CHEW IT UP GOOD!: All in the Family - Porter’s and Frazier’s

Names: Porter’s City Tavern & Frazier’s Bistro
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Ratings: 4 and 4.5 stars, respectively

I wouldn’t say I was devoted to the husband and wife team behind Porter’s and Frazier’s… but numbers don’t lie. Apparently, I’ve been to Frazier’s twice in the last year, and to Porter’s at least three times more. That’s a lot of dining dollars, and once you’ve had the opportunity to visit one of these establishments, you’ll understand why I’ve continued to return in the face of so many other dining options.

Kevin and Stacy Jennings started Frazier’s in 1998, and it has perpetually been on the list of local foodie haunts. Following their success, they opened Porter’s practically next-door in 2003. They recently left the comforts of Hillsborough street for North Hills with their new upscale-Italian establishment, Vivace, which I will review at a later date.

Porter’s. Porter’s is perhaps an ideal restaurant: great ambiance, excellent food, reasonable prices. It’s also family friendly if you dine early – our toddler has been to Porter’s twice with great success. The design of the space is stylish, with a sleek bar area, attractive patio, and a dining room that welcomes and creates a rare feeling of privacy in a crowd. And it can get crowded. On a weekend night, Porter’s gets packed, so plan to dine early, get a reservation, or expect a long wait.

The food at Porter’s tastes like “special occasion” food, but isn’t priced that way or gussied-up too much. The tavern chips are a great example. Home-made tortilla chips with a variety of succulent toppings, they are so good one person could easily clean a plate of these by themselves…but that’s not advised since even when split by two grownups, the portions are quite filling. I recommend splitting the tavern chips three ways, or at least showing some restraint (which I’m never able to do). I’m particularly fond of the Southwestern chips, with shrimp, smoked corn, and black bean puree. To my disappointment, Porter’s has scaled back their tavern chip offerings from their original menu. A notable former selection included delicious crawfish tails. Still, the Southwestern version is great, an opinion supported by my daughter who thought they were the best part of the meal.

Two appetizers offered practically everywhere but executed particularly well at Porter’s are the fried calamari and the seared tuna. The calamari is coated in a light batter and served with a yummy Asian-style sweet-n-spicy sauce. I had the seared tuna one night when craving sushi, and was not disappointed at the quality or presentation of the dish. Yes, Japanese-inspired fare at an American Tavern is odd, but Porter’s kitchen pulls it off. Similarly, Porter’s offers the obligatory Caesar salad but includes fried oysters on top, adding a festive treat to a once-grand salad that has unfortunately become boring from its constant presence on menus.

In terms of main dishes, the burgers at Porter’s are excellent. Fish tacos are also a highlight. The smoked chicken ravioli makes me swoon, the steaks are ideal, the lamb shank is fantastic, and the roasted chicken is practically perfect. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I have yet to sample any of Porter’s desserts, as I’ve usually filled up on tavern chips.

Perhaps the essence of Porter’s (and the talent of executive chef David Mitchell) is taking the “standards” and doing an excellent job of preparing, plating and serving them in a way that doesn’t make them feel “standard.” I’ve never had a bad experience at Porter’s, and can recommend it without hesitation.

Fraizer’s is Porter’s more-refined big brother, and provides a fine-dining experience that’s hard to beat. Long and thin, you are drawn into the space by warm earth tones and strategic use of lighting. Tables are fairly close together, making private conversation difficult, but creating a feel more urban than typically found in the Triangle area. My favorite design feature is the massive letter “F” behind the bar that cleverly doubles as a shelf for liquor bottles.

With any fine-dining experience, the little things really make a difference. At Frazier’s, there were two surprises on my first visit that I greatly anticipated for my second: a complimentary amuse-bouche to start and mignardises at the end. Amuse-bouche can be translated as “happy mouth,” and is a small bite of food served at the very beginning of the meal ostensibly to stimulate the appetite, but is more effective at making a guest happy and excited about the forthcoming meal. This is a frequent practice of five-star restaurants world-wide, but not often replicated at establishments lacking the flagrant prices. Much to my delight, Chef Jay Beaver, who hails from venerable culinary institutions in New York such as Gramercy Tavern and Café Boulud, has instituted this practice at Frazier’s. On my first visit, the amuse-bouche was prosciutto wrapped asparagus with chervil vinaigrette. Delicious and fun at the same time. The second visit, the amuse-bouche was a spoonful of chilled tomato consume with a dollop of tomato-infused olive oil. Also delightful. Mignardises is the French word for the little sweets (usually chocolates) that follow dessert. On both visits I was served small shortbread cookies as the final taste upon departure. I love this practice, as it adds so much to the enjoyment of the dining experience.

Frazer’s shines in every course, and “strange-meats,” as one of my friends is apt to call them, are a Frazier’s strong point. Strange-meat items include a delectable foie gras with cherries, Earl Grey tea sauce and Macadamia nuts, steak tartar with just the right amount of horseradish, and pappardelle pasta with melt in your mouth veal cheeks and crispy sweetbreads.

Less polarizing dishes include a creamy, chilled cucumber soup with lobster chunks and orzo pasta to provide texture, and crab ‘fondue’ with a lightly dilled puree of peas and pea shoots, both of which were vibrant and refreshing. Stunning entrees include swordfish over pillowy gnocchi and a red wine and lobster reduction, lamb two ways-seared and braised-with rosemary demiglace, and roasted chicken with creamy polenta and golden raisin sauce in a Mediterranean style. Perhaps the only misstep I experienced at Frazier’s was the surprise of the spiciness of the roasted chicken dish. I love spicy food, but there was no indication from the menu or the wait-staff that the chicken would have such a high heat content. No problem for me, but it could have been an issue for a more sensitive patron.

Finally, I experienced a dessert at Frazier’s so unique and delicious, it caused the patrons at the table next to ours to interrupt us and exclaim “What on EARTH are you eating??!”… the dessert in question featured freshly made churros with Mexican hot chocolate dipping sauce. A churro is a Mexican doughnut, usually spiral, long and thin and coated in cinnamon sugar. Mexican chocolate contains cinnamon as well. So, yes, we were dipping doughnuts in cinnamon-y hot cocoa as our dessert in a gourmet restaurant… and it was awesome. I love it when chefs let you play with your food. I’m afraid it’s not on the menu at the time of this writing, but hopefully Chef Beaver will bring it back when the weather becomes cool again.

In sum, Porter’s and Frazier’s are both excellent restaurants. I think Porter’s is better for children, although if your child is well behaved, Frazier’s would likely welcome their attendance. While I have not taken my toddler to Frazier’s, on both of my visits there were well-behaved children in the 4-6 year-old range eating at tables near by. My suggestion would be to choose Porter’s for a special family night (dining early) and Frazier’s for date night.
Details:

Porter’s City Tavern
2412 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27607
919-821-2133
http://www.porterstavern.com

Genre: American Tavern / Comfort
Pricing: Entrees $14 - $24
Rating: 4 stars

Frazier’s Bistro
2418 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27607
919-828-6699
http://www.fraziersbistro.com

Genre: Contemporary American
Pricing: Entrees $18 - $25
Rating: 4.5 stars

Ratings Guide:

· 5 stars: Superlative. The best of the best.
· 4 stars: Excellent. Something to eagerly anticipate.
· 3 stars: Good. Solid and dependable.
· 2 stars: Fair. Barely tolerable.
· 1 star: Poor.
· 0 stars: Awful.