Flights at the Renaissance Hotel in North Hills

After a bit of a dining hiatus, Jessica and I finally made it back out to try another restaurant from our list, Flights at North Hills.  Situated inside the Renaissance Hotel, Flights is what I'd call a hidden gem, with a modern, open dining area that seems more lounge than fine dining establishment.

Gemelli and cheese

We tried two appetizers to start; the fried gemelli and cheese and the night's special, which was cornmeal crusted scallops with a bacon-corn relish.  The fried gemelli and cheese was a spin on truffled macaroni and cheese; instead of being presented as a creamy bowl of pasta, the dish was served as three fried "nuggets" filled with the familiar white truffle oil and cheese flavors.  The crust of the fried bite was perfect; exceptionally crisp but not the least bit greasy, and the inside was perfectly creamy and bursting with flavor.  The nuggets were served over a tomato cream and basil oil, a surprisingly effective flavor addition that turned a traditional favorite into a more modern presentation.

Scallops

As good as the mac and cheese bites were, they paled in comparison to the scallop dish.  Two large scallops were coated on both sides with cornmeal and pan-fried until crispy and just cooked through.  The combination of crunch and sweetness from the scallop was enough to earn high marks, but the addition of a thick-cut piece of bacon as well as an amazing bacon-corn relish went above and beyond.  Jessica commented that we can never have corn again without bacon bits, as the two flavors were a perfect compliment and instantly made us question how we'd never had it before!



Cornish hen

For my entree, I had another twist on the traditional fried chicken and waffles.  Here, they served a whole Cornish game hen with a cheddar-jalapeno waffle, accompanied  by skillet potatoes and a terrific parsnip and chive puree with red eye gravy.  The Cornish hen was great; the breading was filled with flavor and perfectly seasoned.  The crispiness was a good match for the juicy meat of the bird, and the puree was an amazing match with both the meat and the breading, creating a taste I've never had before but want again soon!  The waffle was good but a bit heavy; I think a lighter version would have worked better with the dish.  The potatoes were nothing overly special and could have used a bit more carmelization.  Still, the bird and puree / gravy combination was a unique and extremely successful combination that I'd recommend highly.

Jessica had their filet, which was magnificent and one of the better steaks I've had at a non-steakhouse.  She enjoyed the rest of her meal and also was very impressed by their Dulce de leche root beer float as dessert.

Flights is a bit different than most of the other restaurants we like in the area; the dining area is modern and understated and food presentation is highlighted with each dish.  Still, the variety and uniqueness of the menu, coupled with the great service and terrific flavor of everything we tried, makes Flights another place I'd strongly recommend.  Few people seem aware that it exists, much less that it's very good, but that's even more reason to get ahead of the curve and try it!