Hazy Comfort

During the horrendous triple digit spell we moseyed over to Comfort. We had not visited Comfort in a coon's age. We grew up with Southern-style cooking. I can cook these oh-so-familiar dishes. While I appreciate the concept, eating at Comfort has never been the priority.

I finally got a whiff of the drinks list. The cocktail menu is not on the website, unfortunately. There is a prodigious whiskey listing, but when I finally heard about the mixed drink offerings, hubby and I had to visit. Comfort features a lengthy list of interesting and not-sweet concoctions. Comfort mixes the new with traditional classics such as a Sazerac, Bitter Restaurant Staffer (with Fernet), Pale Rider (with Irish whiskey and Cynar), and Old Pal (Wild Turkey Rye, Campari, and Dry Vermouth). Since travelling to Italy last year, we have become fast friends with Amari - Italian herbal digestives that have a bitter edge. We were pleased to see Comfort employing a number of these for their libations. On this evening both of us tried the Old Pal. We became fast friends.

For dinner hubby ordered a home-style item that I will not fix - meatloaf. I do not like meatloaf and I will not make it. Even if I did, it would not be like his Mom's (isn't that always the case?). Comfort's meatloaf was denser and different enough that he enjoyed it without having to compare it to his childhood memories. His sides were green beans (not cooked Southern-style, thank goodness) and mac and cheese.

I had a pork chop with corn and mashed potatoes. The chop was large and tasty with the right amount of salt and pepper, the potatoes were potatoes (good, but I can make them good, too), the corn was spectacular - fresh and buttery. The meal was large enough for me to take half home to enjoy later in the week.

Comfort has a decent wine list and we decided to stay in the Commonwealth. We enjoyed a 2009 White Hall Vineyards Petit Verdot. Inky dark red color, but medium-bodied to pair with the Southern comfort fare.

For dessert, hubby could not resist the banana pudding - served up creme brulee-style. He really liked it. I can just show you the photo. I can't eat bananas.

But I had a different after-dinner treat: Averna. Averna is one of those Italian amari that is traditionally served after a meal to aid in digestion. Herbal and sweet with a slight bitter edge. It was great to see this offered and I was happy to have the opportunity to indulge.

One word of caution: While Comfort's air conditioner was working overtime, she just was not up to the task of cooling the vintage building in the record-swelter heat. We sweated through the meal (this Southern lady was definitely not "glowing") and decided we would need to return to Comfort when temperate weather reappears.