoning.  The additional garnish with parmesan and parsley was the perfect touch.  I chose a Greek salad as my side item.  It was filled with cucumbers, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and feta.  

Although we were both nearing our "can't eat another bite" stage, we agreed to share a dessert.  It was a birthday celebration after all!  He chose the salted caramel cheesecake.  Oh my.  This dessert is everything you think it would be:  a crunchy graham cracker crust, a rich and decadent salted caramel filling topped with a creamy cheesecake topping.

The Rail Public House is a gem for the Downtown Gadsden area.  The owners are hands on and are always on site.  The staff is well trained and the menu items continue to be not only inventive, but delicious as well.

Thank you for a wonderful birthday meal!