I was looking to take my wife to a nice restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. I did some research and found The Trellis. Receiving numerous awards and also being rated 4.4 by readers of Fodor's travel books, I thought this would be a great place for an evening out. Being a frequent diner at upscale restaurants in New York City, The Trellis is rated a 3.5 out of 5 in my opinion. I wasn't blown away, but I was pleased with my dinner.
There was a romantic atmosphere, and the chef's meticulous attention to detail is the main draw to The Trellis. The location in Merchant's Square probably doesn't hurt either. The problem was the service. We had an 8:30pm reservation and were seated promptly, but we didn't leave the restaurant until 11:45pm. Two hours is nice, three is too long. When we ordered our appetizers it took an hour to receive them and then another hour for our dinner to arrive. Believe me, I don't like my dinner to come while I am still eating my appetizer, but an hour after. Come on.
Let's not make my silly time consumption criticism spoil the best part: the food. Each season the menu changes at The Trellis so that the freshest ingredients are used.
For starters, I ordered the cherry stone clams in a fire-charred red pepper and chive broth with herb toast. This was very good. The clams were not over-steamed and the broth was great for dipping the herb toast, and whatever bread we had left on the table. My wife ordered the jumbo lump crab cakes with tiny green beans and saffron butter sauce. I know she must have liked this because I was not even offered a taste . . . or because our appetizer took so long to prepare. OK, OK, I know, back to the food.
For dinner, The Trellis also offered two specials, but we chose to order from the menu. I had the duck breast with artichokes, potato cubes, and smoked bacon on mint fettuccine. The duck breast was very tender and cooked to perfection. The mint fettuccine just didn't go well with the duck. The mint flavor should have been a bit more subtle, but it over-powered the dish.
My wife ordered the beef tenderloin with tiny green beans, crispy potatoes, and Trellis steak sauce. Once again she did not offer me a taste. She must have been very hungry or it must have tasted great. When she was done eating, I asked. It tasted great.
It was late, but The Trellis is known for their desserts. Their special dessert is the Death by Chocolate. We really wanted to order this but it was just too late. I opted for homemade blueberry and chocolate ice cream. It was excellent.
The prices are up to par with restaurants in The Trellis' category. If you are looking for a romantic night out, this is the place in Williamsburg.