PHOTOS BY LAUREN SEPHTON
Located in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem, you’ll find Six Hundred° – a restaurant that showcases locally sourced food, friendly staff, and a phenomenal atmosphere. They have dynamic small plates, extraordinary entrees, an extensive wine list, as well as a large patio overlooking Bailey Park that is perfect for Sunday brunch. Their chef-driven menu is creatively rooted in southern cooking and designed to leave you speechless as every single menu item is cooked over a wood fire burning hearth. Suffice it to say, Six Hundred° is an experience you don’t want to miss out on!
Our evening began with one of their most popular small plates, Coal Roasted Carrots. By cooking these gorgeous carrots among the coals of a smoldering fire, an unbeatable smoky sweetness was unlocked. They were also seasoned with ras el hanout for a woody-sweet flavor, then plated with a pistachio butter that added nutty and earthy notes. Lastly, they were lightly garnished with a pistou that is a basil-based sauce often served in the south of France for added freshness.
The second appetizer we had the opportunity to taste was their Bacon Wrapped Venison that is calling all our meat lovers. The venison was rich, earthy, and tender. It was served with pickled jalapenos for a bit of spice, water chestnuts for a nutty and sweet component, and drizzled in a ponzu sauce for a complex tart-tangy flavor ending.
Moving on to the house plates, we had their renowned Salmon & Risotto that was cooked off their wood burning grill to perfection. The salmon had a crispy, crunchy skin and a mouth-watering tenderness on the inside. It was plated on top of a creamy risotto that had little chunks of tender asparagus and maitake mushrooms mixed in. It was also garnished with a ginger-soy beurre blanc sauce that was slightly sweet, a little tangy, had a velvety richness and overall was oh, so flavorful. Hands down a favorite!
The other house plate we were delighted to taste was their Duck Gnocchi. The seared duck breast was rich, juicy, and full of flavor. And unlike the typical gamey taste, this duck tasted more like a strong beef! It was plated with homemade gnocchi tossed in a creamy sauce with roasted cherry tomatoes, duck mole, and fresh cotija cheese. In fact, the duck breast is local and comes from Harmony Ridge Farms in Pfafftown.
Lastly, we were served an out-of-this-world dessert that made a lasting impression like none other! It was a smoked carrot cake that had caramel-y notes, warm embraces of cinnamon and nutmeg, while also being moist and never once baked in an oven! You heard that right. This carrot cake, like everything else on the menu, was made over a six-hundred-degree woodfire – hence the restaurant name. It was broken up into bite-sized crumbles that were toasted to be a little crisp around the edges and served with pistachios, salted caramel, candied ginger, and a house made ginger ice cream. Let’s just say, there was not a crumb left once we had our first bite.
And while they are currently revamping their cocktail menu, there are two signature drinks that are here to stay! The first is their Placebo Effect mocktail that is a strawberry lemonade with ginger beer for a spicy kick, and the other is their 600° Spritz cocktail that is bright and cheery for a girls’ night out.
Thank you, Chef Travis and the friendly staff at Six Hundred° for a delightful evening. And if your stomach is grumbling like ours was after reading this, here is your sign to head on over to Six Hundred° and tell them the Forsyth Foodie said hi!
