Herbs & Rye

 In an attempt to find some place new for me and my fiance to go for a late night dinner I took to scouring Open-table reviews and came across this little gem by the name of Herbs & Rye.  I saw nothing but good things said about this place so I made a reservation and put the address into the GPS and found....a total hole in the wall, It  looked like a place where seedy things went on and I was very surprised it even took reservations, but in my everlasting mission to not be a snob I and my fiance went ahead inside. To our surprise it was a dark,sophisticated, yet hip looking place that was small yet had just enough room for an active night life crowd to congregate in. The hostess was very friendly and seated us near the bar, the waiter came not long after and kindly pointed out that we were just in time for happy hour which was 50% off drinks and select menu items (like the freaking filet mignon!) which were already sorta low priced for the sophistication of some of these dishes. we quickly ordered knowing exactly what we wanted (except for drinks which i had a problem deciding on but the waiter gladly helped with my decision)
below are some pictures of our dishes in no particular order and I will recap each as shown.

calamari

 By now I think we all see there is a pattern in all my postings and that pattern is sweet sweet calamari. Do I have an addiction? Maybe but I just cant quit nor am I willing to really try, and I must say this little variation has made my obsession all the worse. This calamari would be like  Zeus to all the other lesser fried squid gods. Fried to a crisp and out this world seasoning, along with banana peppers,crispy pancetta,parsley, and heavily drizzled with a yummy house sauce. There really isn't anything to say but OMG YUM!!!!! 

sweet potato tots

Ah! yes the sweet potato tots, god of all things sweet potato only to be rivaled by some fries I had at Logan's roadhouse in TN. (but that's another blog) They were better than any regular tater tots I've ever had and were the perfect blend of sweet and savory,crunchy and creamy and downright delicious! I think they mix butter in before they fry them because when you bite in a nice buttery flavor bursts into your mouth and just takes this tot to a whole new playing field.
Oh sweet tot how I loved thee.

truffle mac n cheese

Now I am not a big mac n cheese fan but this stuff has truffle oil and I have never been one to resist truffle of any kind, and while I will say that it was maybe the truffle speaking for the majority of the dish, I cant deny that I would have still ate every last bite of this truffle mac n cheese if it were just mac n cheese. This dish was the model of what all mac n cheese should be; creamy and cheesy with a crunch from the slightly breaded and browned top!
made with all white cheese including Gruyere!
If someone asked me to choose between an hour massage from the best masseuse in the world or this mac n cheese......I'd ask them to bring me a spoon

tomato caprese

Tomato Caprese, we all know what it is, a light dish  know as a salad in its loosest term composed of nothing but slices of tomato and mozzarella with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzle. a simple dish that is always a hit or miss. luckily this was a hit; if the waiter had told me they milked cows and grew tomatoes out back I would have believed him  It was so fresh and light ! and I reveled in every bite making sure i had equal parts tomato and mozzarella harmonizing as I chewed in delight such a wonderfully non-complex "salad"

crispy fries

The crispy fries were my fiances side dish but after seeing his eyes bulge in the cartoonish way that indicates something is fantastic I had to try. These fries were hands down the best fries I have ever had ! they were well seasoned crispy but not hard like some fries and actually reminded us of Popeye's fries if they had some class and quality. These fries were not merely on the menu to pacify the picky or unrefined palette these fries were prepared with the skill and thoughtfulness I would expect  one to prepare a rack of lamb with.

flat iron steak

The Flat iron steak was my fiance's as well and though I didnt have any myself , I was told It was well seasoned and juicy but lacked the oomph that a better cut of steak would have ...I would chock it up to the mentality that once you go to a higher priced cut of steak its hard to appreciate a good piece of meat when your always comparing.  plus at 11 bucks during happy hour does he really have room to complain? good and cheap is the recipe for happiness

filet mignon

Of course I ordered the Filet mignon, and while I have had many of fine cuts of steak with WAY more bells and whistles, this is the first and only to hold it own on its own. Lightly seasoned with as best I can tell the bare minimum of spices, and cooked to an outstandingly perfect medium rare this little darling here took me over the moon!  At an astonishing $14.00 for 9oz after taking 50% off at happy hour. My tummy and my wallet thanked me:)

the aviator

I cap this baby off with the perfect cocktail.
The aviator, A gin and citrus concoction that is dated back to the early 1900's. If you don't care for gin try this drink on for size, I guarantee it will change your mind. You can also get it in many variations by just telling your waiter or bartender things like you like your drinks sweeter or like I said "something different"

Herbs & Rye is a place for the young and hip as well as the well seasoned diner. With them priding themselves on having a well stocked bar and knowledge of drinks,they give any Las Vegas mixologist a run for their money if not outright shaming them. perfect for any occasion and very flexible with times as they are open from 5pm to 5 am, with happy hour going from opening to 8pm and then again from 12 am to 3am. Not to mention on Saturdays they have a live DJ spinning great music and showing off some of the most skilled mixing I've ever witnessed.
What I'm trying to convey is Herbs & Rye is the place to be for any occasion, I would go there for an early dinner, a late meal, drinks with the girls, a romantic dinner, for my bachelorette party, for my grandmas 63rd birthday...on a plane, on a train, I do not lie
I would go to Herbs & Rye