Saxon + Parole

My outdoor dining series continues with a new hot spot, Saxon + Parole. After several failed attempts to make it to Saxon, I succeeded with my good foodie friend last night.  Saxon is a winner year round because the decor and ambiance on the inside is fabulous but it also offers over a dozen of tables outside when the weather's nice.

The restaurant is named after two 19th Century racehorses and so the decor highlights a few equestrian accessories, such as the stack of horse blankets.  Saxon is broken up into various rooms, giving the restaurant a somewhat homey feel. Music streams throughout Saxon, with a playlist that is eclectic, jumping from Elton John to Bluesy songs.

Saxon is known for its fancy cocktails so I ignored the wine menu and opted for the Spritzer that our server recommended.  The fruity alcoholic punch was a fantastic alternative to sangria on a warm, breezy night.  They offer this by the pitcher, which is a great choice.

Saxon's summer menu is light and fitting for the warm weather to come. Saxon succeeds were the Beagle failed in my opinion.  The food at Saxon is inventive without being strange and questionably appetizing.

While I enjoyed our entire experience (company included ;)), the menu is a bit pricey for the portions provided.  For example, the two medium scallops we received cost $15.  And the small portion of hanger steak was almost $30.  Like I said before, I enjoyed our meal and experience at Saxon but the price is something to be conscientious of if you are on a budget.

What to Eat:

Start with the Grilled Scallops.  These lightly grilled scallops are coated in a sweet golden raisin relish.  I could have ordered a bowl of Saxon's savory garlic cauliflower puree.

A bunch of the sides sounded appetizing to us so we ordered a few of them as our appetizers.  Order the Green Bean Salad as a starter, which is a great alternative to a leafy green salad.  The salad was packed with marcona almonds and feta cheese.  The green beans are tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette to give the salad a tangy taste.  After the Green Beans salad, we devoured our hanger steak (not pictured). The tender steak was well seasoned and accompanied with an incredible au jus sauce. 

Because the dishes are not large, you should have room for dessert.  We opted for the Chocolate Souffle and the Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts.  The Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts came with a chocolate sauce and vanilla cream for dipping but the vanilla cream stole the show.  The creamy texture was a perfect coating for the airy, sugar coated donuts.  I did not care for the chocolate sauce, it tasted a bit off.

The Chocolate Souffle more than made up for the disappointing chocolate sauce that came with the doughnuts.  Unfortunately for Saxon, I had the luck of dining at La Grenoulle last week, which features the best chocolate souffle in NYC.  So while Saxon's souffle was a distant second, it was still delicious.  The inside should have been a bit more moist but the flavor was dead on with rich chocolate.

Need more outdoor dining suggestions? I'll keep them coming all summer long,

Your foodie friend