Fat Canary Awards

Fat Canary Restaurant Review:

Reserve well in advance for one of the 55 seats in this stylish, Merchants Square dining room. There was a time when procrastinators could rely on supping at the well-run bar, but even those spots are getting harder to snag (patio seating helps). Chef-owner Tom Power Jr.’s Southern sensibility shines through in barbecued pork ribs with marinated cucumber salad, while seared tuna Niçoise, fingerling potatoes, olives, fennel, green beans, pickled mustard seed and quail egg reflects his world travels. An open kitchen allows guests to glimpse the chef in action; grilled king salmon accompanied by lentilles du Puy, Edwards’ sausage, braised fennel, chanterelles and tarragon compound butter let them fully experience the results. Power’s restaurant adjoins his family’s Cheese Shop, so the thoughtful wine list is supplemented by any bottle purchased on premise from the wine cellar for a corkage fee. Naturally, a cheese platter makes sense for dessert, but you won’t want to miss the spiced walnut cake with Calvados ice cream either. Don’t give yourself a Patrick Henry-style "liberty or death" ultimatum. Choose both and walk it all off on a moonlit stroll around the colonial capital.