My restaurant review for this week brought me to Clementine Cafe, a dimly lit, hole-in-the-wall-looking restaurant in downtown Harrisonburg. On entering, I admired the warm, yellow walls and the eccentric, mixed media art that covered them. Behind the stage in the back left corner, the wall was painted yellow, pink, blue, green, and orange in such a way that reminded me of a watercolor palette. On the hostess stand was a lampshade with holes in flowering designs, four of which held ornate, dangling, mismatched earrings that I imagine were left behind by past patrons.
A septum-pierced server led me to a high-top table near the front windows, the perfect seat to take in the restaurant in its entirety. With warm mood lighting and a busy-yet-comfortable atmosphere, I settled in easily and set about contemplating my order. The menu consisted of upscale American dishes as well as some French and Asian-fusion options, with ingredients from local providers including the Harrisonburg Farmers Market and Seven Hills Farm.
I decided on an all hors d’oeuvre meal from the “Small Plates & Sharables” menu: crab dip, shrimp and grits, and falafel.
The house-made crab dip, a slightly more expensive appetizer at $10.30, though creamy as the menu described, was lacking in the promised protein. The pre- vailing flavor was of cream cheese and green onions. As I ate, I scooped massive globs of dip onto my toasty pita slices to increase the meager crab-to-cream cheese ratio per mouthful. Though I started out enjoying the dish, the green onion taste lost its charm somewhat quickly, and I left the ramekin half full of cheesy dip.
My next appetizer was a bowl of grits swimming in a lobster cream sauce, with four sautéed shrimp laid atop in an X configuration and topped with a bacon corn relish, for $9.50. It was a high-end take on a classic southern dish, bursting with flavor. The shrimp were sautéed to perfection, with no hint of the rubbery texture that is a staple of overcooked shrimp at many restaurants. Clementine, however did not disappoint, and I finished every last bite, eating spoonfuls of corn relish and grits once the shrimp had run out.
The final appetizer was a plate of falafel, my least expensive choice, for $7.50. The pea-and-corn filled fried chickpea fritters were garnished with pink pickled onion and served alongside a cucumber garlic aioli. The balls of falafel were delicately crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, their subtle flavors complemented by the cool, slightly minty sauce I dipped them in throughout the meal. They were the perfect finger food, and I had no trouble or hesitation in finishing them off.
Part of the way through my meal, a hostess informed me that live music would be starting soon, and if I intended to stay for the show there would be a $12 cover charge, though I wouldn’t have to pay if I was just there to enjoy my meal.
Clementine and their downstairs addition, Ruby’s Lounge, host live music and other events, such as Tuesday Trivia nights. Most events have a small cover charge, but it is not much for a place to dance your heart out on a Saturday night… once you turn 21, that is. Ruby’s Lounge, unfortunately, does not cater to the underage crowd.
My dinner totaled to around $30 including tax, a price that can be effortlessly split between you and any friends you opt to bring along.
You can check out Clem- entine and Ruby’s Lounge for yourself at 153 S. Main St., right next to Ten Thou- sand Villages and across the street from the Discovery Museum.
