Undercurrent

Located at 327 Battleground Avenue in Downtown Greensboro, Undercurrent offers fine dining using locally and regionally sourced ingredients. There is a full bar, a private dining room, and patio seating. The menu changes every few months and wine tastings and specialty dinners are held periodically. Reservations are recommended.

“Downtown” plus “fine dining” plus “farm to table” seems like a winning formula for getting away with overcharging and underwhelming, but Undercurrent actually gives patrons reason to take those buzzwords at face value. Excellent food, competent service, and a comfortable atmosphere combine to make for a decidedly decent dining destination.

Though many of Greensboro’s downtown eateries tend to be a bit cramped, Undercurrent is fairly spacious. The main dining area features columns, high ceilings, and large windows that offer a view of the cityscape. The ambiance doesn’t compare to that of Print Works, and more space between tables would have been nice, but it still made for a cozy dining environment.

The menu here is narrow, but it does not lack appeal. Soups, salads, small plates, large plates, and entrees make good use of seasonal fruits and vegetables (they are big on compotes here), and the dishes are complex without seeming too pretentious to succeed. For my first visit, I opted for a garam masala rubbed duck breast. It came at the desired doneness and was plated beautifully atop rice and vibrant veggies. The duck had a nice char, and the accompanying blueberry puree added some welcome sweetness to play off of the dish’s savory components. My companion went with a red snapper dish on special and was equally satisfied: the fish was cooked well, and the sides (okra and a farro tabbouleh, if memory serves correct) seemed to suit it nicely. For as good as the entrees (and the fresh bread) were, however, dessert may have been the highlight. A white chocolate-blueberry bread pudding was gooey, rich, and decadent, but both the freshness of the berries and a sprig of mint kept it from tasting like pure sugar.

Both service and pricing here were what was expected given the level of food. The former was attentive without being overbearing. The latter was high but not exorbitant. Our entrees ran in the upper $20s, and portion sizing was adequate.

Undercurrent isn’t for the faint of wallet, but unlike certain other high-priced concept eateries, you will get what you pay for here, and you will most likely enjoy it.

8.5/10