Well, Rebels, you're gonna have to think back a long way to help me revisit this review: THREE WHOLE WEEKS back to the Texas A&M game. I have no excuse, except that I've been busy...and for a week in there, out of the country. But, better late than never, right?
Ok, so, we always looks forward to eating at City Grocery. After all, it's the most highly acclaimed restaurant in Oxford--the restaurant that started it all, when it comes to exciting food in Oxford. John Currence had a vision, and he's made good on that vision over the past two decades. So, needless to say, expectations are always high.
When we arrived for our 8:00 reservation, the hostess passed along that our table wasn't ready. I instantly got flashbacks of our dinner at McEwen's. And just like that evening, we fell prey to a restaurant's second seating. This time, it was a good half-hour until our table was ready. But again, restaurants don't have much control over that, so we trudged through the wait and finally got to the table.
The restaurant fills a single room, adorned with classic Southern finishes. Of course, wooden floors and wooden ceilings don't do much to dampen noise, which does make City Grocery a fairly loud eating experience on football weekends. It's best to just join in the boisterous fun. The wait staff at City Grocery is very well-trained, but again, the football weekend does take them down a notch. They always seem a bit harried by the crowd, unlike the staff at, say, Snackbar, which somehow takes the masses in stride. Fortunately, our waiter appeared to be one of the best of the bunch. He was very attentive and visible.
City Grocery hasn't always emphasized its wine list, but these days you'll find probably the most extensive wine list in Oxford. It also provides a broad range of price points, if you're wanting to splurge. And, if you're wanting something a little more stiff with your meal, there's also a nice selection of whiskeys to choose from.
After we ordered, we learned what the real reason for the delays were. The kitchen was backed up. And that's really too bad, because it creates a deficit that the food has to make up. Thankfully, City Grocery's food really is stellar. It's genuinely a notch above the rest of Oxford, and you'd have to drive to Memphis or Birmingham to find something that could rival it. My meal consisted of shrimp & corn soup, guinea hen, and a deconstructed caramel concoction, and each course was amazing. Other highlights around the table were pickled peaches, pork loin, sauteed fish...everything we ate. In addition to superb execution, the dishes impress because they're thoughtfully composed. Starches and vegetables are perfect matches for their respective proteins. Even garnishes are chosen to truly compliment the plate. Both Heath Johnson (chef d'cuisine) and Dwayne Ingraham (pastry chef) have great talent, and they turn out delicious, delicious food.
And that's why eating at City Grocery during football season is a mixed blessing. You're pretty much guaranteed that the food will surpass the rest of the experience. We didn't have a bad time--quite the contrary--but a restaurant that hangs multiple James Beard Awards in the dining room does have to live up to higher expectations from its patrons. In the spirit of full disclosure, some friends of mine also ate at City Grocery the night we were there. Whereas we were on the front end of the second seating, they were further down the line, and they suffered for it. As in...a two-hour wait from their reservation time until they got their first bite of food. At that point, it doesn't matter how good the food is. It's just unacceptable. Additionally, whereas McEwen's is a fairly new restaurant to Oxford, John Currence has two decades of experience dealing with football crowds in Oxford. His kitchen shouldn't be overwhelmed by them.
So, what's the takeaway? City Grocery is at its best on a non-football weekend. And if you can, wait until such a weekend to enjoy the restaurant. It's a special restaurant when the place isn't jam-packed and the staff has time to breathe. Of course, the food is always exceptional...to the point that it shines a spotlight on any other facets of the meal that aren't. If you do want to brave it on a game weekend, definitely eat as early as your stomach will let you. You'll be glad you did.
Ole Miss's next home game is November 10 (Vanderbilt), but you'll get another blogpost from me a week earlier. I'll be tagging along with Madeline and Charlie to the Georgia game, and we're eating at another Southern flagship--Hugh Acheson's Five and Ten. So, that will make two James Beard Award winners in a row! We like to keep it classy. ;)
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