Uh...Is this Kensington Grill?

I always love when a restaurant realizes it has been falling a little short of itself. That magical moment where a chef looks at his menu and says, " this is boring, time to change it up a bit." Well, Kensington Grill has more than just changed it up, they ripped it to shreds and started nearly from scratch. Some of the dishes were a bit intimidating in the sense that these were combinations I had never seen before. Hog bar? Truffle Tots? What is going on here?! It was like I had walked into a place I had never been , but I have been here, at least a few times. Truffle mac 'n' cheese, the burger, the duck, ahi, it had all grown really familiar. I could pick out what I would be having before I even entered the building, but not anymore. Much like its sister Cucina Urbana, Kensington Grill has embraced the concept of "smalls." These little appetizer type portions make it easier to try a lot of things and not spend way too much, or be uncomfortably full. I'm all about being full, but seriously guys, full is about comfort and overeating just sucks. The bloating and the uneasiness just make me sick to think about. However, I did eat a lot at Kensington Grill Monday night, and it was delicious.

We started with a nice dry California sauvignon blanc from Mendocino, the 2009 Elizabeth Spencer special cuvee. It went well with the evening, having been close to 80 degrees during the day, it really cooled us down. We moved onto the shrimp waffle and the truffle tots as appetizers. All I have to say right now is Fuck chicken and waffles, shrimp and waffles is way better. The waffle itself was made with jack and scallions and was thick and Belgian style, and it was topped with Fresno chiles, shallots and shrimp that had all been sauteed in creole butter. There was so much butter left on the plate when we were done I was tempted to drink it. I did dip one of my truffle tots in it though. It was one of those things that you aren't sure you are going to like, but once you try you begin to wonder what your life was like before the shrimp waffle. What was I doing eating waffles with syrup, or jam, all those years? Take my fucking Eggo, I love you shrimp waffle. The truffle tots were not at all what I expected. I was thinking like okay...tater tots drizzled with truffle oil, that's interesting, except these were not even remotely like the tots we have all become accustomed to. They were little mashed potato, goat cheese balls, infused with truffle that were lightly fried and served with a tangerine ketchup. Very refreshing and summery. Fried foods in the summer usually make me feel heavy, but the goat cheese in these really brought out a tartness that was only intensified by the sweet, almost marmalade like, tangerine ketchup. This was all so delicious we decided to have a mid course.....HOG BAR!!!!!

Yes that's right, hog bar, oh hell yes. I'm in love with it. I could go and just eat that. You see there is a little section on the menu titled, uh...anyone? Yes, hog bar! very good! Now, there are several items in the box, different kinds of bacon, pork rinds, sausage and these all range in price from about 1.50 to 3.50 and you have to choose at least 3. We selected the peppered bacon, candied bacon and the pork and olive sausage. I was only mildly excited when I ordered it, but when I saw it I wanted to jump up and down and scream like a school girl at a Jonas brothers concert. It came on a wooden pig shaped platter. Yeah, uh huh, Pig Shaped!! They served me pig on a pig! It came with a little container of stone ground mustard that was incredible. It was like a tri-colored mustard almost and it was bursting with flavor. It paired well with two of our choices, the peppered bacon and the sausage, but the candied was so sticky sweet that I didn't want to change it with the mustard. I did try a bit with it and it was good, but I almost wanted that bacon with the shrimp waffle, but alas, I had already defeated the shrimp waffle. Those two together would have the most awesome twist on "brinner," (breakfast for dinner), ever.

The Main Event!!

As entrees we ordered the Duroc Pork Chop and the Whiskey and Peppercorn Short rib. The Duroc was really good, served with cannellini beans, smoked bacon and Swiss chard. The pork chop itself was grilled perfectly, not overly cooked, or chewy. There was a bit of crispness from the char and the Swiss chard provided a freshness to the dish. In the past entrees at the ken have been really heavy, but I see a trend in their new menu for freshness, and I like it, especially as we get into the warmer months. Now how they freshed up the short rib was pretty awesome. It was served with a pan roasted potato and summer squash shavings. The meat was tender, as I always find with short rib, and it was savory without being over the top or having a thick gravy. It was absolutely delicious and oddly enough not the heaviest part of my meal. The buttery shrimp waffle and the hog bar really were the heavier part of my meal. So, when we got around to dessert, I decided to lighten things up. For dessert, we had the Ginger Beer float, made with my favorite ginger beer, Bundaberg. It also featured a strawberry gelato, candied ginger and fresh strawberries. This was also very crisp and fresh. Root beer has always felt too heavy to me, granted I love a root beer float, but usually I like it with a burger and french fries, at a diner, as close to nowhere as possible. It's a perfect summer time dessert, but as much as I have been raving about fresh, crisp and summer in this entry, I have to admit: I'm a sucker for an Irish coffee. They are creamy, delicious, caffeinated and Irished up with a bit of Jameson. So, we ordered a couple with dessert, but I have to say. I have had an Irish coffee or two, but these were just average. I love it when you do the hand whipped cream and just the right amount of coffee. Those are awesome. It was good nonetheless.

The hospitality also jumped up a notch. The manager personally came over twice to ask us how things were going. Our server called us her favorite table, which happens a lot to me. The reason for this being that I truly enjoy going out to eat and I like to spend. I don't want to piddle around with bullshit. I don't want to go out and just have a salad and a glass of wine, I want to have a meal. I can make salad and buy wine to have a home. I really want to eat. This is why people have a bad time when they go out. They don't utilize the tools they have been given. They've been given a table, a menu, and a full staff. The staff is there to interpret, recognize and offer you things that they love or, based on your other choices that they think you might like. When I find that people are having a bad time when myself or anyone else I find that they are craving something specific, but they go to a place that does not serve that. As I've said before I'm not here to fuck around. It kind of bothers me that there have to be favorites. Can't we all just go out when we are prepared to go out? Can't we let a meal lift us up to a place of euphoria and elation, instead of looking for the faults in service?

Well, Ken Grill I commend you on your awesome new menu. It's so exciting I might just happy hour there this evening. There is so much more I want to try. I do not know how I can possible eat in all. All I know is that I left wishing I could have stayed forever. That was really good, truly a step up from where the menu was. It went from good to must try! Though we were a little upset about the loss of our dear friend the truffle mac, but we asked and found out it can still be ordered that way. It's nice that not everything has changed. For as much as change is good, nostalgia is sometimes better. Even with the hog bar, which I have embraced with enthusiasm, there are occasions that I have only experienced at Kensington Grill. Good friends, good food, and creative cocktails always make an occasion for me and I'm glad that each time can be different and maybe even better. Food is about creativity and innovation, and I'm ecstatic that those forces went to work for you.