Review No. 199: Volstead Proper
2205 Dave Ward Drive
(630) 358-6501
The Situation
She Said: I’d been seeing comments and casual reviews of Volstead Proper for a week or two, and I was interested in trying the new restaurant in Fat Burger’s former crib. I was craving what I call a “European lunch,” which means a big, delicious meal with wine, and of course this new eatery/drinkery came to mind.
He Said: We hadn’t done a restaurant review in about a hundred years, so I figured, why not? Anyway they apparently are having a grand opening this Friday, May 10, so it seemed quite timely to get this review in, like, quickly.
Ambience:
She Said: For a place whose name references the era of the speakeasy, I thought that atmosphere was a bit cold, slightly on the industrial side, though I did like the décor overall, and the open dining area with the bar as the centerpiece was inviting. I think of speakeasies as darker, more intimate, where people can disappear into the surroundings for their illicit cocktails. Volstead Proper is well lit, open and more communal. The music was pleasant, along the lines of “oldies” rather than Volstead era, but that was fine. We enjoyed it. We also found the host and staff very welcoming and friendly.
He Said: The name of the place does evoke Jazz Age vibes, and a gigantic photograph of a cadaverous looking Andrew Volstead, author of the act that created Prohibition, is a kind of campy touch, since you can enjoy a fancy cocktail with the Great Prohibitionist looking over your shoulder. The sound track of the place is more 50s-ish than 20s-ish, with a lot of Sinatra et al. But it was a pleasant atmosphere and yes, I agree about the friendly staff.
Drinks:
She Said: Dear reader, the cocktail menu had a lot of delicious sounding concoctions on it, but it was mid-day on a weekday, and I had some other things to do when I got home, so I abstained from hard liquor and stuck to the wine list. This was a short list with the major players, cabernet, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, for example. Given that the humidity had already set in for summer, what I was really craving was a sparkling rosé, which I didn’t see. I ordered the sauvignon blanc. I had two glasses, but I would have liked a drier option. Next time we’ll go for brunch or dinner, and I will sample more of their cocktails, including the lavender item on the menu.
He Said: If you are one of our long-time faithful readers, you know I don’t drink alcohol because of my pancreas, so I asked if they had any non-alcoholic beer in the house, since over the past few years many many restaurants have taken to offering Heineken or Dos Equis or some other 0 percent alcohol beers. Regrettably, they had none, but it would be nice to see that changed in the future. I’m also watching my sugar intake these days, so I opted for a Diet Coke. And it was fine, as Diet Cokes go.
Food
She Said: I had had a late breakfast that filled me up more than I thought it would, so I didn’t want an appetizer, especially when I saw that the mains came with two sides. (The sides also looked substantial.) I chose the roasted red snapper with lemon caper cream sauce. For my first side, I opted for the house-made potato chips (because I will almost ALWAYS choose house-made potato chips), and because I wanted something green but despise collards, I asked if I could have a small Caesar salad as my second side. Our server said right away that they would happily provide that to me.
The fish was nicely cooked, and the sauce really went well with the mild white fish, and I found the lemon and caper flavors to be present without being overwhelming. I did think there was a bit too much black pepper on the fish, but I’m a pepper hater, so I’m more sensitive to this than your typical diner. The delicious sauce mitigated the pepper nicely. The chips were a great texture, tasted fresh and were crispy, and still substantial. I also really liked the Caesar, with the dressing on the side. I would order that exact entrée again. I’ll let He Said address the dessert because it requires a significant level of fawning and praise, and I believe he is up to the task that this fried peach pie deserves.
He Said: I was going to go for the red snapper, but since ladies order first I was preempted by She Said, so I ordered the smoked salmon with lemon mustard. It’s hard to compare it to other salmon dishes in town, since this is unique in my experience in Conway in being smoked, so the consistency of the meat was different, and there was the smoked flavor as well. But the fish was good, not overdone (the cardinal sin of salmon dishes) and nicely flavorful, that smoking giving it a little bit of a tang. Since two sides come with the meal, I also ordered the home made potato chips, which were excellent, and a green bean casserole, in which, I thought I tasted onion and mushroom flavors.
Dessert choices included a chocolate pie, a bread pudding, and a cheesecake, but we opted to share the fried peach pie. Immediately I regretted this. Because I wish I’d had it to myself, but had to let She Said eat half of it. It came with vanilla ice cream, which was the perfect complement, and it came warm, which was perfect, period. It was sweet and fruity and delicious, and if you go here and don’t order it you’re making a mistake. Maybe not a huge mistake, because the other desserts sounded quite good too. But a mistake nonetheless, because the fried peach pie was to die for.
Service
She Said: Before we even walked in, a staff member came out to hold the door open for us, and greeted us with a smile. The hostess seated us at a nice table right away, and our server was friendly, accommodating and helpful. Overall the staff contributed to our enjoyment of the meal without distracting us from our time together.
He Said: Ditto. Now truth be told, we came at an odd time in the afternoon and there were only a couple other occupied tables when we walked in, so if you go to the grand opening and find the place packed, the service might not be quite so attentive. But cut them some slack; you know what grand openings are like.
What We Got and What We Paid: Red snapper entrée with two sides, two glasses of sauvignon blanc, salmon entrée with two sides, a Diet Coke, and one fried peach pie all for $88.77 before tip.
Elapsed Time from Our Arrival to Food Arrival: We arrived at 1:06 p.m. and received our entrees at 1:22 p.m. Dessert took a little longer.
Rating:
She Said: We know we didn’t sample Volstead Proper’s main strengths, the smoked meats and specialty cocktails, and this could have opened us up to a sub-par dining experience, but that was not the case. The fish was delicious and perfectly done, and the dessert was something to write home about for sure. Next time, I’ll go for a cocktail instead (unless they listen to my plaintive cry and add sparkling rosé to the menu).
He Said: I’d go here again, for the pleach pie if nothing else.
Is Volstead Proper Good at What It’s Good For: Volstead Proper is the bee’s knees, even when you don’t try their main offerings!