It’s like someone swiped right on my Tinder profile. But instead of a meeting a man, I’m meeting food: incredible food. True to blind date style, I receive an invitation via e-mail to dine at Cotton Row, a fine dining restaurant in Huntsville, AL. After cyber-stalking James Beard-nominated chef James Boyce, the proprietor, I know this night will be very memorable.
A classically trained chef, James Boyce is a New Yorker who began his career at LeCirque training under Daniel Boulud. After his graduation from Culinary Institute of Arts, Chef Boyce moved west serving stints at The Phoenician, Palace Court and Loew’s Coronado Bay Resort before settling in Huntsville.
No one could have orchestrated such a beautiful evening, as I join several other bloggers, strolling across Big Springs park from our hotel to Cotton Row, a three-story Georgian Renaissance-style building that serves American cuisine with a focus on locally sourced food.
Our dinner party is held in the loft, usually reserved for private parties. Chef Boyce’s affable personality adds to the lightness of the evening. We’re seated, given our choice of wines, then the culinary fun begins.
Chef gathered all the ingredients needed and prepares our dish at table side, using a portable cook top and a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. While cooking for our small gathering, he tells us about the restoration of the beautiful structure that houses Cotton Row, which opened in 2008. The building was erected in 1821 by a self-trained architect and Huntsville native George Steele. The bricks were Hungarian. The countertop on which we eat is hewn from Alabama limestone and the floor is a wormy oak. All around us are the trappings of aged wood, stone, and burnished metals, producing an essence of Old World meets New South.
There’s no sweating, cursing, screaming chef in this kitchen. It’s obvious after chatting just moments, that Chef Boyce values family and friends. He treats us like long-time friends, telling us about the move from California with his wife and children to relocate to Huntsville. He talks about the relationships he has developed with local suppliers, and it’s obvious that he’s proud of their collaboration.
Chef begins our meal with a taste of both land and sea, offering sliders of Wagyu beef with herbed goat cheese topped off with a cherry tomato half. The buttery-rich chèvre is the perfect complement to the tender and succulent beef patty. They are so yummy that more than one slides into my tummy.
For the seafood appetizer, a dash of Cathead Vodka is splashed in the bowl of a champagne glass, followed by chunks of fresh Gulf shrimp, Cara Cara oranges, with a sliver of cucumber radish and salmon caviar. A leaf of endive does double duty garnishing the composition and acting as an edible utensil. There’s an incredible pop of freshness and sharpness when the tart of the citrus melds with the radish.
By this time, my mouth is watering for more. I can’t imagine what else lies ahead. However, as the infomercial men on TV say, “But wait, there’s more!”
Chef begins cutting corn off the cob, which he uses to mix up a sweet relish. The relish provides a bed for a giant scallop, which is sautéed in whole butter, then topped with black spring truffles.
When you think the meal can’t get any better, Chef presents us with a beautifully roasted quail, stuffed with Andouille sausage and crawfish, served with an apple jus, made from the roasted wings, apples and Madeira wine. The quail is decadently juicy, with a piquant taste of the sausage that lingers on the palate. Creamy stone ground grits and a Southern slaw composed of celery and fennel tops, endive and chopped parsley round out the course.
Who can end a meal like this without a spectacular dessert? With very little room to spare, we enjoy a light, but palate-pleasing pear tart with a frangipani filling, topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with a bourbon caramel sauce.
Chef generously opens up his entire restaurant, allowing us to tour the basement wine cellar (housing over 600 bottles of wine), the main restaurant and both the north and south areas of the loft. There is such a relaxed atmosphere throughout. On this late spring evening, diners are taking advantage of the beautiful weather, opting for the outdoor dining. Even though my meal has come to an end, I’m hesitant to leave. I long to soak up more of this serene setting. So yes, I can highly recommend Cotton Row. And unlike a bad Tinder date, I didn’t have to hail a Uber, pronto!
For more information about Cotton Row Restaurant or any of Chef Boyce’s restaurants, go to cottonrowrestaurant.com, or call them at (256) 382-9500. The restaurant is located at 100 South Side Square, Huntsville, AL, 35801.
Mark your calendars for Huntsville Restaurant Week, which will be held August 11 through 22, 2017. For more information, contact pam@huntsville.org.
Note: While I was a guest for this wonderful evening, the opinions are my own.
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