V. Q.

Veritable Quandary, or V. Q. as it is known to the locals, was our dinner destination last night. Based in an old historic building, the decor is dark woods and brick walls. The restaurant was very busy at our 8:00 PM reservation time, so we got to enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir in the bar area while we waited on our table. We opted for inside seating, but the lovely outdoor patio seemed to be a favorite for many diners.

For starters we shared a Rabbit Pate with grilled brioche. It was very tasty especially when spread on the brioche. Where can we find a good brioche in Tampa or St. Pete? Frank selected the Braised Short Ribs for his main course. This had a nice hint of cinnamon and was served with onions and potatoes. The meat was fall off the bone tender with a lot of rich flavor. I opted to get away from my meat fixation of the past few days, and selected the Alaskan True Cod with lump Dungeness crab on top. This large filet of light, flakey fish was pan fried with a nice light crust and served over spinach, fingerling potatoes, roasted corn, basil pesto and creme fraiche. Both entrees were delicious. We shared a plumcot cobbler with a johnny cake topping and served with buttermilk ice cream. We left very satisfied but full. Fortunately we were able to walk back to the hotel to burn off a few of the calories.

Thanks Carol for this great recommendation.