Daniel George: Restaurant Showcase

If you haven’t been to Daniel George lately, then you have been missing out on one of the finest restaurants in the villages.

I had the pleasure of eating lunch there recently along with my friend and lover of all things food, Christiana Roussel.  We truly enjoyed everything about the experience.

To begin with, the staff at Daniel George makes a point of making everyone feel welcome.  They are friendly and very helpful.  They offer great advice and are extremely knowledgeable about the menu.  They have menu meetings everyday and are happy to make recommendations of food and wine to suit your every craving.

The restaurant, which is owned by Chefs Daniel Briggs and George McMillan, both of Mountain Brook, boasts a pleasant and light atmosphere for lunch.  Lovely paintings and fresh flowers add to the ambience of the rooms.

According to Pastry Chef Brent Seamon, the restaurant really focuses on making amazing dishes from what local farmers, such as Al’s Hollow Farm, offer and incorporating the best of what is in season.

I can assure you that this approach is working well for them.  Every bite we had was out of this world!  To begin with, we decided to try the Roasted Pepper Soup and the Cornmeal Crusted Shrimp.  The soup was delicious with fresh avocado and green onion floating in a dollop of crème freshe.  The flavor was wonderful!

When you go, you must not pass up the Cornmeal Shrimp. We both could have ordered another it was so delicious.  The shrimp is very lightly battered and served on top of a wonderful cayenne remoulade with mardi gras slaw accompanying the dish.  It was a great balance of textures with the tangy slaw, creamy remoulade and the wonderful shrimp.

For our entrees, as hard as it was to decide, Christiana had the Pappardelle Bolognese, which was a wonderful combination of ground veal, beef, pancetta, tomatoes, basil and parmesan served with the homemade pappardelle pasta- ribbon like lasagna noodles.  She loved the combination of flavors from the meats and the rich, rustic sauce.  It was a great choice!

I had the Chicken Picatta.  At dinner, a staple of their menu is the Veal Picatta.  I have heard great things about that dish, so I decided to try the chicken version.  It did not disappoint.  It was lightly battered, with the chicken tender and flavorful.  Capers and a wonderful meuniere sauce added some tanginess to the dish that made it irresistible.  It was served over some delicious brocollini and roasted fingerling potatoes.

Entrees at lunch run from $12 dollars for sandwiches and salads, with heavier dishes like ours at $13.

Make sure you save room for dessert!  It is not to be missed.  Chef Seamon makes some wonderful creations.  We had the flourless chocolate torte.  If you love chocolate, this dessert is for you.  It was a wonderful, dense, rich creation with a dollop of cream and fresh raspberries.    Other desserts that he recommends are the banana bread pudding or the bittersweet marquee- which is a mouse type of cake- served with balsamic ice cream.  The best seller at dinner is the warm chocolate lava cake.

Speaking of dinner, Daniel George offers a variety of amazing dishes.  Although the menu changes daily in order to incorporate what is in season, the filet of beef is always on the menu, and you can count on an offering of poultry, seafood, and fowl prepared in unique and delicious ways to tempt you.

One thing you can count on, is a lovely atmosphere and an amazing meal close to home.