My first visit to 700 Drayton, the restaurant of the elegant Mansion on Forsyth Park, was passable.  It was barely open two months, and a key member of the culinary team had left, the wine program suffered from serious shortcomings and the menu was not what savvy diners would expect from a hotel property boasting four diamonds from AAA.

Those were the manager’s words.  The menu was “dumbed down,” he said, and the wine list “sophomoric.”

And the ensuing three years have been rocky, with the restaurant sometimes faltering with no executive chef at the helm and management undergoing another makeover.

The good news is light at the end of the tunnel — bright wonderful light that may make 700 Drayton a reliable destination for local diners who want a larger-than-life setting with food and service that match the surroundings.

By the time you read this, “new” Executive Chef Michael “Dusty” Grove will be over the honeymoon.  He should have his own menu in place and staff hired and be ready to impress.

Grove came on board in January to a post he told me he has wanted since the property opened.  Now he has his chance — and is faced with the daunting challenge of leading a culinary team for 700 Drayton Restaurant, the hotel’s six private dining rooms, Casimir’s Lounge, the Carriage Wine Cellar and room-service offerings.

He brings more than 13 years of food and beverage experience, lastly as director of food and beverage at the Dataw Island Club on Saint Helena Island, S.C.  Before that, he was executive chef at The Georgian Club and corporate chef at the Futren Corporation in Atlanta.

If his name sounds familiar, it’s for good reason — he did a stint with Elizabeth on 37th in the late 1990s.

He started off unconventionally, studying biochemistry at the University of Georgia.  Working in food service as a student, he was drawn to the field, later completing the Classic City Wine course and participating in the Executive Chef Seminar at the Culinary Institute of America.

He earned his credentials the hard way, working up through kitchen after kitchen.  Grove is apparently no stranger to hard work and long hours — and the dedication shows in his menu.

A couple of weeks prior to Miss T.J. and I visiting for this story, Chef Dusty blew me away with a menu he prepared for a group of culinary journalists.  For this story, I asked him to prepare a tasting menu — giving him the opportunity to do his best work.

He came out of the gate strong, serving the meat cutter’s daughter cider-braised pork belly. It’s a gutsy dish to put in front of female diners, but Miss T.J. was won over the minute the buttery tender and flavorful pork hit her taste buds.  It was a dish that encompassed sweet and tangy, the flavors being helped along by crisp celery root and apple slaw and the bright flavors of cider gastrique.

My bourbon-glazed quail was not that adventurous but nonetheless was presented cleanly and beautifully.  The challenge with small quail portions is not overcooking, and I was pleased to taste moist, tender quail and not overcooked fowl.  The bourbon glaze was not overpowering but complementary.  A small tart filled with caramelized onion and blue cheese added textures to this presentation — and a pleasing set of sweet and tangy tastes.

The appetizers — and all of our plates — were presented cleanly and honestly. No pretense, no unnecessary flash.

Nor were our salads; in fact, these two plates may be described as inspired but lacking.

Sure, there were some interesting flavors.  Miss T.J.’s watercress salad offered an array of heirloom tomatoes that were juicy, fresh and delicious, but in the end, it was more greens with balsamic drizzle.

My deconstructed Caesar salad was classically topped with a pair of white anchovies — which are lighter in flavor and less salty than other varieties.  That was good: the big, crisp hearts of Romaine were so fresh and great tasting I would have hated for the anchovies — or the Caesar dressing — to have distracted.  It was a skillful marriage of flavors.

For our main course, Miss T.J. only made it one-third of the way through an ample portion of Georgia black grouper.  It was simultaneously buttery in texture but rich with the essence of fresh seafood.  A light-hearted presentation of spaghetti crafted from butternut squash was a striking orange counterpoint to the pale fish and the bright yellow of a vanilla-mustard emulsion.  Again, Chef Dusty gave us sweet and tangy — and again the device served him well.

My generous rack of lamb was wonderfully rare — which I think helps preserve the mild gaminess of this classic dish.  A decadent crusting of fennel and truffle was gently enticing without distracting from the lamb’s great earthiness.  The Sunchoke (a Jeruselum artichoke) and roasted garlic puree was sweet and creamy, foiling the bite of the locally grown organic beet greens.  Organic rainbow carrots added color and textural variety.

For our sweet tooth, my banana Bavarian was a delightful alternative to the usual overworked crème brulee.  Fresh banana slices and crispy caramel topped the creamy dessert, which was laced with a drizzle of peanut butter caramel.

A sublime pastry — a lemon-raspberry roulade — was just the ticket for Miss T.J.  Tangy, tart and refreshing all came together under a white chocolate halo.

Service was more attentive than in previous trips, and in true Kessler Collection style, everyone was gracious and genteel. 

General Manager Tina Harlow is faced with her own set of challenges in this young property, but she still found time to drop by the table for a visit.

And, I can’t say enough about restaurant manager Doss Posey.  From barely 70 labels in the wine cellar in the past year, he has managed to grow the wine program to more than 500 choices — including some very high-end wines not usually found in Savannah.

The soaring ceilings give a grand scale to each dining room at 700 Drayton.  Billowing, gauzy bolts of fabric lazily serve as visual accents in dining spaces that are as elegant and romantic as they are bold and powerful.  By night, it’s candlelit and enticing; by day, bright light streams in the mansion’s huge windows to create a diffuse and comforting atmosphere.  Every tableau is homage to hotel owner Richard Kessler’s love of art, beauty and chic décor.

I desperately want to see Chef Dusty take the cuisine at 700 Drayton to a new plateau.  In fairness to my criticism, at this writing (late February), he was not working his own menu and had not developed his own network of purveyors.  Even with those handicaps, he presented deliciously fresh, local ingredients that show me we’re in for a treat when he reaches full speed.  By the time you read this, I’m confident he will be well on his way to defining the culinary reputation 700 Drayton deserves. 

700 Drayton at The Mansion on Forsyth Park

ADDRESS: 700 Drayton St.

www.mansiononforsythpark.com

PHONE: 721-5002

HOURS: Breakfast 7-11am; Lunch Mon-Sat 11am-2pm; Sunday Brunch 11am-2pm; Dinner 5-10pm

RESERVATIONS: Yes

CREDIT CARDS: Yes 

BAR: Yes 

HANDICAP ACCESS: Yes

Meet The Chef: Michael “Dusty” Grove

Q. What was your worst night in the kitchen?

Dusty: “We had about five private parties going on, plus a la carte service.  One party had ordered 16 lobsters — then decided on two or three plates to double the order.  We were scrambling to the grocery to buy more lobsters.  Then they started sending the steaks back for being too rare.  One guy sent his steak back three times.  By the time we finished, it was like a briquette.  He sent word that it was just right.”

 
Q. What do you cook at home?

Dusty: “I get home so late it’s got to be quick and easy — frozen pot pies, ramen noodles.”

 
Q. Where do you dine out?

Dusty: “I haven’t been back in Savannah long enough to have gone many places, but I’ve been hanging out at Local 11 Ten.  It’s comfortable, good food, good beer.”