Fit for an Emperor

Tucked away in an old Victorian house behind a Holiday Inn lies one of the best dining experiences in the Triangle: Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern. With an exceptional menu and attentive staff, the food is worth every bit of the hefty price tag.

Our first course consisted of a light salad, mixed baby greens with red oak, Belgian endive, basil pesto, mizuma and plum. Exactingly bitter, yet balanced with a sweet, shallot vinaigrette, the salad was a fine intro to a succulent veal chop, cooked to a precise medium-rare. The chop, served in a red-wine reduction atop a blue cheese risotto satisfied with every bite and was well-complemented by a glass of the plush, affordably-priced Fenestra Merlot.

The other entrZe we tried was the Australian lamb with sweet potato and leek gratin and roasted fig jus. It was the most tender, most perfectly cooked and seasoned lamb we've ever tasted, and the sweet fig balanced the savory lamb nicely. The only dull spot in the dish was the potato and leek portion, which was a bit too salty.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, Second Empire is the perfect spot for a special date. Featuring a dynamic menu that changes monthly, the restaurant is sure to please with whatever it serves. The food, service and atmosphere are certainly enough to overcome the distance and price.