IK started off with an appetizer off of the specials menu... a crab and avocado terrine. It was good, but not spectacular, and here is why. Summer time crab is so delicious and sweet and suculent on it's own that it would be the perfect compliment to mild and creamy avocado without assistance from any 'enhancers'. The chef apparently did not think this was the case and tossed the crab with some seasoned mayonaise... completely unnecessary. It made the whole thing a bit too wet, and way too creamy. It was tasty, of course (how can crab, mayo, and avocado not be?) but too heavy. Good but not our favorite.
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DY went with oysters. Nothing much to report. They were seasonal, fresh and delicious. Came with a jalapeno and citrus dipping sauce that was delicious but not needed.... nothing (to me at least!) beats the briney bite of an in season oyster... no horseradish, no cocktail sauce, no nada. Just me, oyster, and face. Done.
Matt has gotten adventurous, people. He ordered (hand to God) the softshell crab. This was done as almost a tempura, over top of a thai inspired coconut milk and pepper mixture. This was AMAZING. So much flavor. I love thai food for it's always happy combination of spicy, sweet, salty and bitter and this had each compenent in the perfect way. Sweet coconut milk, hot chilis, slightly salty softshell crab.. it was a treat. The crab was cooked to perfection, crunchy on the outside but giving way to sweet delicious meat on the inside. I love the snap of a properly cooked softshell crab. This was a serious treat. Sadly it was a special.... soooo.... yeah.
I went with the confit duck leg salad. Holy crap. This was amazing. Seriously succulent duck, cooked in it's own fat atop a bed of leafy greens in a dressing comprised of bacon, ducky drippings and vinegar? Yeah... don't mind if I do. Salty, crunchy, earthy, delicious. The duck leg was huge, too! I could have easily had this and a cup of soup and called it an evening.
Both DY and Matt went with steaks.... DY with the monster of the menu, the 18oz cowboy steak, Matt with the tamer but still giant 16oz sirloin steak. Both were cooked to absolute perfection with a delicious crust and a tender inside. Matt had been dreaming of steak at Knife and Fork Inn since our first visit, years ago, and knew what he was going to get months in advance. According to him it's one of the best steaks he has ever had, and they didn't dissapoint on this visit, either. DY seemed happy too, as his plate was completely cleaned and meat free by the end of the meal.
IK went with one of the dinner specials, a fluke fillet perched upon a bevy of sliced zuchinni and topped with roasted cherry tomatoes. It was light, summery, and completely season appropriate. The fish was really fresh and IK really enjoyed it. Personally I thought it was a bit bland, but I just never considered fluke a 'go to' fish for full flavor. Who knows, maybe its just me. Long story short, the person eating it was happy, it was cooked well and looked nice. The end.
My dinner was an absolute treat. Better than I ever remembered from any of my previous visits. I went with the crab cake, and this is the one that I have always used and will continue to use as my golden standard. Huge, giant hunks of jumpo lump crab meat packed into a towering cake, with litte, if any, filling sitting pretty surrounded by spicy Asian slaw and red pepper sauce. It's perfect. You get all crab and no BS bready smoosh nonsense. The slaw gives crunch, should you want it, but I was so focused on the delicious crustacean that it took me a while to remember to dip into the veg. So good. So very very good.
Too full for dessert (although they have an amazing confection refered to as a banana chocolate burrito... if you like your taste buds order it) we rolled out and hit the boardwalk. Knife and Fork Inn is a little piece of history in downtown Atlantic City. It's absolutely stunning, has a pretty lively bar scene, and the service is impecable (friendly and knowledgeable without being overbearing or creepy... good combo!)
Knife and Fork Inn
http://www.knifeandforkinn.com/
Atlantic and Pacific Avenue-08401
609 344 1133
Tula was boasting a prix fixe menu at the time of our visit. It was a pretty good deal, but I see now that they have done away with it (didn't want to get your hopes up, folks!) I'm going to give you the quick run down... Mom and I ordered the tuna tartare, Dad went with the white gazpacho, and Matt went with the (GASP) scallop. Yes.. Matt plus scallop happened. Weird. To be honest its because the only non seafood options for first course were the gazpacho or garden salad, and he didn't want to waste an order on a salad (his words, not mine!) 
Breakdown: The gazpacho was delicious; Fruity, fresh and summery. It was made with green grapes and mint and cucumber and it had a nice crisp bite to it. A little sweet, a little bitey, herbacious and overall just good. Dad was pleased. (Note to reader: this dish remains on the menu to this day, despite the revisions! Get it!) Mom and I adored our tuna tartare. First of all, it was pretty to look at. Second of all, it was tasty. The caviar on top was (infused with, soaked in, mixed with?) wasabi flavored. It really lent a surprising, spicy bite to the sweet, supple tuna. Cucumbers on the bottom were attractive but unnecessary. The portion was large, too.... surprisingly so, especially for a prix fix menu. I enjoyed this. Tuna was fresh, caviar had that pop and sparkle, a bit of citrusy dressing.... all good things. Happy mouth, happy Mom and happy me. The scallops.... womp womp womp. Considering Matt has only JUST recently come around to ANY seafood at all, the scallop choice was already a risk. He likes them (as most people do) perfectly seared on each side, and soft in the middle. These were not that. These were cooked perfectly on one side, but squishy on the bottom and raw in the middle. There's nothing wrong with that in theory, but these were listed as pan seared scallops. It seemed almost like someone took one of those little brulee torches to the top of the scallop and completely neglected the bottom. It tasted good, but texturely, didn't do anything for anyone.
Desserts were all delicious. Dad got some super rich chocolate thing, Mom and I got a fantastic bread pudding with white chocolate, but Matt picked the winner (BONUS! it is still on the menu, too!) It was a banana empenada, and it was downright insane. Crispy flakey outside, warm, sweet, creamy banana inside, topped with dulce de leche ice cream.... such a treat. So incredible. Hot vs cold, smooth vs crunchy, sweet, rich, so good. Yum. Get that.
While the prix fixe menu has been done away with, it doesn't mean that Tula is not worth a visit. It is SO reasonable (actually it is much cheaper now than it was when we went... Now no entree over 20 bucks! Hooray!) It also seems that the 'lighter fare' (sammiches, namely) are served during dinner hours too, where I do not think it was the case before. It has a much more 'bistro' feel to it now, ya dig? Comfy sounding food as opposed to hoity toity. The space is beautiful, the food is good, the service pleasant... what more could you want?