River Tavern Chester

River Tavern is my go to lunch place - I say lunch because I have not had dinner there, but given the lack of quality lunch places that are not just sandwich places (not that there is anything wrong with that!) River Tavern is an Oasis of Culinary Deliciousness. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable about the menue and always had a smile. Here is just a sampling of a few lunches that where out of this world. Starters warm olives and spicy thai shrimp salad - mango, peanut sause, scallions and mango-chili-lime dressing. These two dishes warmed up a gloomy rainy day. 3-4 different olives (yes I have had olive apps that were bad!) served with warm oil with thinly sliced garlic just perfect. Spicy Shrimp salad was garden fresh, nice kick, a variety of subtle flavors and perfectly cooked shrimp. Main attraction was one of the best beef burgers i have had - smoked bacon, bel paese (cheese) spicy aioli - i kid you not the first two bite produced "juice pops" only a burger cooked to perfection can do. The second dish was expertly charred octopus with saffron aioli, potatoes, olives, tomato, fennel and parsley. Light, subtle flavors and the aioli tied the dish together. OK my first dessert at the River Tavern was the Lemon Posset - truth!? the fresh (and I mean homeade fresh) whipped cream so was good I thought it was the dessert! The lemon was unlike anything I have had before - just amazing - and clocks in as top 10 desert in my life. To keep the next lunch short, just look at the pictures - classic caeser tasted freshly tableside perpared (make sure to mix the salad up) and the asian salad w/green apple, cashews, scallions and miso-ginger dressing, both fanastic. The mains were a homemade pasta special with crisp but soft garlic, pancetta, mushrooms and parmesan in a white sauce. The last was just an expert explosive combination of flavors in the Chinese fried rice, shrimp, pork, egg, vegs, chili, cashews, ginger and sesame, filling (takehome) and perfect. Desert was the Blueberry Buckle with homade Whipped Cream. Here is a desert NOT overloaded with surgar! It is moist dense and naturally subtle blurberry flavors. Mixed drinks were on point and balanced.

Went to dinner last night at this incredible restaurant. I had the Roasted Shad and others had the Rib Eye and the Tofu Bowl. All of them absolutely perfection. The Caesar Salad met my approval and I consider myself to be one of the best AUTHENTIC Caesar Salad experts. Their Caesar is authentic. Now for the dessert . . . Baked Date Pudding with Caramel-Rum Sauce -- there are no words. One has to try it to experience it. If you go just for that, it's worth the trip.