It is almost March of our fourth year. It is a hectic time, and one element that continues to add to this anxious stage in our lives is the fact that come May 16, 2004, we, as fourth years, will be on our own.
While some of us have secured jobs, others of us have not. This week, however, we propelled ourselves five years into the future, got dolled up in our best business casual attire and had an amazing lunch at OXO. For an hour we were sophisticated adults that enjoyed a most elegant and unique meal.
OXO is located right before the Downtown Mall on Water Street. Being fourth years, we knew its reputation as an amazing restaurant with slightly expensive prices -- a restaurant you get your parents to take you to when they're in town or where you take your date on Valentine's Day.
We decided to try OXO's lunch, however, hoping for more affordable, student-friendly prices in a restaurant that still maintained its gourmet reputation. We were not disappointed.
Any passerby would recognize that OXO is no normal college town restaurant. It has outside seating that is enveloped by an overhead canopy of sorts, with white drapes gathered in a dramatic effect and a chandelier in the center.
Although OXO successfully transformed its outside dining area into elegance, we chose to eat inside given the cool temperatures and misting rain. We were once again greeted by a plethora of bright, clean white -- walls, ceiling and table cloths. This white was nicely countered by the choice to sit on khaki couches while eating.
OXO is a rather large restaurant seemingly divided into three sections. We sat in the front section facing the window and Water Street.
OXO is a word that means beef bullion in Old English, but the restaurant's head chef studied French cuisine, giving most of the menu a unique French touch. The menu changes frequently, providing variety for loyal customers.
There also were certain entrees on the menu with which we were unfamiliar, such as the "sautéed skate wing." Our waitress was quick to answer all of our inquiring questions and informed us that sautéed skate wing is similar to sting ray, and its texture resembles that of white, flaky fish.
OXO offers five appetizers, including three seafood-based items. Daniel ordered the sautéed crab cake with spicy vegetable slaw and wasabi vinaigrette ($9). The crab cake was perfectly toasted on the outside with a rich, warm center. It rested on the spicy vegetable slaw with the vinaigrette drizzled nicely around the remainder of the plate. It was an excellent starter, and the vegetable slaw had a unique Asian flavor.
Allison ordered the baby spinach salad with brie and warm bacon vinaigrette ($5). The salad was very light and fitting as a starter for the rest of the meal. The bacon vinaigrette was a warm dressing that accompanied the baby spinach nicely. Also, the brie was a slice of brie, not dispersed throughout the salad, allowing the diner to eat as much or as little as wished.
For entrees, OXO offered one sandwich, one pasta dish and five other choices. Daniel chose the penne pasta with Portobello, shiitake and oyster mushrooms in a sun-dried tomato sauce ($11). The pasta was delicious penne, cooked al dente, topped in a light sun-dried tomato sauce. It was the perfect portion, and each bite was a nice blend of tomato, mushroom, garlic and sauce.
Allison stepped outside her normal box of chicken and seafood and tried the broken arrow venison with crispy grits, brussels sprouts and chocolate jus ($13). This dish is normally cooked medium-rare, but it can be changed according to preference. The dish was served as five sliced pieces of venison resting on brussels sprouts, with a triangle of crispy grits on the side. The venison was very tender and had a nice smoked flavor. The brussels sprouts also were a nice surprise, considering my constant refusal of them as a child. The crispy grits were average, and the meal would have been fine without them. The chocolate jus served as an excellent compliment to both the venison and the brussels sprouts.
We ended the meal by choosing one of OXO's three listed desserts -- the panna cotta and passion fruit coulis ($5). We initially were unsure about what this dessert entailed, but our waitress described it as crème brulee without the egg or the torched top. The panna cotta was firm on the outside with a smooth texture. Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries were sprinkled around the plate and were lightly topped with raspberry reduction. It was a very light dessert and a nice ending to our meal.
OXO proved to be exactly as we imagined -- an elegant meal in a sophisticated atmosphere. The wine glasses and cloth napkins impressed us, and the Etta James and Frank Sinatra background music were a nice touch.
From the few seated tables, we're sure that OXO is more known for its dinner dining than its lunch. But, we weren't the only diners there -- Pete Gillen joined us (or rather OXO) for a nice lunch. (We're sure the good luck vibes we sent him helped win the game against UNC.)
OXO offers unique dishes in a gorgeous atmosphere. You cannot enter the restaurant and not be transformed. While we can only afford the lunches now, perhaps -- after we secure those jobs in the next three months -- an OXO dinner will be in order.
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