Erica B.
Yelp
This was so bad that we asked to speak with Elizabeth, mid meal, to try to settle our bill and leave. She didn't accept feedback, and instead invalidated what I was saying concerned me. And while it was gracious that she offered to have us just leave, no bill, mid-meal - she then canceled my reservation in OpenTable - preventing me from leaving feedback. I get the impression she is well seasoned at that approach.
The service and ambiance are just weird - both incompetent and yet overly formal. Seems as if everyone is a little sedated. Very old-time grandma's parlor decor, yet food attempts to be modern. Soup is served without a spoon, my partner's fork was cleared (which is fine) and not replaced (which is not fine) twice. There's a lot of pomp and circumstance to the service (with two servers presenting every plate simultaneously) and dishes are plated with careful thought - but it is all style and no substance.
The food was consistent in only one regard - while NOT AT ALL RAW (not even one dish is, as I think about it, other than the dill on the soup (which is served too large a piece as it then needs to be eaten in one bite), even one ingredient is raw (a lone grape in that soup "for pop" was blanched and peeled - eliminating any freshness or "pop" possibility!) - nearly all of the food was served barely lukewarm. The broth of the soup was delicious, but the potatoes cubed and stacked in it were NOT COOKED THROUGH. Nearly everything seemed overly sweet (I sent back a cocktail TWICE because a dirty martini should not be opaque or be extremely sugary!) - beet reduction tasted syrupy and smelled of cinnamon under the appetizer. There is a puree served under what is supposed to be culantro leaves - but the celery root puree is so thick and over thickened it has the consistency of kindergarten paste (though that actually has a good flavor, I just couldn't get past the texture) and the "culantro" - a green with which I am familiar, was definitely substituted with something else - it has absolutely NO FLAVOR at all and was brutally overcooked. The intermezzo is what pushed me and my partner to ask to just leave - it was supposed to be a carrot, cardamom and blood orange dish - sounds delicious, right? But it was completely flavorless, if not just a little bitter. no freshness, no acidity.
I have never in my life walked out mid meal. This was that disappointing. I knew I was going to leave both upset and hungry, so at least that was avoided (we went out for pizza). There are other reviewers who have tried to tell the truth about this place (overpriced, bland, tiny portions) and they seem to be well-disguised or prevented from sharing their experiences.