I've been to Virtue countless times so safe to say I'm a big fan. They do take walk-ins but I would recommend a reservation to be on the safe side as they stay busy. Parking: There is street parking and while you might not necessarily find something close, you'll definitely bound to find something. Dinner: The short rib and macaroni and cheese are my go to and you can not go wrong. The corn bread is also excellent. One of the best things is that they're items are definitely sharable, so you can either share at the table or have left overs for later! The green tomatoes and remoulade themselves are pretty good- personally, don't think that they need the shrimp. The collards are pretty good but I haven't found them to be very consistent. The biscuits are also very good, but I would choose the cornbread over them Happy Hour: I've only been here for happy hour once and unfortunately, I was not as impressed as when I go in for dinner The Wings- best thing we ordered. The flavor, the fry, the size- 10/10. Would DEFINITELY order this again. The Catfish Sliders- The flavor of the catfish was phenomenal. I don't believe that the additional toppings did anything for the slider and actually made it a bit overwhelming. Buffalo Mac and Cheese Croquette- I personally was not a fan of these at all but the people I was with liked them! Sweet Rations: Red Velvet Cake- As someone who LOVES red velvet, I was so excited to try this and I will never order it again. Might very well be one of the worst red velvet cakes that I've ever had. Millie's Puddin'- YUMMY! Probably one of the best desserts that I've had from them. They do change a few items depending on the season, which helps to give the menu a nice variety. They do keep some of their better items consistently. Overall, I really am a big fan of Virtue and will be making more trips when I get back to Chicago. read more

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Excellent restaurant with great service. I've been a few times and the food is mostly delicious. A tad salty for my taste, but perfect when I ask for low salt. Great drinks program too. My only qualm is that they do not participate in neighborhood events or organizations such as the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce. If this was not only a great restaurant but also a community partner / leader, It would be worth 4 or 5-stars for sure. read more

Ok, here we go. I heard of Virtue a few years back. I noted that it has many culinary awards, so I wanted to try it. I finally made a reservation for my girl's birthday. We were both excited to have a wonderful fine dining experience. It was 90 degrees outside. She had on a black cotton dress and I had a dress shirt with slacks. It was a Tuesday evening, 7pm. I was expecting decadence and instead as soon as I walked in, it was anything but. The place was packed and LOUD. Many people were dressed in what I would say looked like they just came from working in their yards. They squeezed us between two other tables that were elbows apart. We literally had to SCREAM at each other to be heard. Now I will say the staff and service were excellent. The food was excellent as well. She had the blackened catfish, I had the short ribs. Excellent. The reason I'm giving them only three stars is because of the lack of decadence, the fact that we ordered two vodka gimlets and when they came they were VERY sweet, and the two drinks came in tiny glasses. Both our drinks would have fit in one regular martini glass. ALSO, I didn't know they cost $19 EACH, until I got the bill. The other item is that when I made a reservation I informed them that we were there for her birthday. They replied that they would be prepared. When we were seated even the waiter asked us if we were there for a special occasion. I told him it was her birthday. After the meal and when he brought the check , I asked the waiter what happened to acknowledging her birthday, like with a small desert or something. He replied "They don't do that here. They don't provide complimentary deserts. We just tell people "Happy Birthday". Com'on guys!!! You force people pay for you 4.5% for your employees health benefits on top of a tip. The least you could do is that. Just the same the food and service was excellent. Now I know what to expect. Will I go back? Sure! But I might just order to go instead. read more

My first time here hubby and I decided to come for my birthday dinner... Service was ok since I had no reservation they were willing to accommodate us...waited maybe 10 minutes no biggie. Servers are kinda pushy in a sense they want you to order right away. I didn't want a drink so we started our wait at bar. Once seated still the same they want you to order... I get it it's a small place and very busy. The food was absolutely delicious every thing was phenomenal no complaints about the food at all even hubby loved his gizzards. See pictures it's worth it all! Will come back read more

