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Kindred, Kindred, Kindred.

This restaurant is a must if you are ever in the north Charlotte/Davidson area. It’s adorable and cozy, yet trendy, located right off of Main Street in an old pharmacy building (photo borrowed from Bon Appetit).

I had to get there early to have an artisinal cocktail at their bar. Their bar is absolutely beautiful.

When I asked the waitress about what’s the most popular, she had a great answer, listing what is the most ordered on the current menu but reinforcing that because they operate off of local and seasonal ingredients, their menu is ever-changing. My favorite.

I love how they treat their guests with complimentary milkbread. I was prepared for this having done my research, and they’re even so kind as to share their recipe in Bon Appetit.  Oh, by the way, did I mention they were listed among America’s top restaurants of 2015?

The milkbread is a fine fusion of light and flaky crust, similar to a croissant, yet the honey, sweet finish on top with sea salt gives it a pretzel taste. You can’t compare it to anything really; it’s one of a kind.

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We then ordered the vanilla scallops with blood orange. These may have been one of my favorite dishes of the night. The vanilla creme was thick and an awesome accompaniment.

We also had the fried oysters, on account of recommendation. There’s a pretty generous serving size for this dish, and while they weren’t my favorite, they were definitely good. I would prefer more oyster:fried batter ratio, personally.

We also had the Wagyu Beef Tartare, which is one of the more popular dishes. The mushroom and katsuobushi flakes were amazing and provided a light crunch to the umami taste of the tartare meat. I wouldn’t have normally ordered this dish, but I’m glad I was given the recommendation because it turned out to be incredible.

We were intrigued by the description of the gnocci, which came with blue crab, citrus, creme and chives, so we decided to try that next. It is a rich dish with the heavier flavor combinations, but I thought the crab worked really well in there. I loved the seafood familiarity, and it almost reminded me of a thicker clam chowder.

For dessert, we wanted the cinnamon ice cream and butterscotch cookies, but unfortunately, they were out, which was a bummer. Instead though, we got to try the infamous chocolate birthday cake (baked fresh daily). I love this dish just for the authenticity of it. How many restaurants bake fresh chocolate cakes daily and have pieces always available? THIS ONE.

The atmosphere was lively, the people around us were happy and engaged, and the service was exceptional. All in all, I have a very high opinion of Kindred, and would recommend it to anyone.