Table 2 Grill & Lounge is located at 232 East 11th St.
photo by Janet Wilson
Last Saturday, Wayne and I went for lunch at the recently opened Table 2 Grill & Lounge located at 232 East 11th St. This is the long-awaited restaurant from owner/chef Derek Henson who previously operated Bellagio.
As you walk up to the restaurant, there is a patio area with several seating areas and outdoor fireplaces. The inside of the restaurant is very open (after you pass through the draped area entry), but still cozy, featuring several booths with curtains that can be closed for a nice, intimate dinner. The bar is at the front of the restaurant, with the food preparation area in full view, across from the bar. Table 2 also has a private dining area for groups.
The menu starts with Soups & Salads, including Bouchon’s Onion Soup, Bibb Salad, and Green Mango and Sirloin Salad. Prices in this category range from $6 to $8.
Sandwiches are Fire Roasted Chicken, Beef & Provolone, Lamb Pita and an Angus Burger. Prices are $7, $8 and $9 and the sandwiches are served with fries.
Table 2 makes their own pizzas, baked in a wood burning oven (and you can see the flames from your table). I believe this is the first time I have seen a Duck Confit pizza listed on a menu – ingredients are Confit duck leg, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, Crabtree Farms arugula and Bonnie Blue goat cheese. These are not your ordinary pizzas!
Wayne and I both decided to order a Baby Spinach Salad featuring organic baby greens, clin gorgonzola, candied pecans, and aged balsamic vinaigrette ($7), and shared a Smoked Turkey Wrap (house smoked turkey breast, Benton’s smoked bacon, gruyere cheese and apple chutney aioli wrapped in a tortilla ($8). Both of these were very fresh tasting and delicious. I really liked the fact that the vinaigrette lacked that overwhelming vinegar taste. I hate it when the vinegar is so strong that it overpowers all the other flavors in the salad.
If you are interested in something a little heavier for lunch, there is Chicken Scaloppini, Blackened Mahi-Mahi Tacos and Shrimp & Risotto ($8 to $11), just to name a few.
I found the Meats & Cheeses section of the menu quite interesting – but there were no prices listed. After questioning the waiter, we found the thirteen listed items were selections you could choose from to build your own plate. The price depends on the number of items you select. A few of the items listed are Fra’Mani Salametto (small, coarse ground garlic scented salame), Benton’s Prosciutto (18 month old dry cured ham from Madisonville, TN.), Fontina d’Agosta (100% raw cow’s milk, cave aged in Italy), Abbaye de Belloc (a firm sheep’s milk cheese made by Benedictine monks in France), and Robiola Rocchetta (blend of cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk from Italy).
The evening menu has even more stand-out items such as Scallop Cakes and the Fritto Misto we used to order at Bellagio. I would like to try the Hot Rock Honolulu Fish Tasting – a selection of Hawaiian fish and seasonings that you cook at your table ($12).
Evening entrees include Baked Orchiette Pasta, House-made Papperdelle Pasta, Fire-kissed Chicken Marsala, Spicy Korean Barbecue, and Thai Grilled Lamb. We spoke to some friends who had dinner there on the same day we enjoyed lunch, and they were very complimentary regarding the Shrimp-n-Grits and Blackened Mahi-Mahi
Quesadilla. The Shrimp-n-Grits is Gulf Shrimp with Benton’s bacon, mixed sweet peppers, onions, garlic and verjus on creamy polenta ($17), while the quesadilla is grilled mahi-mahi with mango black bean salsa, and cilantro lime aioli ($18).
In the evenings Table 2 has a raw bar featuring specialty oyster selections, along with Tuna Tar-Tar.
Table 2 sells beer, wine, and has a full bar (there is a 27 ounce Margarita). It is easily wheelchair accessible. It appeared there were ashtrays at the bar, so I am assuming there is smoking at the bar area.
There were four desserts offered, equally tempting – but, of course, I cannot resist Peanut Butter – so we ordered the Peanut Butter Pie Martini. This is not a drink. It is a layer of graham crackers topped with chocolate, then luscious peanut butter mousse and El Ray chocolate shavings. This was SO WONDERFUL!! I loved it. The other desserts were Derek’s Marscapone Cheesecake and Stormy Monday, a flourless chocolate brownie with walnuts, whipped cream and maraschino cherry, and House Made Ice Creams. All desserts are $5.
Table 2 is going to be a great addition to the Chattanooga restaurant scene. Check it out soon.