Scott G.
Yelp
When you write a Yelp review, 2 stars literally means "Meh. I've experienced better." In this case, that would be an understatement... but I know that if I ordered something else, and if my waiter had perhaps been more experienced, I likely would have given this restaurant either 3 or maybe 4 stars.
Here's the thing... parking is limited on the streets, but the place itself is nice looking. I believe it's adequately staffed, even for a Saturday night. Maybe they can use a "busboy," but if they're not filling the place up, I understand why they would cut that position.
I definitely like the atmosphere there. The men's bathroom has more than one urinal and two lovely, large sinks. I found the place to be clean, and the wait staff have a uniform of sorts, and they all had a nice demeanor about them.
Bread rolls are served cold. The menus are cute, but a bit confusing (there are 2 pages, one a regular menu, and the other for specials where some of the regular dishes are repeated with slight variations).
The waiter starts with a drink order. I got a glass of Riesling, and I was surprised to find that they even had it there. When it came, I was disappointed, as the taste was bittersweet, unlike the typical Riesling... normally my favorite wine. I asked if I could return it... the waiter obliged with no problem, and actually brought me a small sample amount of "sweet wine", since that's what I like, but a different brand. I didn't like that one either, and just asked for a ginger ale.
When we placed the order for food, I asked for a salad to share with my wife (and an extra plate, of course), and the "Risotto / Maine Lobster (with corn and baby arugula)" for 16.95. I thought this was a pretty decent deal for a lobster! Still though, it was listed under Appetizers, and I asked if it's really an appetizer. The waiter, a very young guy, said that if I wanted to, I could get it as a main course. Great! After he walked away, I remembered that I really love the tomalley (that disgusting green stuff that's inside the breast of a freshly cooked lobster), so I ran over to him to ask him to be sure that it's left inside, and not discarded.
Salad came. It was really, really good. I highly recommend the Arugula Salad if you come here. And not only did they bring the extra plate that I asked for, but they actually split up the salad and the goat cheese for us. It looked fresh and beautiful, and was a very large portion (if it was for one person, it could serve as an entree) and tasted great. I was only saddened by the news from our waiter that the chef cleans out the lobsters first thing in the morning, so there wouldn't be any tomalley to serve me.
Then my Risotto / Maine Lobster arrived. You can check out the photo. I was like "OMG, they gave me the appetizer as a mistake." I asked the waiter just to be sure. "Nope...that's the Entree portion." It was a decent-sized blob of risotto, topped with about a dozen small chunks of lobster, probably equating to an entire lobster claw cut into 6 pieces, and 6 or so other smallish chunks from an arm. I was blown away... not impressed.
Mind you... at no time did we discuss how I wanted it cooked (steamed or boiled or broiled), nor did it say "Whole Lobster" anywhere on the menu, and the word "whole" never came up in conversation. I was wondering if the waiter had ever seen this served before, as "cleaned in the morning" doesn't usually mean that it comes served as some smallish chunks from a whole lobster. This means that it was actually COOKED in the morning, then cleaned and probably cut... in the morning. Or maybe it was frozen, and heated as it's requested. I don't know... but man, was I disappointed. The risotto was good... it's not something I was expecting to be my Entree. I eat Risotto on the side... never as a main dish.
My wife's mussels were OK. My dad was really happy with his whole wheat pasta dish. My mom got her Grilled Steak. Having asked for it "Medium" but receiving it fairly burnt (some pieces burnt to a complete crisp), she asked to return it. FYI, anything "blackened" can contribute to causing cancer. F-that. (I tried the steak. It was a shame to throw away. It had a nice flavor.) She got the chicken instead, and wasn't really thrilled with it. We skipped dessert.
The check still showed the wine I returned, and while the waiter told me that my risotto/lobster would cost "no more than $24.95", I was charged 26.95. He gave me a bit of trouble about taking my Riesling off the check, as I "drank some." I pressed on about it, and he removed it from the check, and reduced the lobster to 24.95... but wow, what a rip off. That's the rub.
It's not really a bad place, but I ordered the wrong thing, perhaps on the wrong day, and neither the menu or waiter were helpful in communicating to me what I'd be receiving. I hope you have a better experience.