We tried a new Charlottesville restaurant last weekend – Mockingbird in Belmont, specializing in Southern Cuisine. I would give them 4 stars on some dishes and no stars on others.
For an appetizer we ordered a Strip of Pork Belly on a Bed of Greens. It was fantastic. The pork was crispy fried, and the sauce and greens were outstanding. Also, for an appetizer, I ordered Fried Okra which was not at all like any Fried Okra I’ve ever had or would want to have. They smothered it in corn meal batter and deep-fried the whole pods, but they were hard as bullets and you really couldn’t taste the okra because of all the batter. I ate 4 or 5 and left the plate mostly full. Thumbs down on that.
For an entrée I ordered Baked Rockfish which was super, duper. Again, great sauces and a delicious piece of Rockfish. Nancy, however, selected one of their specials – a NY Strip Steak. She ordered it Medium – pink but not purple, she stated. They sliced it before serving for some reason and when she cut into it, it was well done – no pink whatsoever. They also served it with some sort of hot seasoning on the meat that left Nancy’s mouth on fire.
The atmosphere was very nice, but the service was average. When you are an upscale restaurant in Charlottesville, you’ve got to get it right the first time. There are simply too many good restaurants out there, and with the prices as they are, you expect excellence.