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Desire food similar to Creole or New Orleans this is a good stop.... Make reservations!!!! The customer service is amazing. The ambiance is very nice and simple. The seating is very close in my opinion and doesn't allow for private conversation. The waiting area is very non existing so the cold air came in everytime more people came in to get seated also. It would help if they sat you before your full party arrived to avoid pileups. Street parking with meters. The food, I started with oysters... Very clean and no grit, smaller, herbal like flavor to me. Good but I've had better. The biscuits with pimento cheese I Loved them. We ordered a bottle of cellar wine of course upcharge compared to the stores but very delicious and complimentary to our meal. Dinner: I got short rib... Let me emphasize on how tender and delicious this dish was! The potatoes and creamed spinach was also delicious. Macaroni and cheese: very creamy as this is what I wanted to try most. It was really good. Fish and Grits: loved it. Very good stone grits, fish nice and flaky and cooked perfectly, the etouffee in the dish was really really good. I was excited that it was a brown versus red gravy. I was very pleased with this meal and I would absolutely return. read more

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My friend and I had a great experience at Virtue. It was both our first time here and our server John walked us through the menu and made some great recommendations. My friend ordered the short rib with a double portion of spinach and no potatoes. Although the short rib was good, it was charred too much for her liking and the manager was very nice about getting her another one. I enjoyed the biscuits, half chicken with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts with a side of mac and cheese. The dining room was very nice. I especially liked that the dinner plates were not your typical plates but were ornate. Overall 10/10 will definitely be back again and will be checking out the chef's other restaurants. read more

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Don't leave Chicago without trying the tender, fresh biscuits layered with pimento cheese and local honey at Virtue. The food is exceptional, the atmosphere crackles with energy, and the dining room is wrapped in awareness, resistance, and hope -- a space where hospitality and purpose meet, and where that spirit elevates the entire experience. read more

PHENOMENAL experience, from the most delicious plates we've had in our year in chicago, to the top-notch professional but homely service. we came celebrating a graduation and our server, freddy, was great! he gave good recommendations, explained their menu well, and checked on us often without becoming bothersome. a wonderful touch was that the other staff running the food knew exactly who ordered what in order to drop it off rather than playing the "auctioning" off our food game. ambience was wonderful, nice decor and music. but the FOOD. holy moly! we've lived in hyde park nearly a year and i'm upset it took us this long to try it! the short rib was incredible, flavorful, tender, to die for. the MAC AND CHEESE! omg! i didn't know mac and cheese could be so flavorful. the cheese sauce was rich and creamy, and wonderfully seasoned. and finally, the banana pudding was the PERFECT way to end the meal. they served some kind of ice cream on top which was probably the most delicious vanilla ice cream i've ever tried. it tasted buttery and rich and smooth. so so good. it even came out with a "congrats!" message for our grad celebration. to top off the experience, what appeared to be the manager of the place came and congratulated us personally, bagging our leftover boxes without us even asking, and being SO kind and welcoming while chatting with us. you can just tell this place really cares about their guests. overall, a truly delightful experience. this place is more than worth all of the hype you here. thank you virtue for the wonderful way to end our celebration! read more

Virtue Restaurant - Millie's Puddin' - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love Virtue, this is one of the best meals I've had in Chicago! The short ribs were delicious and tender. The collard greens tasted like someone's grandma made it! They even have gizzards which as someone whose family is from the Caribbean and I grew up eating gizzards it definitely warmed my heart. I've visited Chicago twice and both times Virtue had to be on the itinerary and probably will always be moving forward! The ambiance gives a nice cozy, family feel the service is on point. I love and appreciate that it is also black owned. read more

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I've been meaning to try Virtue all year, and I'm so glad I finally made it happen. I ordered the beef short ribs, and they were nothing short of incredible fall-apart tender and packed with flavor. The atmosphere was a bit on the crowded side, but still totally manageable and added to the buzz of the space. Overall, I loved the experience great food, good energy, and definitely worth the wait. I'll be back! read more

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Make the reservation. Get the fried green tomatoes. Get the short rib. Have a cocktail. Thank me later. I've been to Chi Town many times but THIS place - I will have to add to my must visit rotation. Worth the hike even if you're staying downtown. read more

