Courtney's has been a local favorite for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch for a quarter century, its name virtually synonymous with oversize pancakes and omelets. Who knew that the demure daytime eatery harbored a secret desire to vamp it up in the evening?
OK, so maybe owner Jeff Seidenstein's initial motivation for creating a nighttime alter ego for Courtney's Cary location was practical. He wanted to make use of the space that was standing dormant in the evenings. But Seidenstein, who grew up in the pancake house business (his father opened the IHOP on Hillsborough Street in 1967), also dreamed of trying his hand at something a little more exotic.
By the time he settled on using the space to showcase the talents of Orobosa Uwagbai, who has cooked all over Europe and more recently was executive chef for 15 years at the Litchfield Plantation in Pawleys Island, Seidenstein was thoroughly caught up in the romance of the idea. Chef Orobosa, as he prefers to be called, fired up the burners at Courtney's Bistro in March.
Old habits die hard, of course, and a number of longtime Courtney's fans have turned up in the evening expecting the same menu they've been enjoying for years. Those who stayed found themselves being treated to an amuse-bouche of delicately crisp cornmeal blini, a harbinger of the gastronomic adventure to come.
Orobosa's eclectic offering ranges from herb-crusted rack of lamb to vegetable quiche to Oriental chicken salad, with a healthy sprinkling of the chef's signature innovative riffs on Low Country fare.
Low Country riffs
One of those riffs - and a delightful one, at that - is the bright citrus note in an otherwise faithful rendition of she-crab soup. Another is the tomato and onion gravy that distinguishes the chef's rendition of shrimp and grits. The pungent counterpoint of clove in the shrimp gumbo, on the other hand, will likely strike some as overreaching.
Crab cakes - croquettes, actually, deep-fried cylinders encased in a crisp, golden brown breading - are paired with a rich lobster tarragon sauce. The cakes' filling is practically all lump crabmeat as promised, and would be perfect if the lumps weren't so broken up.
Given Orobosa's culinary background, it isn't surprising that seafood is a particular strength. The chef isn't limited to Southern coastal cuisines for inspiration, however, as he demonstrates with a simple salad of pan-seared tilapia over sautéed vegetables in a light sherry vinaigrette.
The oddly named fried tomato soup is a mixed blessing, the intensely flavorful, herb-spangled soup rewarding in itself but overpowering the garnishing trio of butterflied jumbo shrimp.
Still further afield is chicken waga waga, a medley of artichokes, new potatoes, mushrooms and nuggets of chicken inspired by the chef's native Nigeria. It's loosely inspired, presumably, as the "red wine gravy" bears a striking resemblance to an Italian Marsala sauce - hardly as exotic as the name of the dish implies, but tasty nonetheless.
The dessert selection is limited, but the bourbon reduction pecan pie is a must. Just be sure to ask that it be served without the garnishing drizzle of a commercial caramel sauce. There's a modest selection of a dozen or so wines (eight by the glass), and a like number of unexceptional beers.
Helpful hosts
The atmosphere is pleasant enough, given the restaurant's daytime persona as a breakfast and lunch spot. Wrought- iron chandeliers and a wall-spanning mural of a Parisian streetscape make for a setting that, with a little imagination, could almost be called casually romantic. Those bare laminate tabletops cry out for tablecloths in the evening, though, especially in light of the menu's fine dining ambitions.
Service is attentive and welcoming - especially so, if you happen to be there on a night when Seidenstein himself is at the host stand. The restaurant's affable owner evidently inherited his hospitable nature from his parents, who are retired but help out in the restaurant on occasion.
Recently, when a sudden downpour erupted just as a customer was about to get out of his car and go into the restaurant, Seidenstein's dad ran out with an umbrella and escorted him inside. It's that sort of old-fashioned hospitality that, as much as the food, makes dining at this quirky little restaurant a rare and rewarding experience.
