Second Empire Restaurant

(see explanation of ratings below)

For sixteen years, Chef Daniel Schurr has been knocking it out of the park in this beautifully restored mansion in downtown Raleigh.

Great wine list with a large selection of wines by the glass.

They’ve expanded the tavern area (downstairs) which has a slightly less formal feel (and two television screens).

Allow 60-90 minutes. About $50 per person (app, entrée and drink).

Three minor service miscues in one dinner warrant a half-star deduction.

About my ratings:

Only fine dining establishments can garner five stars. Until menuism realizes that a fast food joint cannot possibly be ranked equally with a $100 per person place, I need to draw the line somewhere. If we were only talking about the quality and presentation of the food, it would be a different story. But, as we know, menuism’s rankings take into account the entire dining experience.

Therefore, I divide restaurants into three categories (and I wish menuism would do the same):

1) fast food and “fast-casual” (no table service).

2) casual dining (table service, average entrée price: $10-$20).

3) fine dining (linen napkins, no plastic cups, no TV’s in dining room, average entrée priced at more than $20).

Fine dining can earn a max of five stars. Casual dining can earn a max of four stars. Fast food can earn a max of three stars.