I was really hopeful for this restaurant. Took me FOREVER to get here but I made it. The service was great. I thought it was more intimate but definitely gave me Southern Style dining. The fried green tomatoes were the best thing I had. The liver was subpar. Needed more seasoning and the rice was hard. The greens and cornbread were good. It's just me but I was expecting so much more. read more

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Everything was great! Service, food and atmosphere. We started with gumbo and cornbread both delicious. Then split the short ribs and catfish - the sauces on both made it unique and great. We were so full we didn't get any dessert. Definitely would recommend! read more

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The food is absolutely delicious. I went with the gumbo, catfish, and strawberry crumb cake. And the peach fizz, sparkling rose, Sauvignon blanc, and the 20 years tawny port. The only complains were the tiny poor of the port (compared to the other wines) served way too chilled, and the crumb cake itself lacked some flavor. The strawberries, ice cream, snd strawberry sauce was good. read more

This was my third stop for Chicago Restaurant Week, and I am so glad I was able to incorporate Virtue into my lineup early on. From the moment we walked in, the vibes were immaculate. I really appreciated the staff's flexibility in accommodating an earlier reservation for us as it set the tone for a seamless and welcoming evening. The atmosphere was anchored by an excellent music playlist that genuinely makes you feel good. It's the perfect backdrop for what I can only describe as food for the soul. Every dish was comforting, packed with flavor, and tasted truly exceptional. While the entire spread was delicious, the absolute standouts for me were the biscuits, the short rib, and the peach cobbler and homemade cool whip! read more

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Everything was delicious and high quality. Stand outs for me were the Mac N'Cheese, the corn bread and the Banana pudding. The best food I had while visiting Chicago. read more

IT'S WORTH IT!! Stopped by for our anniversary dinner on Juneteenth and Joe made our experience great! This was our first and favorite stop on our trip. The food is AMAZING! Seriously...We ordered the Short Rib, Blackened Fish, Mac & Cheese and finished with the Carrot Cake. Each dish was perfectly seasoned and delicious. I loved the simplicity of the restaurant with the statement art on the walls. We were a little worried about service since we had the last reservation before closing but there were no issues at all. HIGHLY recommend adding this to your Chicago restaurant list. Thank you, Virtue! read more

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My husband has been dying to try this restaurant for a while now, and we originally had plans to go for our anniversary but had to reschedule because I caught a pretty bad cold. So we went the following weekend. On the way there, there was a HUGE accident which made us about 30 minutes late to our reservation and thankfully they still held the table for us. I was a little bummed to see that we were seated at the back of the bar in a dark corner rather than one of the open tables in the main dining room which actually stayed open for the entirety of our meal. But I digress. Our server was super attentive and got us everything we needed. For our food, we started with the biscuits with the pimento spread. These came out instantly, and were fluffy and the spread was great. For our entrees, we got the short rib and the chicken, with a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was prepared so good, I might go as far as to say it's one of my favorites I've ever tried. I love how it's super cheesy, but the cheese doesn't take away from it all at the same time. The Short Rib was super tender, and had tons of flavor. It was the dish that was highly recommended to us. And the half chicken, that spice came a-kickin'! One bite of it, and it kicked in with flavors, SO GOOD but I couldn't taste anything after that. The food came out super quickly, we event got the bread pudding for dessert. All in all, we had a decent experience and when in the area, I would love to come back and try other dishes. read more

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This place is very good, highly authentic soul food. The flavors are very very bold. They are not shy about seasoning the food. Nothing subtle about this. Greasy too. I've eaten a lot of high-end soul food and this is good. (not the best I've had though). Overall, a very nice experience. read more

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My wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary today and we had the opportunity to celebrate the occasion at Virtue. We had the gumbo (with a little spice) which was so delicious we topped it off with the blackened catfish and macaroni and cheese. Let me tell you the macaroni and cheese is addictive, piping hot out of the oven, and let me not forget about the fried green tomatoes with shrimp and a remoulade sauce. The staff was amazing very friendly and attentive. We walked out fully satisfied with our experience Alex was exceptional and we can't wait to come back again. read more

