The Menu: Chef Daniel Schurr still in command at Second Empire

☆☆☆☆

330 Hillsborough St., Raleigh

second-empire.com

Originally reviewed by Greg Cox on 3/18/2016

The imposing Victorian mansion promises tradition and opulence and delivers on that promise indoors, greeting you with a hand-carved walnut staircase flanked by dining rooms whose wainscoted walls are hung with oil paintings and ornate gilt-framed mirrors. Table linens are crisp and white, and with owner/manager Kim Reynolds setting the standard for gracious hospitality, waiters dressed in vest and tie provide service that is formal but not stodgy.

A recent visit confirms that longtime chef Daniel Schurr hasn’t lost his touch. Setting the tone is a caramelized butternut squash and roasted duck leg tart, encased in a square of crisp phyllo, crowned with a cloud of tender local greens and set on a plate bespattered with the jewel tones of tiny diced fruit, hazelnuts and infused oils.

In another first-course offering, the chef puts a fresh spin on an old-school favorite, pairing sautéed veal sweetbreads with port wine-braised red cabbage, celery root puree and a crisp wedge of rösti potato, set in a puddle of caper- and thyme-spangled veal jus.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 12:00 PM with the headline "The Menu: Chef Daniel Schurr still in command at Second Empire."