Sante'

Contributor

Citysearch

A tiny storefront along Matthews' historic Trade Street, Hidden Garden welcomes visitors with a clapboard sign announcing "Dinner" or "Lunch." Inside, well-spaced tables allow you to have a conversation without shouting. The exposed-brick walls, hardwood floors and a mauve-and-green color scheme make you feel warm all over.

The service is equally pleasant and un-stuffy. Our server, for instance, unfolded our napkins from our drink glasses, then held them for us rather than placing them in our laps. He later brought us a complimentary sample of the chef's smoked trout mousse with table water crackers. A nice gesture.

The Food
Entrees at first seem familiar: pork tenderloin, trout, filet mignon. Their accompaniments, however, are just quirky enough to make you smile. The cornmeal-crusted trout, for instance, is served with a creamy polenta (to die for) and a tomato-ginger relish. The wild mushroom-crusted halibut arrives with braised leeks in a mushroom broth. We ordered the special--a veal chop with apple-infused au jus, which came with a savory potato-mushroom pie that tasted delicately of Roquefort. (Two small gripes from my dining companion: Our server did not disclose the price of the special, and it seemed a smallish entree--only one veal chop.)