EAT: Bernardin's at the Zevely House, Winston-Salem, NC

For a special occasion or a date night, head to Bernardin's Fine Dining in the Zevely House in Winston-Salem, NC. The Greensboro News and Record considers Bernardin's to be "The Triad's only five-star restaurant" and I won't disagree. With a menu that is unmatched in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point area, it is one of the few restaurants I have been to in my travels that offers delicacies such as kangaroo, ostrich, escargot, and foie gras, and definitely the only one in the Triad.

Even if you are not into exotic delicacies, Bernardin's offers a variety of meats, pastas, seafood, salads, and more. There is not a gluten free menu, but the menu specifically states that if you have food allergies, alert your server, who can help you choose the safest options.

To start the meal, we looked at the appetizers. My dinner companion loves foie gras, so he inquired about its gluten free status. We were told it is not gluten free, so we settled for the heirloom tomato salad. It was a generous portion for two to share, but the heirloom tomatoes were pretty flavorless (perhaps this time of year?). The accompaniments, however, offset the tomatoes and made the dish quite tasty.

I wanted to be adventurous and try a wild entree, but did not want to commit to something I may not like. I decided upon the Pan Roasted Curry Grouper, served with eggplant caviar, jasmine rice, light curry tomato, and mint chutney. It was delicious. The grouper was cooked the right temperature so that it was not dry, while the rice and chutney complimented the grouper nicely for a fusion of flavor. The server said it was gluten and corn free without any accommodations.

My dinner companion, on the other hand, was brave enough to try the Tandoori Kangaroo! Now, what exactly does kangaroo taste like, you ask? I found it to be a cross between venison and beef, very lean, but a little chewy. Really good flavor, though. I would definitely order it again. Did you know that Kangaroo is Australia's deer? A friend from Australia told me that while kangaroo is pretty common, some people do not eat it in Australia. Some prefer it because of the leanness of the meat. My dinner companion had to alter the side options to make the dish gluten and corn free and chose the jasmine rice and spinach instead of the usual lentil basmati rice potato cake and succotash.

Bernardin's has a nice ambiance to accompany its food. Housed in the Zevely House on Fourth Street, each room of the house has several tables, perfect for private events or large groups, while still giving diners space to enjoy their company. Even though Bernardin's is considered "fine dining," I did not find the cost to be much higher, if at all, compared to other high-end downtown restaurants. I really liked how it offered enough variety in the menu choices to accommodate any taste, while still being selective about its choices. I also appreciated the chef accommodating food allergies. Our server checked several times on items she was unsure of to make sure we had the safest meal possible. And, now I can say I know what kangaroo tastes like!

Bernardin's Fine Dining
901 West Fourth Street
Winston Salem, NC 27101
336.725.6666
http://www.bernardinsfinedining.com/winston/