Michelin-rated dining, by a Black owner/chef, on the South Side? You better believe this place is worthy of all the hype and awards. Kicking off a special weekend in The Chi, my friend and I decided to treat ourselves to a hearty meal. From the warm greeting at the entrance to the knowledgeable and patient server, the staff here is top notch. But the star here is the menu! Call it "Southern" or "Soul Food", I call it "Hearty and Heart-Warming". Our eyes were ready for a feast when we reviewed the menu, and wanting to try so much, we said "Let's go for broke!" Fried green tomatoes, served piping hot with a thin cornmeal crust, shrimp for extra flair, and a tasty remoulade. Gizzards over rice and gravy, with the most tender gizzards I've ever had! Cornbread that's as good as cake. Macaroni & cheese with the perfect pasta-to-cheese ratio and baked to a golden brown with that broiler crust. Collard greens that, surprisingly, didn't need any additional hot sauce or vinegar. Lemon chicken that surprised us as to how good it was, as we were just expecting "meh" chicken. But the show stopper is the Short Rib! Tender, flavorful, plentiful. Add to that my boulevardier cocktail that was so good and strong, I only needed to nurse on one during my meal, and this is was a meal worth its cost! Can't wait to celebrate more special occasions here. read more

Virtue Restaurant - Lemon Chicken - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place doesn't need a review. It was amazing! Literally everything was yummy. The best macaroni I've had from any restaurant in Chicagoland. The chicken, greens, mashed potatoes, cornbread and gumbo were on point!!! According to my sister, the gizzards were tender and well season And the bathroom was clean and cute. read more

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I actually will never shut up about this place. Come HUNGRY! Between the blackened catfish and the short ribs, I can't even pick a favorite. The mac & cheese, greens, and cornbread are also a must order! We devoured the green tomatoes each and every time. They also have really good drinks! The servers are super kind and the space is spacious just does have a time limit for each table. read more

The service was great. The waiter that served my party was really nice. The drinks were okay. My personal preference is that I wish the lighting was better there. But the food was so good! I'm still thinking about those short ribs. read more

Virtue Restaurant - Short ribs and Mac & Cheese - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have heard so many good things about Virtue I am so happy to witness culinary excellence and consistency. We were seated immediately for our reservation. We started with cocktails and appetizers. The peach tree fizz was perfectly balanced and delicious. The apple jack was also perfectly balanced I would order both again. For appetizers we did oysters and gumbo. Oysters were delicious. I got the beef short rib as my entree perfectly cooked and tender. The cornbread melted in your mouth. The mac and cheese was so creamy and delicious. Finally for dessert we had the carrot cake it was so moist and delicious. That caramel sauce was perfect. Overall I recommend and would go back. The food and service was great. The ambiance was kind of casual allows you to just enjoy the experience. read more

A virtuous place in an awesome part of the city! Parking: Uber, don't drive! Drinks: great wine selection Food: all meals were to die for! Gumbo was my favorite!! Service: excellent Atmosphere/vibe: great vibe for meeting up with friends Age group: 30's and up Bathroom: working and clean Return: for sure!! read more

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The dishes are consistently well done and all feel like fresh ideas rather than hiring takes on traditional food. We enjoy the service and beautiful interior. I always leave feeling satisfied and hope to return more often! read more

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What a flavorful meal and beautiful presentations. The food was worth every penny and the service from the staff was wonderful. read more

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Cute interior design! From the plate designs to the silverware and everything else inside ... it's such a vibe :) My cousin and I visited during restaurant week, and here are the items we tried: - Green tomatoes: We didn't expect tomatoes to taste this good! They were fried, and the juiciness of the tomato paired nicely with the sauce and the crispy topping. - Salad: Citrus salads are my favorite, and this one really opened up our appetites. The portion was perfect for sharing between two people. - Shrimp and grits: My favorite dish of the night!! The grits were comforting and creamy, balancing the spiciness of the shrimp so well. - Gumbo: This was the second entree we ordered. I loved the well-seasoned sausages, but the grits were still my favorite Decent portions, very good flavors, and overall a great experience! read more

