That last post about us catching up soon was just a big fat lie. But here we are again.
We visited Venus for dinner because we always walk by and find ourselves saying "We should really try that place" and then we discovered that we had a 25% off coupon for our entire meal, and that pretty much settled the matter.
When we arrived, there were only a couple of tables free on a Thursday night, but not surprising because the restaurant is pretty small - around 15 tables, most of them for two. Having never have been inside, I was surprised that even though the walls are brick, and the kitchen dominates a lot of the space, it feels very warm and cozy. Lots of art on the walls and low light. We never knew that they focused on using local, organic products, or that their menu changes seasonally (and so is relatively small) but all those things are true. Made us feel even better about our dinner choice.
We opted to skip the cocktails, which is unusual for us, and started instead with their special salad of the day. It was a pear salad, which neither of us can remember any other specific ingredients of (I know there were nuts and cheese...but talk about vague...) I do remember that it was a large portion for a starter salad, and that it was very good. We actually asked why it isn't part of the daily menu.
For entrees, I had the beef short ribs, which were slow roasted, and served in a cabernet reduction. They were extremely, ridiculously tender, and the meat on them was very good. They didn't make me want to stand up and applaud, however, because I was put off by how much fat I cut away. While I know that short ribs can be naturally fatty pieces of meat, it seemed like I definitely got the fatty end of the slab. Dan veered in the other direction and ordered the butternut squash gnocchi with spinach and mushrooms. They offer this dish in both appetizer and entree size and Dan, having to show off, ordered the big boy size. The gnocchi was incredibly good, but very sweet. Of course, you might be thinking "Way to go, captain obvious! Who would of thought such a dish would be sweet?" and you would be right to respond with such sarcasm. But hey, it lived up to expectations. He ended up taking about half of it home and recommends ordering the appetizer size.
After his entree, Dan was in no mood for dessert, but I was really excited because I had heard raves about their sticky toffee pudding. Deliciousness. It completely lived up to expectations. I wanted to actually order a second one (!) but Dan I think would have been mortified. So, we'll have to come back another time. Seriously, go for just this dish if you've never been.
We were one of the last tables in the restaurant and one group had walked in about 5 minutes before closing time (which I'm sure annoyed the hell out of everyone working, but they didn't show it at all - I was impressed). One of the other lingering diners was a gentlemen who had been there before us, but was still seated. He was unusual - ordering dishes very far apart, asking for menus frequently and trying to order food that wasn't on the menu. Something about him seemed not quite right. I'm not sure if he was a regular, or if this was his first time in the place, but all the different staff who interacted with him (and it was a few by the end of the night) were extremely gracious and kind. Chalk up a point for service.
We left pretty pleased and knowing that we would return in the future. We won't be regulars, but are happy to have it close by and excited to see the menu next season. We've also heard good things about their brunch, and we love some brunch, so it's on the "To Try" list.
A couple of general points to know - they are closed for dinner on Mondays and also offer a pre-theater menu of two courses and a glass of wine for $28.
