RTD and Style Weekly dine at Julep’s New Southern Cuisine

The review is as fancy as the restaurant.

October 8, 2015; 9:42 AM • by Richard Hayes

Update #1 — October 8, 2015; 9:42 AM

A thick hunk of grilled dry-aged New York strip ($32), branded with a crisscross pattern of char marks, was cooked rare. It was accompanied by seared onions, cooked tomatoes, thin slices of potatoes and an exhilarating kick of fresh horseradish.

The Braised Rabbit and Dumplings dish ($26) is almost stewlike, served in a skillet with a bubbling cream sauce flavored with tarragon and studded with peas and carrots. An abundance of tender rabbit meat and dense dumplings make it a rich, filling large plate.

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Original — October 01, 2015

From Style Weekly:

With entrees, the road is a little uneven and decidedly spendy. The tomato and corn cakes ($27), regardless of their illustrious narrative on the menu, resemble what a vegetarian option would look like in a more prosaic restaurant — more compulsory than inspired, with the plate broken down in thirds and equally portioned with cooked Roma tomatoes, corn cakes and greens. A fricasseelike braised rabbit and dumplings are entirely underseasoned ($26), and I find the inclusion of out-of-season fava beans with the black grouper ($28) a curious choice.

On a high note, the red snapper ($27) is savvy with both preparation and accouterments.

The review also includes this line.

Funny thing, the butter and heavy cream applied with reckless abandon, the over-the-top sweet of the carrot, and even the use of dill reminds me of the decadence of the ’80s, the Reagan era, a Bret Easton Ellis novel.

I have no idea what this means. My first thoughts when ’80s or Reagan era are Challenger disaster, Reagan shot, Berlin wall crumbles, Rubik’s cube, Miami Vice, MTV, Thundercats, AIDS, new Coke hairspray lots of hairspray, shoulder pads, and neon.

As for the Bret Easton Ellis novel comparison I’ve got no reaction at all.

Julep’s New Southern Cuisine (420 E. Grace Street)
Mondays through Saturdays 5:30-10 PM

Image: Julep’s New Southern Cuisine