A gas station on the way out of town. A grab-and-go lunch spot. A rest stop with a surprisingly great cheese and wine selection. Basecamp, in Wilson, is not your average gas station, and Rations, the counter service lunch restaurant inside, is no exception.
Enter: Rations After Dark. The newly established dinner experience at Rations features a prix fixe tasting menu, carefully curated week-to-week by chefs Brian Laughlin and Kyle Nicholson. With one large communal table and a few window-lined bar seats, this dining experience is truly unlike any other.
As we arrived, participants from the first seating were finishing up. Sitting down at one end of the communal table for the second and final seating of the night, we joined a group of five friends already sharing great laughs. First came the amuse-bouche: homemade yucca chips with a chili salt and aioli as we pondered the menu. With four options for the first two courses and two for dessert, the decision is not to be taken lightly–you may never see the same menu again! Even with a small menu, there is something for everyone’s preferences.
Upon placing our orders, we sat back to watch the magic happen. From the table, you can see all the kitchen goings-on, and it is a mesmerizing experience. The small staff is already a perfectly well-oiled machine after just two months of being open.
Each beautifully and purposefully plated dish was brought out and thoroughly explained. For the first course, we ordered the smoked egg and the Georgia quail. The egg sat atop a bed of salsify, mushrooms and herbs, and was as rich as you can imagine it would be. The quail was joined by braised greens, pickled turnips and a red wine sauce that pulled it all together. For an entree, we tried the honey-glazed Long Island duck breast with apples and greens, and the grilled wagyu strip with onions, sweet and sour broccoli and pomme puree. Although it was my third time trying the wagyu entree here, it has never been the same dish twice. To round off the meal with something sweet, we chose one of each dessert: a caramelized olive oil cake and an apple crostada. The cake, joined by rum-roasted pineapple and coconut chantilly cream, was moist on the inside, crispy on the outside, and amazingly sweet all the way through. Whipped creme fresh and Idaho huckleberries topped off the apple crostada, which tasted fresh and delicious.
Not to be forgotten are the off-menu, perfect little bites between courses. After the first course came a delectable house-made brioche bun with salted Amish butter, and a delightfully refreshing coconut, green tea and honey palate cleanser came before the dessert course. When we were finished polishing off the two delicious desserts, the check was brought with a hand-fired piece of butternut squash with a dollop of cream cheese on top, the perfect not-too-sweet bite to close out a perfect meal. By the end of the meal, we had enjoyed a total of six unique courses, leaving us absolutely satisfied.
Rations After Dark provides the most intimate dining experience that I have ever encountered. Watching the chefs focus intently on finishing each dish with precision while chatting with the servers and people seated next to you makes you feel as though you’re simply sitting in the kitchen of a friend. Although this whole experience is unique and upscale, Rations never loses the simple, relaxed atmosphere that makes it what it is. After all, you are still inside a gas station rest stop.
This dining experience is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. However, only two weekends remain for the wintertime. Book your spot on RESY, click HERE.
