Dianne's on Devine

by Nancy Silver
(Columbia, SC)

For a special evening, in my case my one year wedding anniversary, we needed something to commemorate the beautiful occasion with an equally beautiful restaurant. A place where we could get all dolled up in our finest and enjoy a romantic dinner for two. Our place of choice was Dianne’s on Devine.

My husband had made reservations to ensure that we would be seated at a nice table but it was rather unnecessary on a Monday night. We were one of three tables occupied; I assume that they attract more of a weekend crowd for the usual Friday and Saturday date nights. I did not see a bad table in the house however. We happened to get seated in one of their large luxurious black round booths. The kind where you can cozy up to one another. The restaurant looked very rich with dark, warm tones in the fabrics, and it sparkled with the light from each table. We were also accompanied by a pleasant surprise at first seating-a complimentary glass of champagne for each of us to celebrate our anniversary. This was a simple detail that my husband had briefly mentioned when initially making the reservation. I was really surprised that the hostess had actually taken note of it and I felt that the restaurant and staff genuinely cared and wanted to help us celebrate. That in itself is a very hard thing to come by nowadays.

After perusing the menu, we decided to start with the New Zealand Mussels as an appetizer. The menu specifies to ask the server for how they are prepared as this appetizer changes frequently. On this day, it was a creamy curry sauce which we both found intriguing and once they arrived at our table, simply delicious. My husband is not a fan of curry but loved the combination of this sauce with the mussels. Not too overpowering but a nice compliment to the dish.

For the main course, my husband ordered the Mixed Seafood Grill which consisted of the catch of the day-in this case a nice piece of tuna, shrimp, and scallops with angel hair pasta on the side and fresh vegetables in a tarragon beurre blanc sauce. For myself, I ordered the Filet with Cracked Pepper Chevre which was topped with goat cheese, mushroom pesto and came with a side of mushroom risotto and fresh vegetables. The steak was cooked exactly how I asked for it (a tender medium rare). However, the entrée had one major short-coming; I found that that the dish as a whole overflowed with mushrooms. The risotto and mushroom pesto tasted nearly identical, and left the dish with only one flavor. The goat cheese that topped the filet was very strong. For my husband, this was a good thing; for me, it over powered the steak. As a result, we switched dishes and happily finished our meals.

For dessert, we ordered their special, a banana fritter consisting of banana and a creamy cheesecake like filling with a crispy outer shell with vanilla ice cream. Another special surprise courtesy of Dianne’s was a single birthday candle and a Happy Anniversary from our waitress. I really thought this was a nice little touch as well, to make the night feel extra special.

The waitress’ etiquette was perfect for the occasion. She was incredibly polite and informative. She knew exactly when to be at the table and when to give us our quiet privacy. Her low key approach was exactly what any couple needs on their anniversary night.

I have to say, I enjoyed the experience at Dianne’s on Devine very much. The wait staff is professional and friendly, the food is gourmet, and the atmosphere is romantic. But it’s the personal little touches that really make this restaurant stand out from the crowd. So the next time you are looking to celebrate that special occasion drive down to Dianne’s on Devine Street.

Dianne’s on Devine
2400 Devine Street
Columbia, SC 29205
803-254-3535
www.diannesondevine.com