Old location, new life

Nudge, nudge: The romantic, secluded nooks are also known as 'The Footsie Tables.'

Romantic tables, eclectic menu and great service set SouthBriar apart

by Jeff Glick

published October 10th 2007

The SouthBriar Restaurant, 5151 South Main Street in Sylvania, is the newest incarnation of an old standby. This is not a warmed-over rehash of prior establishments at this location, but rather a new restaurant with new ambitious, and creative dishes.

Don’t be fooled — the interior of the dinner house has been revamped with reminders of the eastern seaboard, including wainscoting and calming earth-tone accents. We were seated at a secluded, cozy nook that's unquestionably one of the most romantic tables in the area. We later found out the spot is called "The Footsie Table" by management.

Appetizer selections are plentiful and varied, including several choices for mollusk fans. The two standbys oysters on the half-shell and oysters Rockefeller, were consistently good and the Irish mussels, combining a white wine and heavy cream sauce with shallots, rival those we had years ago on a visit to the Moran’s Oyster House overlooking Galway Bay. The Charleston mussels presented a plentiful helping of the dark shells seasoned with garlic, tomatoes, tarragon, and capers.

The wine list is varied with a moderate number of selections, but will support tastes from the novice to the sophisticated reflecting both experience and price.

The soups are especially impressive. The clam chowder is as this delicacy was originally created; almost reminiscent of oyster stew — not too thick, with a hint of sherry and a buttery, creamy taste accenting the plentiful chunks of potato, clam, and kernels of corn. The chili is loaded with beef, bold spices, and green pepper, which combined tell you to sit up and take notice. Bold and tasty, this incarnation of the warm-you-up favorite is not overpowered by the pushy tomato. Chopped onions and shredded cheese to garnish your bowl are available on request.

The lists of salad and sandwiches include the usual suspects, though the not often seen Betty salad makes a surprise appearance. The lunch menu has a number of specials daily as well, featuring such classics as the hot brown and a new twist on old favorites, such as the B.L.T.T., adding turkey to the old standard.

Not frequently seen in the Toledo area, a series of German dishes including schweinebraten and sauerbraten are the result of a number of years of culinary experimentation of owner and manager, Tom Henkel, who described them as "the comfort foods of central Europe.”

We ordered the sauerbraten, which had a wonderful taste of the vinegar marinade infused from the slow cooking process described in the menu. The lone disappointment with this meal and with this visit was the accompanying potato pancake — just not crisp enough for our liking, but accompanied by nice sides of sour cream and applesauce.

Pasta dishes present the traditional offerings, except for the shrimp diablo pasta in pomodore sauce, a spicy, hearty dish with plentiful shrimp and mussels.

The steak au Poivre was the expected tender filet encrusted in cracked peppercorns, which was delicious and served with an interesting vegetable medley from homecut root vegetables and seasonal squash. Definitely not the flash-frozen variety pushed by food suppliers to many local restaurants.

Their selection of homemade dessert options included the bread pudding, topped with whiskey sauce, which takes dessert to the level of comfort food.

Run by three committed and omni-present partners Henkel, who operated SkipJack Restaurant in Sylvania decades ago, taking a sabbatical into the world of higher education and now back is ably assisted by Rich Nachazel and Joanne Root.

The location may be old, but SouthBriar is a fresh, new, vibrant addition to the Toledo culinary scene.

SouthBriar Restaurant
5147 Main St., Sylvania
419-517-1111
www.southbriar.biz

Lunch: Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Dinner: Mon–Fri ‘Early Bird’ 25 percent off menu 4 p.m.–5:15 p.m.
Mon–Sat 5 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Late ‘Pub Menu’ available in the lounge
All major credit cards; Alcohol served