Chatterbox, located on Main Street, is a restaurant whose simplistic yet grand aesthetic is well-mirrored in its food.
From the outside, Chatterbox looks very narrow. However, as soon as you walk in, high, white ceilings capture your attention and draw your eyes upward, creating a very open atmosphere. The walls that run the length of the building, as well as the bar front feature exposed red brick. The tables have plain, natural wood tops and black bases, while the bar stools are a fire-engine red. Their Restaurant Week menu offers a three-course dinner for $25.
As an appetizer, I ordered the harvest salad, which consists of shaved zucchini, squash, red onions, apples, almonds and feta cheese served on a bed of spinach and topped with a Dijon vinaigrette. The dressing was flavorful and added a nice kick, that complemented the salad. Ranging from sweet to savory, there were a lot of varying flavors in the salad that came together nicely.
My friend ordered the tomato soup and she loved it. Aside from a hearty, yet smooth tomato broth, the soup was topped with grilled cheese croutons. Upon first spoonful, I wasn’t a fan of these croutons. They were hard yet soft and gooey at the same time and the contrasting textures didn’t sit well with me. However, upon my second taste, these funky croutons grew on me and I was able to appreciate both their flavor as well as their ingenuity.
For an entree, I ordered the maple and mustard-glazed salmon, while my friend ordered the New York strip steak. The salmon came with a sage, chestnut and butternut squash risotto and Asian garlic green beans. The risotto was creamy and the butternut squash added a nice, understated sweetness.
The salmon was delightful. As someone who usually reaches for a lemon-garlic marinade for salmon, the maple and mustard glaze was nice and a much-needed change of pace. The green beans were easily my favorite part of the meal. They were crispy and definitely had an Asian flare to them.
However, the New York strip steak took the aforementioned simplicity to another level — a level that never needed to be reached. After cutting off the fat, my friend was left with an essentially flavorless and somewhat dry piece of meat.
The dessert was easily the best part of our experience. My friend ordered assorted truffles while I ordered the pumpkin cheesecake. The truffles were exquisite. We were at first disappointed at there only being three truffles on the plate. That feeling quickly subsided when we realized how rich and decadent they were. With flavors including salted s’mores, gingersnap and coconut lime, they were different from your average truffle, and in the best way possible. Although my friend wasn’t a fan of the coconut-lime truffle, it was my favorite. The cheesecake was amazing. It tasted exactly how a pumpkin cheesecake should taste: like fall. With strong notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, the dessert tasted homey and delicious.
Chatterbox is a somewhat romantic restaurant that maintains elegance without becoming overdone or fussy. It’s a great place to go for an intimate dining experience and as long as you don’t order the steak, you’ll leave full and satisfied.