My Favorite Restaurant
People often ask me what my favorite restaurant is, since I’m such a fanatic. It’s a fair question! And if you follow me on Twitter, you may know what the answer is, seeing as I’ve checked in there four times in the last two weeks (and I’m the Mayor 😀 shut up, it matters).
If you guessed J. Gilbert’s, you are spot-on! I’ve done a full write-up on a visit (when they came out with a new menu) and have mentioned them countless times. I’m a big fan of tweeting every experience I have there too.
Swordfish, broccolini, baked potato.
When I first started visiting J. Gilbert’s, I’d order the same thing every single time – 6 oz. filet mignon, baked potato, and asparagus. Oh, along with their awesome sourdough bread.
The butter on the right is pastrami butter!
But then I became an adventurarian (genius term Heather came up with for my style of eating) and began to feel the need to get something different every single time. And that’s totally possible, thanks to the constantly-rotating selection of specials.
Jeff’s latest special selection – 14 oz veal with a fig demi glace and lobster risotto!
I love taking friends to J. Gilbert’s because I KNOW they will love it, no matter what they order. However, there are certain things that are their specialty. When Jeff and I took our friend Kelly there a couple weeks ago, we helped her pick out a meal that was a sampler of what J. Gilbert’s does best, wood-fired steaks and seafood.
4oz filet, crab cake, lobster risotto, lobster mac n cheese.
The bar has an amazing atmosphere. I love going there to hang out and catch up with friends, or family. The bartenders are courteous and really fun to chat with. J. Gilbert’s boasts an extremely impressive wine collection, but their cocktails ain’t half bad either.
Lemon Basil Manhattan: Maker’s Mark, lemon, basil, simple syrup, pure cane sugar.
The bar also has a great happy hour, including a Sunday option, from 4-8pm! I love Sundays at J. Gilbert’s. A nice way to wind down the weekend!
My favorite happy hour app, the chicken quesadilla.
Another happy hour option, filet mignon sliders with sweet potato shoestring fries.
My family celebrates almost every special occasion at J. Gilbert’s.
My parents and I recently had dinner there to celebrate my 23rd birthday. I went all out and ordered the rack of lamb.
My dad’s swordfish was a work of art (you may recognize it as the cover photo on the Cait Plus Ate Facebook page).
And I like to think of this picture of us from that night as a work of art too 🙂
When my Nana Connie came to visit, we took her to J. Gilbert’s TWICE!
Me, my mom, and Nana Connie at Sunday happy hour.
She enjoyed her filet and crab cakes (another first-timer, so I suggested she order that!) and I adored yet another new-to-me entree choice, the ahi tuna! One thing I don’t often switch up are my sides. I tend to gravitate towards a baked potato and asparagus almost every single time. Their baked potatoes are truly the best I’ve ever had. So much sea salt on the skin!
The weird dark thing in the upper left is actually the charred side of the other piece of tuna. YUM!
The waitstaff is very friendly and not at all annoyed (or seemingly not annoyed…) by my mom and I, who are chronic meal-modifiers (sauce on the side, tweaks like that).
A modified fish my mom ordered, grilled mahi mahi, sans sauce (it was on the side).
That’s great news for anyone like myself who loves to dine out frequently, but wants to do so in a health-conscious way. My mom and I also frequently ask for lighter sides like our baked potatoes and asparagus in place of heavier sides like mac n cheese or creamy risotto.
Sea scallops, a favorite of many of my friends and family.
But sometimes you have to go all-out and order a meal as-is, AKA as a chef designed it to be served and eaten, as my friend did above when he ordered the sea scallops!
Love/hate relationship with this huge wine list. So hard to choose!
So there you have it – now you know what my favorite restaurant is 🙂 If you live in CT, I recommend heading over to J. Gilbert’s (make sure you have a reservation if it’s a holiday or weekend) for dinner, or even popping in for their happy hour if you’re looking for a cheaper way to enjoy their gourmet food.
You can also like them on Facebook to get exclusive, random surprise Facebook deals – or join their mailing list! You’ll get a free entree on your birthday, as well as a $15 off coupon right off the bat for signing up.
What’s your FAVORITE restaurant? Just one, no cheating!
Are you a meal-modifier when dining out like myself?
