Walter's

Waaalllt! That’s my baaaarrrr! Sorry, you know I can’t resist a LOST reference. When I walked up to Walter’s, and hopefully to the amusement of my companions, I couldn’t help but echo Michael’s overused yelling for his son. Located at 2 Portland Square, Walter’s is a classy joint with its sleek interior, seasonal menu, and excellent bar.

For my cocktail I ordered a Wild French Ginger—Citadelle French gin, domaine de canton French ginger liquer, and candied ginger. I always applaud bars when they are able to make delicious cocktails without overloaded them with cloying syrup. The Wild French Ginger was thankfully not overly sweet and it had a nice kick from the ginger.

Jonah Crab Claws were the first appetizer we sampled. The claws were ice chilled, which contributed to their distinctive texture—the flesh was smooth and cold and had a sweet, oceany flavor. They were served with a South Beach dipping sauce.

Next up was Greek lamb sliders. These little beauties were crafted with Greek sausage, Camembert, and a spicy Cara Cara orange gelee on flaky rosemary biscuits. These were the sliders that inspired us to have our own slider throwdown. Cara Cara apparently is a type of red Navel orange—it made a delicious sweet and spicy gelee topping for the slider that combined smoothly with the rich and buttery Camembert. The sausage was moist and flavorful and paired nicely with the biscuits.

 

Last on our order was oxtail spring rolls, which were prepared with roasted corn, poblano peppers, and smoked mozzarella, with a spicy avocado crema and tamarind yuzu ponzu dipping sauces. The combination of these ingredients gave the spring rolls a smoky and spicy flavor, but I didn’t get any distinctive taste from the oxtail. I’d never had it before, so maybe I just couldn’t gather the flavor of it in the midst of the other intoxicating scents and tastes within the spring rolls. Having two options of dipping sauces was a nice touch, and I favored the smooth and creamy avocado crema. 

I would definitely revisit Walter’s to sample some of their other cocktails and extensive bar menu. Their entrees sound delicious as well, but if you can’t go wrong with a couple of small plates and drinks at their classy yet comfortable bar.