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| Cuisine | International | ||
| Hours | Restaurant Mon-Thurs 5:30-10pm; Fri-Sat 4:30-11pm. Tavern Mon-Sat 4:30-10pm | ||
| Address | 330 Hillsborough St | ||
| Location | Around Town | ||
| Reservations | Reservations recommended | ||
| Phone | 919/829-3663 | ||
| Web site | www.second-empire.com | ||
| Prices | Main courses $25-$39 restaurant, $19-$30 tavern | ||
| Credit Cards | AE, DC, MC, V | ||
Frommer's Review
The historically important landmark that contains these two restaurants is one of the most visible antique houses in downtown Raleigh. Originally built in 1879 in the French-inspired Second Empire style, it devotes most of its architectural glamour to the restaurant, and a somewhat folksier and less-formal venue to its (less-expensive) tavern. Frankly, we feel a bit more comfortable in the tavern (the restaurant, at its worst, can be a wee bit pompous). Among the restaurant's well-prepared menu items are buttermilk-fried quail and arugula salad, steamed local clams with penne pasta, pan-roasted halibut, and grilled Angus beef rib-eye. The food in the tavern is less expensive and less fussed over, and includes fried calamari, "pulled chicken" pasta, Kobe beef hamburger, and seafood paella.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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Frommer's The Carolinas and Georgia, 9th Edition
Author: Darwin Porter |
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| 0 stars | Frommer's Recommended | |
| 1 stars | Frommer's Highly Recommended | |
| 2 stars | Frommer's Very Highly Recommended | |
| 3 stars | Frommer's Exceptional |
Frommer's ranks every hotel, restaurant, attraction, shop, and nightlife establishment it reviews for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating scale, an expression of the strong compare-and-contrast opinions that are a brand hallmark.
Other ratings provide stars based primarily on price and amenities; the Frommer's star rating is meant to quantify the kind of intangible, experiential elements that help travelers make informed decisions.
The "baseline" recommendation is zero stars--every hotel, restaurant, attraction, shop, and nightlife establishment that Frommer's chooses to review is recommended; otherwise, we simply wouldn't include it.