Jospehine’s is relatively new to Greensboro, but they have not had a quiet run. No way. Proprietor and Chef Chris Blackburn just made it to the final four of the Fire in the Triad Competition and though he did not pull out a victory, he is by NO MEANS just a “runner-up.”  When you enter Josephine’s, you first see the open kitchen, then the modern and warm environment which invites diners to sit down and enjoy themselves.  A beautiful bar with vintage lighting and lovely wine storage is on the far end near the patio. And the patio, you’d never think something so close to the road would be quiet and even romantic, but the overhead beams and drapery close you off from the rest of the world so you can concentrate on your dining companion(s) and of course, the delectable, delightful, deliriously magical food! We ordered a pair of drinks (Me–Lemon Flower, Him–Manhattan) along with the wonderful Seafood Chowder.  It was more like a bisque in thickness but it had small chunks of potato, corn and generous bites of all kinds of seafood, including salmon.  Satisfying and not too filling.  Perfect for sharing.
           
It was so hard to choose from the selection of small plates, entrees and specials but I decided to go with the Crispy Skin Duck Breast with White Bean Fingerling Arugula Salad, Quail Eggs, Shitake Mushrooms and Blueberry Hibiscus Gastrique. The duck was perfectly salty and crispy and wonderful with the fresh salad and mushrooms. Different than I’m used to as duck usually accompanies root veggies and/or something sweet. Mr. Foodie’s dish was a sight to behold. Seared Scallops with pasta that had taken on the color of the beet pesto it was tossed in. Hot pink! It was like a Carbonara with English peas and pecans. Beautiful. YUMMO! Those scallops were perfection.

Finally, we just had to get dessert. We do it for you, Foodies! It’s a hard life. I have been craving Creme Brûlée since Battle Eggs at Fire in the Triad netted zilch, so we went with Josephine’s White Chocolate Frangelico Creme Brûlée. Uh…this is the only pic I have. Sorry. We dove right in and it was perfect. Just creamy enough, not too set and not too liquored up either. The perfect cap to the evening.

What’s left of the White Chocolate Creme Brûlée

We even got to say hello to Chef Chris Blackburn himself (he says, “Hi.”) and he talked with us about what to expect in our dishes.

Chef Chris Blackburn. He’s one to watch.

This is why I have such a passion for local eats. These guys are cooking!! In their restaurants!!  It’s a beautiful thing. Below are some more shots of this beautiful bistro.  Josephine’s Bistro & Bar, 2417 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro,  www.josephinesbistro.com