HUGO - "Southern Sophisticated Cuisine"

It was a rare night in our household - the girls were at their grandparents for an overnight and my husband and I got to go out to dinner (alone). The day before, I was perusing a great website, Restaurant.com, where you can get some awesome deals on dining from casual to fine dining. Normally, you can buy $25 gift certificates for $10 but they continually have even better deals and yesterday I took advantage of their 80% off sale so I got a $25 gift certificate to HUGO for only $2.50. Wow! If you use the site, check back often since the amount of "in-stock" gift certificates changes frequently.

After dropping off the girls, I headed to HUGO which is located in a quaint part of Cincinnati called Oakley. The heart of Oakley has some great restaurants, the adorable Blue Manatee Bookstore, a unique toy story (King Arthurs Court), the 20^th Century Theatre which is now used for a variety of entertainment venues, Aglamesis Brothers ice cream shop and more. As you travel past the main square and head down Madison Road, HUGO is tucked away in a small strip mall.

Our reservation was at 6:30 p.m. which I had made via Open Table.com. The Maitre d', Anthony Bailey, warmly welcomed me to HUGOs. I loved the large bar and lounge which was separated from the main dining area. A few couples were enjoying a glass of wine at the tall bistro style table set up there. You can also get some "small bite" plates here. The brick décor, soothing lighting and the New Orleans or possibly Charleston inspired artwork on the walls gave it a nice ambiance. Since I arrived slightly before my husband (he was meeting me after work), I approached the bar and got a glass Pinot Noir ($7). The only thing that would have added to the charm would have been having a live jazz trio playing in the background. Chris arrived slightly after my drink was poured, and we were escorted to our table.

Since we don't get to dine out at nice restaurants very often, I sort of forgot what it was like to be in a "real restaurant" with an attentive wait staff. Normally, we're used to more casual fare while trying to keep our kids occupied with coloring books and hoping that we can make it through our meal before they get too bored. Tonight was definitely a welcome change. Our knowledgeable server explained that HUGO is experienced best by enjoying the three courses listed on the menu but he also stated that the portions are not excessive and he said you won't find "steak house sized portions here". The menu consisted of one page with 6 first course options ($8-$13), 4 second course salad options ($8-$9), and 7 main course options with two additional entrée specials that weren't on the menu ($22-$26). The more simplified menu was a nice change of pace over some chain restaurants where the menu is like a small book and you get overwhelmed with too many choices.

For our first course, I opted to try the Fritters ($8) which were made with sweet corn & thyme and accompanied by Mascarpone cheese and a deliciously sweet with a hint of a jalapeno kick, Chili Jam. Chris initially wasn't too interested in the Fritters but after I started raving about how delicious they were, he tried them too and realized he was missing out. I was expecting a flat fritter but my expectations were exceeded when these yummy light and airy balls of breaded delight were presented. The Mascarpone cheese and Chili Jam were paired perfectly and I only wished there would have been more than four fritters since they were so good. I actually saved some of the Chili Jam to add to the warm bread that was served with olive oil and herbs for dipping. Yes, I do love those carbs.

Chris selected the HUGO salad ($8) for our second course and our server was thoughtful enough to offer to split the salad between us. I'm glad he offered that since sharing the salad was just enough for both of us. I wish I could make a salad like this - it was one of the best I've ever had. The romaine lettuce was paired with warmed potato, onion straws, goat cheese (always a winner) and a delectable sherry vinaigrette.

Our entrées arrived next. I had the Cast Iron Sirloin ($26) and it did not disappoint. The sirloin steak was thinly sliced and served over a warm potato salad with goat cheese (again, a winner) and local greens. It was nicely layered and adorned with jerked onions. The combination of flavors went so well together. Chris had the braised short rib special ($26) and even though he was a bit thrown off by what a parsnip was, he thoroughly enjoyed the tender ribs served over whipped potatoes and parsnips. The portions were on the smaller scale but after having fritters, bread and salad, we did not feel underfed. In fact, the only disappointment I had was that I was too full to get dessert. I overheard our server telling another table the dessert specials and I really thought that hinting to Chris about the Peanut Butter pie mousse selection would have been enough to get him to cave, but his willpower held strong. Since he opted not to get dessert, my strategy of "I'll just have a bite" would not work out this time. If you get the chance to dine at HUGO's, please save some room and let me know how it tasted.

Our total bill was $72.42 but after using our Restaurant.com gift certificate, it dropped to $47.42. The gratuity is applied to your original total so we ended up spending $62.26 for one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Having the gift certificate was great since we don't normally pay that much for a dinner out. Thank you Chef Sean Daly for giving us an enjoyable and delicious evening out. I'll be adding HUGO to my restaurant recommendations for Grown Ups on MasonMetu . Bon Appétit!

HUGO
3235-A Madison Rd.
Oakley, Ohio 45209
513-521-4846

Sources:
www.hugo-restaurant.com/
www.restaurant.com