Table 16: The Reboot

Table 16 has been one of my favorite restaurants in Greensboro since I moved here 5 years ago. In the past year, there have been some shake-ups in the kitchen, leaving many people wondering if Table 16 is still "as good as it once was". I'm here to tell you that yes, it is still absolutely fabulous. The front of house and kitchen staff are both working incredibly hard to remind people why this restaurant is so special. I dined on the first night of their new menu, and had a difficult time not ordering every item. And I found out they're serving Sunday brunch, to boot!

Appetizers are quite adventurous, including a lovely presentation of Foie Gras. A sliver of tender foie rests on a smooth pistachio butter, drizzled with raspberry coulis and topped with fresh greens. Crispy brioche croutons provide great crunch and a savory element. This could almost be interpreted as a dessert dish! The sweetness of the pistachio and raspberry brought out the sweetness in the foie, and the pop of bright pink against the earthy green was beautiful on the plate.

I loved the Tiger Shrimp appetizer, with slices of avocado, tangy balsamic tomatoes, red onion and crispy tortilla strips atop a sriracha aioli. This was a burst of flavor, and one of the best appetizers I've ever had. 5 large shrimp made this a pretty decent serving that you could easily turn into an entree with a side salad.

Every Wednesday, Table 16 has a Steak & Scotch special pairing. This week featured a Laphroaig 10, a peety, smoky Scotch (not recommended for Scotch novices!) alongside a petite tenderloin with romanesco, potatoes, crispy leeks and an insane butterscotch demi-glace. This made the dish. The umami flavor in the butterscotch went surprisingly well with the flavor of the meat. This needs to be a steak sauce option on every menu everywhere!! (Yes, I've allotted two exclamation points for that.)

I'm a sucker for scallops and Table 16's presentation sounded right up my alley. Three beautifully plump scallops rested on a bed of quinoa, with an orange hue from romesco sauce peeking out underneath it all. Nicely seasoned kalettes (so tasty in fact, that I never would have guessed it was kale!) and crispy leeks round out this stunning dish.

Desserts at Table 16 have always been memorable, and this was no exception. We enjoyed a honey-mint creme brulee, boasting flavors of fresh mint, which is perfect for this time of year. It was like eating mojito custard. Delightful. Then this show-stopper came out:

Key lime curd, strawberry mousse, fresh berries and edible flowers rest on a honey-drizzled filo dough. Thin sheets of chocolate stand upright, to give the dish a 3D feeling. It seemed too beautiful to eat, until we tasted it. Then we had no trouble devouring it. The fresh key lime was the star here - I'll take one of these over key lime pie any day. Such creativity!

The chef stopped by to ask about our meal, and he said he has worked hard to make this menu finally "all his". I am so thoroughly impressed with his vision, flavor profiling and execution. Table 16 is definitely worth a re-visit if you haven't been in a while.