Sherry C.
Yelp
I never write reviews, but there were things so glaringly bad (and fixable) as well as good, that the mixed experience needs explaining. First, the good. The seared pear salad was amazing.Perhaps the best I've ever had. The oysters were great. Fresh, non-gritty, perfect flavor. The steak was flavorful, perfectly cooked. Mushroom soup -- very nice. Cocktails -- well done.
But now the bad. The lobster risotto was so bland that neither my daughter or I could eat it. The lobster was good and large chunks, but the entire rest of the dish was really unflavored and a huge disappointment.
But the worst was the staff. To be clear, they were not rude. But they were totally untrained, young, and simply incompetent to work in fine dining. A few examples -- when we arrived, our corner table had a clearance of 3 inches between us and the next table. My skinny children could not pull out the chairs far enough to get in. Rather than seating us at another vacant table, they made the next table that was already eating stand up while they moved them over a foot. The staff acknowledged nobody could fit there and blamed it on the cleaners, but the whole thing was embarrassing and rude to both us and the table they moved.
Our entire $300 meal (2 kids, 2 adults) was over in 65 minutes. They took our food order before our drink order. When I asked about an appetizer, they responded, "well, what do you want to know?" (I suggested they simply describe it). They barely checked on us. They cleared the rest of our dinner plates while I was still eating. They brought our check while I was still eating. We had appetizers, salads, and entrees, but we still were in and out in 65 minutes. I never got the chance to order my glass of wine, yet I asked for the wine list.
The bill gave suggested tip amounts of 20, 25, or 30 percent. We never tip less than 20 percent. Our family eats at all levels of dining establishments on a regular basis. But suggesting upwards of what amounts to a $90 tip for maybe four total trips to our table and service my 15-year old could beat in his sleep is ridiculous.
In the end, I wrote this review because there is a lot of potential. The atmosphere and location are great. The chef is talented. The risotto needs a boost. The staff needs significant training or replacement. I would happily drop this kind of money for the right meal, but not for the experience we received. I was really disappointed.
