The Katherine Brasserie and Bar is located in the old RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company Headquarters, the building the Empire State Building is modeled after, in Winston Salem, NC. The Headquarters is now a boutique hotel called The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel and Private Residences. Being a native to Winston Salem, I was excited to try out The Katherine and to see what changes were made from the original building.
The Katherine does not have a gluten free menu, but our server was very knowledgeable about ingredients and was happy to check with the bartender and the chef on ingredients. The menu has a great selection of appetizers. I know many times based on my food allergies, I do not even have one appetizer option, so to see so many was great. We started out with the Seared Sea Scallops, complete with Black Truffle and English Pea Risotto. Very tasty and the scallops were cooked to perfection.
We also started with the Trio de Pates, but as you can see from the picture, only two of them were gluten free. Also, no crostini. The Rabbit Rillettes and the Foie Gras Torchon were gluten free, but the chef recommended against the Wild Boar and Fig Terrine due to Bourbon. I know many people can consume distilled grain alcohols with no problems, but unfortunately, I am not one of them, so I avoid them. The dish was finished with a Plum Puree, whole grain mustard, and pickled vegetables. The pates were delish! Would definitely order them again and wish the portion size was larger. I am not sure I have ever eaten Rabbit before, but I was pleased with this pate. Also, this is the best foie gras I have had other than in Las Vegas.
Our server was so helpful that she mentioned that the French Fries were gluten free and fried in a dedicated fryer! Of course, this meant we had to order them! I ordered the Dry Aged Burger, which came with the fries. I ordered the burger without the bun, and while I was told they dry age the burger in house, I was not blown away by it. The fries were the winning part of that dish!
My dinner companion ordered the Grilled Poulet Rouge (chicken) with Asparagus and Cherry Vinaigrette. Instead of the Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes, he went with the French Fries. He was not blown away by the dish, but said it was very good. He said the Pates and Fries were the best.
I really appreciated the care our server took to make sure we both had gluten free and corn free meals. I always appreciate when a server does not know an answer, but gladly asks the chef. Those of us with food allergies appreciate that level of care.
If you get a chance to visit The Katherine, named after the matriarch of the RJ Reynolds family, but sure to check it out. Reservations on Open Table are a must, unless you want to dine in the bar. Be sure to also check out The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel while dining to see that the history of the RJ Reynolds Headquarters building remain.
Inside The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel
51 East 4th St.
Winston Salem, NC 27101
http://www.thecardinalhotel.com/winston-salem-restaurants/
336.761.0203
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