Dinner at Orchids

Best restaurant in Cincinnati -- Orchids lives up to its rep.
We went for a delayed Valentine's Day dinner on Friday night.
Everything about the experience was excellent, not the least of which is the setting in the Hilton Hotel historic, art deco Palm Court. We had a cocktail at the lovely bar before checking in for our table.
I've always liked the appetizer courses best at Orchids, maybe because I'm the hungriest when they bring the first course. My order was the irresistible lobster salad, and George got the bay scallops. Both are pictured here.

Scallops appetizer

My other photos -- taken with the cell phone -- didn't turn out well enough to post.
Sommelier Charles Redmond matched glasses of wine with our courses, and they were almost all unusual and delicious. For instance, with the scallops he poured a Spanish Godello, a wine I've only recently discovered. George loved it.

Signature dish: Lobster salad

We both got a bowl of potato leek soup as a second course; then he had red snapper and I went with short ribs. The beef dish was a bit too rich for my tastes and I didn't finish the dish, but on the other hand Charles poured my favorite wine of the evening, a merlot-based meritage from California, I believe.
The pasty chef is nationally known so we had to order dessert, too. But by then I could only eat a few bites, darn. If I'd skipped the soup......or had fish as an entree.....dessert might have been a more enjoyable addition. Again though I really liked the Banyuls (a French dessert wine) that Charles matched with my chocolate-based dessert.
All in all, a fine meal and great evening.