Food adventures are some of my favorite adventures and this Saturday provided the opportunity for a fun new experience — a private tasting for a new restaurant opening next week!

I first heard about the Watson’s Counter event through a local neighborhood blog and RSVP’d via a Facebook event.

The location used to be occupied by a deep dish pizza restaurant. I think Andy and I had hot dogs there once? Maybe? Anyways, it looks completely different now in the best way. I loved the ambiance they created with color, lighting, decor… but more so, the vibe that was created by the staff. They were incredibly welcoming, which made the whole experience even better.

The tasting was $20 and included a drink and 4 different dishes, shared communally between four people. Several tables came in groups of four. Since Andy and I were just a pair, we shared our dishes with another nice couple at the bar. The tasting menu included:

• Drinks: Customer choice
  I ordered an Americano. Andy got the Honey & Lavender House Soda.

• Fries (not pictured)

• KBBQ Pork Plate
  Seared pork belly, rice, assorted pickled veggies, perilla leaves, lettuce wraps, Korean peppers, and sauce

• Chicken Wings
  Mix of house-made gochujang blend and honey-butter sauce

• Cereal French Toast
  Classic French toast with a cereal crust
  Ours was Frosty Flecks

Our favorites were the Cereal French Toast and the Chicken Wings — both surprising and delightful. We preferred the gochujang wings over the honey butter, but they were both equally crispy and delicious. I’m already looking forward to having it again and trying some of their other menu items when they officially open.

Fun fact: The name of the restaurant is inspired by the cutest little pup (as seen in their Facebook cover photo) — and I’m neither denying nor confirming if that influenced my decision to go :)