David K.
Yelp
I like Rockefeller quite a bit...and my daughter freakin' loves it so when the kids were out after a half day at school today to start Winter Break, I chose to take them there for a special lunch.
I believe the first time my wife and I went was right when things re-opened after the Pandemic. What's that, you ask in 2030 as you read this? Oh, well, it's a LOOOONG story. Naturally, back then, we sat on the patio to the right since we ALL had to sit outside at the time and...SOCIAL DISTANCE! When's the last time you heard those words?? Thank God, that's over. One plague every 100 years, right?
I made a reservation easily on Opentable to sit OUTSIDE (and get the 100 points!) but this time it was because we had our pup with us.
I docked just a star because we had to wait at the entrance to be seated for quite a bit; it was a little odd. I think they were understaffed which I can understand during the holidays when some (not me) 'might' call in sick to do last minute Hanukkah/Christmas/Kwanzaa shopping. I get it, though, and it wasn't too off-putting.
It being the holidays, naturally, I ordered a 'Royal Holiday' ($14) with Empress 1908 Gin, pineapple juice, fresh lemon juice and coconut. This was a nice and very perty cocktail; just make sure to stir up the coconut at the bottom of the glass else you'll get some syrup at the end...the layered presentation is what they were going for and I appreciated the aesthetic not to mention the taste of the drink.
The boy ordered a freshly made lemonade ($4) and seemed to enjoy it.
My daughter has had the sweet potato bombs ($10) before and loved them but they did not have the 'tots' available today so we got sweet potato fries instead. They were prepared the same, curried with honey aioli dipping sauce and they were fantastic.
She also ordered the Vegan Chopped Salad ($19) and added chicken ($8) which she had said was her favorite based on a prior visit with a friend. She adores this salad and ended up taking half home so I felt sorta 'okay' paying $27 for a salad...I did say, sorta...as long as she eats the leftovers!
The boy ordered the Braised Short Rib Tacos ($18) in his typical fashion of going with the waiter's recommendation of the Truffle Mac & Cheese ($14) first but then changing his mind. 3 tacos come with the order as well as a side of black beans and guacamole. I had a bite of the short ribs with guac as well as the beans and they were delicious. Naturally, the boy loved them, too.
Trying to be a little healthier (after sweet potato fries), I chose the Seared Ahi Salad ($22) with wonton strips, baby greens, shredded carrots, slivered almonds, green beans, lime crema, Sriracha, tossed in a sesame ginger vinaigrette. The boy had a bite of "just the ahi" as he requested and his first response was, "it's peppery!". He enjoyed it as did I but they should mention that the 5 pieces of beautifully deep red/almost purple or beet red slices were well coated in a finely dusted peppery mix. Some people might not appreciate the spice but I did. This was a good salad and the dressing was light and not overwhelming. I also took half home because I can't eat like I used to and the kids were requesting Yogurtland afterwards for dessert... I appreciated that the crema/Sriracha were on the edges of the bowl and only had a little bit of it preferring my fat intake to be the crispy wontons, nuts and dressing. I think $22 for this salad was also 'okay' but maybe they could have added another slice or two of ahi.
After the bit of a wait to be seated at the beginning, our waiter, Stone, did a good job attending to us even if they were understaffed. He was friendly and helpful.
The ambiance is great; it's a cool spot, for sure and the front deck where we were seated was a great spot to dine and watch the world go by. My kids only reached for their phones for a brief moment or two. LOL. There's a nifty fire pit in front, too.
So, you're in the heart of Riviera Village, steps from the beach, I get that the prices are going to be a little higher, but really, kinda inline with other places not in that perfect location. Lunch for the three of us and my cocktail came to $104.26 including tax. What year am I living in?? I don't 'love' spending that kind of dough on lunch but it is what it is and I certainly don't fault Rockefeller for that.
Now, I'll admit, if we had stayed until Happy Hour which is Monday-Friday, 3pm-6pm, I would have absolutely ordered another cocktail...or even had the kiddos starve and wait until then to order...lol. And hey, on Tuesdays, their 'Burgers of the Month' are an astoundingly cheap $2!
For that alone, I will absolutely be back! And even not during Happy Hour at the girl's future demands for sweet potato bombs or fries and that chopped not-so-vegan salad with chicken....lol.
RECOMMENDED!