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I have rarely encountered such an unwelcoming experience. The owner approached me twice to criticize minor things--such as how I positioned a chair or held my glass--despite the fact that I was simply sitting and drinking. The tone felt unnecessarily aggressive and not in line with basic hospitality. There are, of course, ways to communicate concerns respectfully, and this was not one of them. It created an uncomfortable atmosphere that detracted from the entire visit. I also found the 90-minute seating limit quite rigid and overly commercial, especially given the already high prices. Combined with the expectation that customers effectively subsidize staff through additional charges, it leaves the impression of a business model focused more on extraction than genuine hospitality. Overall, the combination of a tense, poorly handled interaction and an inflexible concept made for a disappointing experience. I would not recommend this place. It seems to benefit from its location, but the attitude and approach would be difficult to sustain elsewhere. read more

Still amazing. We were seated in the bar area this time and it was very very dark. The place was slammed so service was uneven and we waited more than they might like between things and had to flag people down to clear dishes, order additional drinks, etc. However everyone was exceptionally kind once we grabbed them. Food was still outstanding. Highlight was the carrot cake back on the menu. read more

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This is one of the best restaurants that I have ever been to in my life. My daughter had made reservations for my birthday and the experience was amazing and the food was amazing. I received the blackened catfish and grits and it was delicious and my daughter received the short ribs and the cornbread was outstanding with the butter and that was a meal by itself. Then I received the peach cobbler for dessert and that was the best peach cobbler I have ever received and when I come back to Chicago I will definitely be coming back to this establishment read more

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Just left the restaurant and here was my experience... We finished some errands early and showed up just under one hour before our reservation time. The two hostess, a female and male (9/18/25 evening shift female had short hair and male had long dreads) kept kind of feeding off each other when we ask if we could sit down earlier, they would just look at each other and see how to respond. They said no seats available to come back 15 minutes prior to our reservation time at that time there were six open tables. So we went for a walk, came back, and those same tables were open. After we sat down, we were greeted by Henry R, which we placed our orders entrees and apps. Food came out now once did he came to ask us how the food was going. But he kept walking back-and-forth near us which is not very hard just to ask for Customer Service if everything's going as expected. Our table next to us order a bottle of wine which he kept on topping their glasses off and being more attentive with them. We did not order no alcoholic beverages and not once did he come to fill our cups with water. From the entrance, which is the most important part in my opinion to greet your guest, it just went downhill from there. I give it a two star because of the food. Customer Service and making you feel at home needs an improvement at this establishment and wont be coming back. I have attached pictures of the open tables when we initially got there,during, and after we left. read more

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Ambience is wonderful. Food is wonderful as well. It is a cozy type of place. The waiters are helpful when it comes to helping you decide one of their many dishes read more

As soon as I know I have a visitor coming in town, I make our reservation here. Such a nice restaurant, staff is always friendly! I get the same thing every single time because I'm obsessed get the short rib, add Mac and cheese. You're welcome Super tender, great portion size! Drinks are also really nice. My favorite drink of theirs is the peach tree fizz. Come with some friends so you can pick off their plates anything I've tried, I've enjoyed! Definitely make a reservation though, and if you're trying to make the happy hour, be waiting at the door lol. So worth it! read more

Virtue Restaurant - Mac & Cheese Beef Short Ribs Cornbread & Honey Butter Walleye Peach tree fizz - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was visiting Chicago for the DNC with some friends. This beautiful restaurant located in Hyde Park came highly recommended. Upon walking in we were warmly greeted. We were promptly seated at our table. We started with a round of drinks which were delicious. The biscuits and pimento cheese were delicious! It came highly recommended to get the beef short ribs. This dish was delicious!! The best short ribs I've ever had! They were cooked to perfection, seasoned to perfection, and the entire plate was a 10/10! Will definitely be back when I visit again later this year. read more

