Wood + Paddle Eatery

We ate here before seeing The Lion King at the Orpheum. It's a nice walking distance from the theater and a nice atmosphere for a dressed up, special night out. Service: Outstanding. Our server, Mario, was spectacular. Attentive and personable. He was also kind enough to give us happy hour prices even though we technically weren't sitting on the happy hour side of the curtain. That meant a lot to us as we didn't see anything on line stating these prices only applied to certain tables and was a factor in our choosing this eatery. Food: Delicious. I appreciated the many gluten free options. I had cornbread and the stuffed mushrooms. The cornbread was amazing! I shared it with my husband but could have easily eaten it all myself. The mushrooms were a bit heavy on the garlic. I would have preferred that flavor to have been a bit more subtle. My husband had the bison burger and enjoyed it. It's spicy but as he described, "a nice level of heat." We had the vanilla bean creme brulee, and it was a wonderfully smooth, flavorful custard. Drinks: Good. I had a glass of Chateau St Michelle Riesling, a wine I choose often so I knew I'd like it. My husband had the Old Fashioned, which was made with Maker's Mark and just isn't his favorite alcohol, but that's not really the restaurant's fault as he did choose to order it. Overall, this is a place we'd visit again the next time we're in the theater district!

Going with the trend, I will give 4 stars: Good restaurant, sustainable menu, menu selection taste is good. Smoked salmon chowder was mediocre: where is the salmon? Probably just the bowl I got was skimmed off the top. Server was great (Mike): knowledgeable and attentive. He checked entire menu for gluten free items. Beer selection is small, but all local brews and super chilled. Decor is very questionable. A mix of every decade since the 1930's it seems. Interior designer must have been high. Food and desert were great.