Sunny’s Table, 11 Depot St., has been open since August, and I’m slightly ashamed to admit I had my first dining experience there only last week.
I know. The Food Snob has been slacking.
You’d think my guilt would have been absolved after a Tuesday lunch with my dining companion, but the truth is . . . I felt even worse.
How could have I gone so long without eating at Sunny’s Table?
For those of you unfamiliar with the American-Asian bistro, I’ll get you up to speed. Sunny’s Table claims to take a “farm to table approach to dining.” It’s eclectic menu features fresh, local ingredients from nearby farms, shops, bakeries and the like. Because of this, their menu changes often to showcase what’s in season.
No matter the time of year, though, there’s always a perse range of entrees to choose from. So much I had a difficult time choosing — did I want salmon or barbeque pork? Or a curry?
After much deliberation, I chose the tofu curry made with sweet potatoes, lemongrass, hot and spicy curry and coconut crème ($10). My companion had a much easier time deciding on her lunch because apparently only one item met her fickle standards — the Chinese barbeque pulled pork bun with a brioche roll and a demi salad ($10.) Keep in mind, she’s not usually one who strays off the beaten path when it comes to food choices. I was impressed she even found one thing.
Selecting a beverage was also easy for my companion. The soda junky only had three choices– coke, Diet Coke or Sprite ($2). She went with diet coke, whereas I asked for a green tea ($2).
While we waited for our food, our server brought out a small bowl of sugar snap peas mixed with sesame seeds. Although it was by no means a filling freebie like bread or rolls, it was a good gauge of what was to come. Even my vegetable-dissin’ companion had a few nibbles.
We got our meals rather quickly, however, I should note that we were only one table out of three in the entire restaurant. Apparently Tuesday at noon isn’t Sunny’s busiest time – I imagine it’s the type of place that fills up for dinner. But there’s no complaints here about that. It was quiet, our server was attentive and most important, we didn’t have to wait long to eat.
Both our meals looked very appetizing. My curry was colorful and paired with the perfect portion of white rice, and my companion’s dish looked like a fancier and less-messy version of the type of pulled pork sandwich that would be served at your favorite barbeque joint.
Although looks can be deceiving, this was not the case at Sunny’s Table. My companion described her pork as “melt in your mouth tender” and said that she would go back for the soft and flaky brioche bun alone. As for my curry, it was spicy and flavorful, and the bits of tofu served as perfect sponges to soak up the delectable coconut crème-based sauce.
After we licked our plates clean, our server said something about fried bread pudding. I’ve had bread pudding in a dozen or so different varieties – drizzled with caramel, chock full of raisins, baked with white chocolate chips – but never have had it fried. For research purposes, I obviously had to try it. What kind of Food Snob would I be if I didn’t?
And I’m glad I did. Frying can sometimes dry out certain foods, but this chocolate bread pudding somehow maintained its moistness and beloved gooeyness. When it was put in front of us, the smell of cocoa was strong but upon digging in, we discovered that the taste wasn’t overpowering – it was just right. We both agreed that the only thing that would have made this warm bread pudding better would be a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
We left the restaurant extremely full and satisfied, and promised ourselves that we would be back. I’d like to take my significant other there, because with its modern décor and upscale-casual vibe, it would make a great date night destination. Plus, half the fun in dining somewhere like Sunny’s Table is trying new dishes and familiarizing yourself with ingredients that may, quite literally, be right in your backyard. You know what they say . . . two plates are always better than one.
