321 W. 4th Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336.448.1714 | JeffreyAdamsWS.com
Monday – Tuesday: 11 AM – 10 PM • Wednesday – Thursday: 11 AM – 11 PM • Friday – Saturday: 11 AM – 12 AM • Sunday: 11 AM – 9 PM
If you’re going downtown in Winston-Salem, and you’re looking for a great, locally-owned restaurant that serves local produce and a diverse menu that ranges from comfort food to a more eclectic dining experience – look no further than Jeffrey Adams on Fourth. Directly across from the Stevens Center, this is a restaurant full of sophisticated charm and hospitality, and is all that’s right with the Winston-Salem foodie movement. (Not sure there is actually such a movement, but there should be. Let’s start one.)
For this particular Rosey’s Review, we invited two friends along who have never experienced the joys of a Rosey’s Review. So besides an evening of great food, we had a lot of fun watching some friends experience a restaurant review for the first time. I think that after this meal, our friends will be ready to clear their calendar any time they are invited to join us!
Any time you visit Jeffrey Adams, the first thing that arrives is a basket of warm yeast rolls with soft honey butter. And really, is there a better way to start a meal? The dangerous thing, of course, is the possibility (probability?) that you will overfill on bread before the meal arrives. But hey… that’s a risk you just have to be willing to take.
Before our appetizers arrived, we were treated to a few drinks from the bar.
First, we sampled the Strawberry Sangria. A blend of Skyy Strawberry Vodka, white wine, soda water, simple syrup, locally grown strawberries, and a house-made sour mix – this is a drink that is a perfect summer refreshment. So much flavor and a great drink to unwind with at the end of a long week.
We also tried the Effen Delicious Martini, which is made with Tito’s Vodka, Effen Cucumber Vodka, house-made sour mix, jalapenos, muddled watermelon, and cucumber! WOW! But don’t let the jalapenos scare you… this is actually a light, cucumber-flavored drink that is quite refreshing.
Our third drink of the evening was the JA Mojito. Two words for you, my friends – Fresh. Mint. So good! I love fresh mint anything, but this is an excellent cocktail for summer! You’ll be asking the bartender for the recipe… or you may just have to bring your cookout to Jeffrey Adams. That’s actually not a bad idea since they handle the clean-up, too…
Our appetizer arrived, and it was a Southerner’s dream: Fried Green Tomatoes. Be still my beating heart. There are few dishes that can compete with fried green tomatoes, but even if you think you have this recipe nailed, Jeffrey Adams has it beat! They serve their fried green tomatoes with goat cheese (YUM!), fried spinach (yes, fried and it’s amazing), and a roasted red pepper orange coulis. In a word, this appetizer is divine. And if you order it and refuse to share it, I promise – no judgment. I completely get it.
Entrees began to arrive – just in time because we were on the edge of a battle over the last bite of Fried Green Tomatoes when we were distracted… First up, the Land and Sea. This is the perfect entrée for the meat lover/seafood lover who simply can’t make up their mind. It’s a culinary masterpiece of beef tenderloin that is topped with butter-poached lobster and a decadent béarnaise sauce. It comes with a side of scallops, as well as mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Incredible.
Ahi Tuna is a popular appetizer at Jeffrey Adams, but it’s also available as an entrée. And no one does Ahi Tuna better than Jeffrey Adams! It’s seared and served with Asian slaw, and has a chili ginger glaze, wasabi, and soy reduction to enjoy with your tuna. And on the side – grilled asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes, which I’m assuming are whipped up by angels because they are just that amazing.
For the salad-for-dinner people, Jeffrey Adams has a great salad menu, and we had the Tomato Stack. This was a fantastic entrée-salad that is great as is, or you can request chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tuna for some protein. The feature of this salad is a stack of tomatoes served on greens, but the true rock star on the plate is the basil pesto. I could literally drink it with a straw. The salad also includes goat cheese, cucumbers, and is drizzled with a balsamic reduction and topped with pickled red onions. It’s beautiful. It’s flavorful. And it’s filling!
As great as all our entrees were, our table unanimously agreed that the last entrée was the favorite. The Beef Tenderloin Risotto was AH. MAZ. ING. The creaminess of the risotto along with the tender cuts of beef… cabernet demi-grace, melted Gruyere, wild mushrooms, and spinach – this dish is a step above your standard comfort food. An absolute win! Jeffrey Adams created a delicious entrée that is sure to be a favorite of many!
What’s the end of a meal without dessert, right? We ended our Jeffrey Adams experience with a Hot Apple Crisp. And everything you need to know about this signature dessert is in the name. Warm and rustic, it’s bursting with fresh apples and cinnamon goodness and topped with a rich vanilla ice cream.
And so, another Rosey’s Review was successfully completed, and we left miserably stuffed. Such is the life of a writer and a photographer who, every month, visit a different restaurant in order to sample menus for Forsyth Woman magazine. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it.
Visit Jeffrey Adams soon, and be sure to tell them that Rosey sent ya!