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The food was absolutely delicious with the exception of the catfish, it had a slight fishy taste. The whiting fish was seasoned to perfection! The greens reminded me of my families' food. We are from Jackson, MS. The chicken was cooked to perfection, the greens beans had a great crunch, the potatoes were so flavorful and the green tomatoes and cornbread had my mouth dancing! I highly recommend this restaurant for some real southern food. Service was great and ambiance was the perfect setting for any dining experience. read more

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I've been here twice and each time has been amazing. I love the food. Pleasant service. I've only been seated on the side near the kitchen, so I can't give a true testament to the ambiance. However, I would assume the vibe may be a little different on the other side of the restaurant. Nonetheless, please come and enjoy a meal with friends, family, significant other, all the above. It's a great place to partake in comfort food. Get the cornbread and salmon! read more

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I really wanted to love this place. Maybe a return visit might change my mind but my experience just wasn't what I thought it would be. First we got there really early. The bar is not really a bar per se' so you can't really hang out there. They recommend a spot around the corner. When it was to seat us they took us to the bar area. The waiter literally said "Happy Anniversay" and offered us the worst table in the house. We asked for another table and were taken to the main dining room and sat at a table that was a couple of feet from the next person over. Suffice it to say seating is a luck of the draw thing I guess because the person right behind us got a better table. Mind you I made this reservation weeks in advance. Anyway on to the food. We got the chicken and sausage gumbo that had no chicken. We had to ask for chicken because it was all sausage. They brought us a little chicken. what I didn't like was both the sausage and chicken were cubed. Hard to get a good flavor bite but the worst was the gumbo was way too spicy. As a Texas / Louisiana native I've never had gumbo this spicy. The short rib was good and tender. A tad overpriced for me but good. The chicken dish was pretty good. That actually could have used more spice. was still good though. Greens were pretty good. Overall food was good but not amazing. I gave it 4 stars but mine was a 3.5 star experience read more

Y'all... This place!!! "So nice, we did it twice". Yes... we enjoyed our first time there so much that we booked a second reservation... and we were only in the city for four days. The portion sizes are large enough to share. Day One (my greedy self didn't take any Day One photos) Fried green tomatoes- crispy and yummy. The shrimp with remoulade was tasty but I would probably have them separate if I ordered again because I truly value the crispness of a well cooked fried green tomato. And, they do a good job. Gizzards and dirty rice - I don't like fried gizzards. I almost fought my husband over the last one! These were SOOOO good. I want some now. Fish and Grits- I don't usually like savory grits. I'm still dreaming about this one. The fish was firm yet flaky. The crab etoufee made me think of the Gullah meals that we had in Charleston. And, the grits were creamy and well seasoned. Collard greens- yum and yum. I used to hate greens and recently started eating them. These made me think of every holiday meal and I immediately regretted not getting cornbread to host that delicious pot likker. Carrot cake - I am a picky carrot cake lover. I don't like hunks of fruit in mine and expect it to be rich, buttery, and full of spice with a creamy vanilla-y, tart frosting. This one didn't disappoint and made me happy enough to bounce my knee as I ate it. Day Two Gumbo - my husband (with his Creole roots) loved this. He said that it is the best restaurant gumbo he's ever had. And, we had a house in New Orleans for 5 years. Gizzards and dirty rice - yes... I did it again. I forgot to mention that they have a house-made hot sauce that I dip them in. I didn't even eat the rice because it slowed me down... lol. Short rib - ridiculously tender and seasoning was right on. They brought us knives but we didn't need it. We actually served it with a spoon! Collard greens- yes and yes. And, this time, we ordered cornbread and as you can see, I had a plan for them both. Carrot cake - I'm still giggling. 7up cake - let's just call this "family and friends day" cake because it brought up every one of my Missionary Baptist Church days where the Mother of the Church baked a special cake for the guest ministers for Family and Friends Day and IF you worked the kitchen that day, you could share a slice with three other volunteer kitchen workers... and, it was worth it. BOOK YOUR RESERVATION TODAY because Virtue is worth it. If you can, ask for Raj. She delivered fine dining service both nights. I want to hug her for the way that she treated us. read more

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