text: After sampling two great oysters and a really tasty Parmesan Tater Tot during the Yelp Elite event in the Side Car Diane and I decided to repay the favor by having a full dinner in PJ Clarkes main dining room It was an eye opener because before this meal I did not know that this establishment was a fine bastion of comfort food nnWe opened with what turned out to be the only discordant note of the evening Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail The Cocktail Sauce was great but for only large shrimps at over for the dish the shrimp had better be great too And unfortunately for us and the rating for this review these crustaceans were only mediocre Although they looked fine enough they were tough hard and had little flavor But the meal was far from over and I still kept an open mind after our stumbling startnnWhat a great recovery The excellent French Onion Soup Gratinee that I was served was sweet and deliciousmaybe the best I have ever savored of hundreds I have tried from coast to coast and around the world since this is one of my favorite dishes and I order it almost every time I see it on a restaurant menu Our server Anthony said that the onions are sweated separately before they are put in the soup and the cheese is a combination of Gruyere and Swiss with the top browned with Parmesan As a photo reveals this soup was bursting with cheese on the edges of the crock and visible bubbles on the cheese covering glistened as if heralding that something special would be found inside Carefully breaking through the cheese with a knife hot broth a wellmelted crouton and wellcaramelized onions came to view The broth was hearty and melded well with the cheese that fell inside along with the soups other ingredients Not a hint of bitterness was detected in the dish The white crock in which the soup was served was large but I would not have minded if its bottom had been endlessnnNext for me was a Chicken Pot Pie It arrived in a white elongated dish that was shaped much like a shark The doughy top of the pot pie was tanned and taut It was not smoking at all But I need not have been concerned For when I broke through the thin crust the contents were piping hot and truly delicious a generous amount of white chicken meat potato chunks and carrot and celery bits all combined in a tasty and creamy White SaucennAfter recent repeated disappointments in landing a mediumrare hamburger at different establishments in town Diane was thrilled with her mediumrare Cadillac Burger containing tasty bacon and a slice of American Cheese When the cheeseburger was cut in half you could clearly see the redness across the middle of the oz burger as another photo discloses I tasted the burger and it was juicy and delicious even on a plain bun which is the way my vegetablehating wife likes her burgers And even the accompanying French Fries tasted great Plus there are always the Tater Tots available to opt for next timennWe finished with a delicious shared Bread Pudding a la Mode finished with a very nice La Creme Bourbon Sauce that a diner can pour out to his or her desire and Cinnamon Ice Cream The ice cream was pretty scanty and we got through it before the dish was halffinished So I requested more It was quickly brought to the table without extra chargennService by Anthony and his assistant was excellent throughout the meal Extra ice was even provided in an extra glass without request to refresh my Iced Tea Great comfort food at a high but fair price for the quality of ingredients and everything prepared and baked in house This was a fivestar experience except for our appetizer which brought the overall rating down a notch Next time it is oysters for me For after this experience there will definitely be a next time fairly soon