Stanford Grill is EXACTLY what I'm looking for when I think of a GREAT dining experience. It's a perfect meshing of 'Fine Dining' meets 'Friendly Neighborhood Tavern'. Allow me to explain. While the food, décor (dark mahogany looking woods, leather banquet seating, glass partitions is VERY highbrow - the overall feeling is very welcoming and maybe as unpretentious as one could imagine. The feeling is that "you'd BETTER have on a dinner jacket but since you're in shorts and a polo, that's cool too - come on in" vibe... LOVE IT!!!
1st indicator that we were in for a treat - the place was PACKED!!!!! We had a 35 minute wait so we opted to headd to the bar and wait. While there a table opened so we took it and ate in the bar area. Every single person we spoke too was highly knowledgeable about their offerings and were incredibly well mannered and friendly. I tipped our server very well (not braggadocios but her table service/overall demeanor was just THAT EXEMPLARY)!
Now onto the grub - APPETIZER: Fiesta Eggrolls were HUGE, flavorful, very cheesy, HOT! (just came out of the fryer). The sauce that comes with them is a perfect compliment. I think it was a chipotle blue cheese (I KNOW - crazy, right?!?!? But it worked ohhhh so well).
MEAL: Me: Bravo Salad - I don't know what kind of hallucinogenic mind-altering drugs were taken to even think up this combination but - THANK YOU!!!! This salad was OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD GOOD!!!! The flavors were constantly punching you with their freshness. The flavors/textures were all there - the herbaceous taste of the mixed greens, the sticky sweet (dates), the tartness (goat cheese), the creaminess (avocado), the crunchiness (almond slivers), the sweet pop of crunch (sweet corn), the spongy (croutons - or maybe it was actually cornbread, I don't know - but it was an AMAZING addition), and of course the STAR of the dish - these succulent, juicy, flavorful (well marinated) chucks of freshly pulled chicken.
Dining Companion - Rotisserie Chicken Salad - Rotisserie chicken (see above description), mixed greens (see above), creaminess (black beans), the pop of flavor (tomatoes), crunchiness (jicama), sweetness (corn & carrots), smoothness (Monterey Jack), tart/sweet/heat (chipotle-bleu dressing), creaminess (avocado), and sweetness (BBQ sauce)
DESSERT: Key Lime Pie - 1st off - this was HUGE!!! The slice easily can feed two (and I still took some home, it was so big). Now on to the description... This was an explosion of taste. It was eating a key lime picked right off the branch. The graham cracker crust was nothing short of sublime! It was a THICK crust that was the perfect complement to the sweet tartness of the key lime - and when it got to room temp and the butter in the crust gave way - OHHHH MY HEAVEN!!! The whipped cream - OOOOH, the whipped cream. Now, please understand, I am not a fan of whipped cream AT ALL unless it is fresh. This was so fresh and full of flavor, I could have had the whipped cream ALONE and been quite satisfied.
FINAL ASSESSMENT: I can't believe I worked in Columbia for a decade and NEVER knew about this place. This is DEFINITELY one of my favorite spots. Can't wait to enjoy the dining room experience next. read more