Jennifer B.
Yelp
Party of 10, we were all looking forward to this visit! (At least I was - and if anything, I was looking forward to that view!)
And they couldn't have put us at a better spot. We were seated almost immediately at arrival (we made it on time for our reservations despite the little hiccup about parking) at one of their outdoor corners overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean. That alone made the visit so worth it!
But we're here for the grub, too, so after we got done getting distracted by this fantastic scenery, we finally got it down to a few things.
BAKED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY: I think there were at least 4 orders of this on our table! All of them came out warm. Pastry was flaky, the Brie was warm and the pear chutney was a good palate cleanser. Recommending.
SEASONAL OYSTERS: Hubbers and I split this, and they were freshly shucked. Only snag - there were small bit shells leftover and a couple of them weren't fully shucked. I'm guessing the kitchen may have been a bit busy.
GRILLED PACIFIC SWORDFISH: My choice of main. Plating is beautiful. Fish was grilled and topped on a bed of bacon bits and sliced potato wedges (not-so hashed like the menu description stated) and topped with really fresh arugula. Generous with the size of the fish, it started off soft and flaky, but the more I got in the middle, the more it got a bit tough and dry. It was also under seasoned. (Hubbers agreed.) The jus reduction helped a bit, but not enough.
[And to be honest - my first instinct was to go with the sea bass, but since there were other peeps on my table getting it and willing to share bites, I went with my second choice. (I should really follow my gut feeling!) But the few bites of sea bass I got was ON POINT! Fish was flaky, seasoning was perfect... who am I kidding: that dish was amazing!]
FILET MIGNON: Hubbers main and ordered it medium rare. Boy, that plate looked good. And delicious! Now if it were prepped medium rare (vs medium as it was served) it might have been closer to perfection. (I advised Hubbers to tell them - just so they know - but he didn't wanna dampen the good mood we were all in.) Flavor was on point, though.
FOOD: 3.5.
SERVICE: 5. Our server and her backup were so sweet and welcoming and accommodating. No snags there.
VALUE: 2. If you're on a budget, either save up or this place might not be for you. It is a bit pricey, especially for the slightly disappointing quality on our main dishes.
PARKING: Valet for $15. They get really busy, I suggest allocate a few minutes for it.
OVERALL: 3.5.
Better than average experience overall. Food was good, but really, it's the view and (more importantly) the company that did it. Second visit? Possibly, if only for the Brie pastry and the sea bass.