I have been a fan of Poole’s since the day it opened and I am lucky to have had some amazing experiences there over the years. Last night we took my in-laws to eat when they came to town, and it was absolutely exceptional. So good, that I decided to write my first hometown restaurant review. Shannon, our server, was fantastic. She gave us time to talk and enjoy a cocktail before ordering, and she paid close attention to our cadence and paced our order out like clockwork. The food was some of the best I have eaten in awhile, and the best meal I’ve had at Poole’s in recent memory. It’s always good, but this was truly amazing. The pimento cheese started us off, then the onion, Benton’s bacon, and Gruyère tart sent us into orbit. The blistered peppers were made with “scotts bonnet” peppers if I recall, not the raging “scotch bonnet”. With just a slight amount of heat that fades quickly, the taste paired perfectly with the white acre pea hummus. We shared the marinated avocado, bibb lettuce, and crudités salad. The latter was new for me and had a very nice contrast of tonnato and sardines with crudités over toasted dark bread. It was a mouthful of goodness and had sharply contrasting elements of clean pure vegetal and bold umami. The mains and sides were fantastic. My coffee rubbed pork loin was served over a bed of succotash inspired peas, tomatoes, and pork in a nice broth. I crushed it. The marinated roast chicken had perfect skin texture for those who like to start on the outside as I do. The bird was moist and tender throughout and the portion was hearty enough to share and take home leftovers. The butternut squash ravioli was so good that my mother in law actually finished her entree for what might have been the first time since I have known her. The Mac was of course a rockstar, the mushroom medley was savory and sumptuous, the fried potato salad carried its mustard dressing perfectly, and the braised garlicky greens balanced it all out. We shared the 3 options from the dessert menu, and we all had a favorite. I favored the apple crisp with peanut putter ice cream, but the panna cota and the chocolate ganache cake were both epic. It was truly a perfect night of dining out with what I’d call pre-pandemic hospitality and service. This team always rocks, but things are really dialed in at Poole’s Diner right now!