New Year, New Restaurant.

I absolutely love when a new restaurant opens up in town. However, It always goes the same way for me. They post their menu on social media, it sounds and looks AMAZING. Then I don’t go for a month or two because I know how crowded it is going to be and how many kinks they are going to need to work out. After a month or two of being open, I walk in and I still have minimal expectations.

Let me explain…

I used to work in food service. I actually worked in restaurants for YEARS before I started my career in banking at 28 years old. I loved it. That’s why I did it for so long. I loved the fast pace, the customers, the food, the conversations, even some of the drama that restaurants tend to bring. The reason for leaving is for another post.

I’ve also been a manager for a few new restaurant openings.

I always have minimal expectations. When you are starting a new venture, you are going to have a few kinks to work out. The staff might be trained on how to use the POS system, but not know how to do some of the one off things that patrons ask them to do. Such as, split the check, pay with cash and card, use a gift card. The server might be inexperienced and nervous. She might have to run to the manager to answer some of your questions about the menu. The prep cook might just be starting his career in food and be running behind. Maybe, just maybe, the experienced chef running the kitchen is tired from the 80 hours a week he has been working to get the menu just right, and screws something up. You get my point. Things usually are not perfect when you eat at a brand new restaurant. I expect it and I don’t judge it. I have been at new fine dining restaurants and still had something, even if it was minor, go wrong. It’s really hard for a new restaurant to nail it when they first open.

I have even notice this in blogging. It’s really hard to get things right at first. Everyone that has tried something new has experienced this.

I have a saying, “Never judge a restaurant on your first experience, new or established. Eat there at least twice before you make a opinion”

Then I went to The Leaf.

First of all, It was an accident that I was even there. Yes, I saw the menu. Yes, I liked the Facebook page. Yes, I had every intention of giving them a month of two to work out some of the kinks. Yes, I planned on taking my foodie husband.

Then my brother showed up.

Life gets in the way sometimes and you don’t see your loved ones as much as you would like. I have two brothers. Neither one are blood, but both are family. I don’t see either one of them enough. This particular night, my brother Shane and I had impromptu dinner plans. Shane’s calendar fills up so quick. I was excited that we got to spend this night out to catch up.

When he came to my house he asked where we should go to dinner. I just suggested that we head downtown and figure it out when we got there.

I always eat local. Downtown Wooster is my spot for great local food.

On the drive down he said, “Is that new restaurant open?” I just responded with “I don’t think so, and if it is , we’ll never get in.”

When we got downtown, It was open. When we arrived at the door, the hostess said she could seat us. I was actually a little shocked, but I mainly felt guilt that I was trying this new restaurant without my husband.

First of all, the hostess was a gem. She was professional, yet personable. I know she saw me just gazing around the entire restaurant. I’m sure I looked insane turning from right to left to try to take it all in.

The Leaf used to be The Parlor. The Parlor was a downtown diner. It was almost iconic to our little downtown. However, The Leaf has transformed it. It has a classic, yet industrial feel. Exposed piping lines the ceiling and wood accents the walls. It has a modern farmhouse feel. It feels comfortable and casual, yet upscale.

My favorite part of their decor is the picture they have of the parlor as soon as you walk in. It is a homage of the iconic restaurant before The Leaf

Back to this story …

The hostess found us a great table and let us know that our server would be over.

Our Server…

She was just perfect! She knew the menu. She loved the food (or did a good job of pretending that she did.) She had recommendations (this is my favorite skill of a server.) She was funny. She was relatable. She made me want to try everything on the menu and then come back just to hang out with her.

So our night was off to a good start! Our server took her time going over the specials and the menu.

*** I should note that these are only the drink and dinner menu. They also serve brunch and lunch. Check out The Leaf on Facebook for their other menus!

I had to start off with a cocktail first. I obviously chose a Manhattan. If you read and subscribe to my blog, then you know that I’m a sucker for all things whiskey and bourbon. If you are new to this blog, well, you should know, I like to cook, drink whiskey and listen to music.

So lets recap. This restaurant has a friendly and professional hostess. They have decorated and designed this place flawlessly. They have a picture of the previous restaurant. Our Server has been literally perfect. And now they serve me this beautiful cocktail.

It’s hard to get simple drinks right. A classic like the Manhattan is screwed up very frequently. This drink was perfect. I’m a former bartender. The one thing I know more than food is alcohol. This drink alone was worth coming back for.

So good, that I might have had two.

So what actually makes a good restaurant? The food of course. Shane and I decided to share an appetizer. We choose what was recommended by our awesome server.

Seafood Poutine.

Seriously!! Scroll back up and look at the picture. That is not just fresh cut Idaho potatoes. That poutine includes sweet potatoes. WOW!

Remember when I said I felt guilty for coming here without my foodie husband? Well, that guilt faded away and I started snapping pictures and like any good wife, sent them directly to my husband. Thankfully I didn’t make him to mad. I only made him more excited to go to The Leaf.

The lobster bisque had large chunks of lobster in it. It was creamy and indulgent just like lobster bisque should be. The crawl fish were just a added bonus. They were flavorful and seasoned well. I can’t wait to go and try the bone marrow poutine!

The Entrees:

I went with the special. It was scallops with bucatini in a cream sauce. The pasta was cooked to perfection. It still had a “bite”, which I personally love and so many places screw up. However, the scallops were the star of the show.

Again, just like simple drinks, simple food is screwed up so frequently.

Scallops, on paper, are easy to make. I mean we have all (or maybe just foodies like me) watched Gordon Ramsey cook these flawlessly. Place in an oil coated cast iron skillet, start at the top and flip after 90 seconds. However, whenever I go to a restaurant, they are not properly seared and over cooked. I’m not even 100% sure how that happens, but it does all the time.

These scallops did not disappoint.

Do you know what a scallop should look like when it is cooked properly? It should be seared to a golden brown on each side and the middle should look opaque all the way through. Look at this scallop. I think they nailed it!

So what did Shane have? He had the salmon saltimbocco. I did not get a chance to taste this beautiful meal, but Shane was not disappointed.

So we had a great hostess, great atmosphere, perfect server, great drinks, awesome appetizer, delicious meals, …..

The owner came over multiple times to ask how everything was. The chef also came to our table to see how our meal tasted.

This restaurant nailed their opening. They were prepared. They were friendly. They were educated on their menu. They created the perfect atmosphere. The Chef took so much pride in his food that he came out to see how it tasted.

I was impressed. I’ve been to the best restaurants in New York City. I have ate at 5 star restaurants in Vegas. I live for my meals in Chicago.

I was impressed my new local restaurant. The Leaf .

I was satisfied, but knew that we couldn’t pass up dessert. I’m not 100% sure, but I think I heard the cheesecake was made by an outside local. Either way, the presentation and taste of our creme brulee and cheesecake ended our meal perfectly.

I guess to sum up this long winded blog post, If you are in Wooster, go to The Leaf. You will be treated like a VIP even if you just show up without a reservation. You can wear jeans and still feel like you treating yourself. You will, most importantly, be served great food by people that make you feel like family.