Rosemary M.
Yelp
Skates was already busy when we arrived for our noon reservation, but we were seated immediately. The dining areas were full before 1pm. There was set 3-course holiday menu for $72.00.
We received menus, ordered drinks, then were brought garlic bread and water. The garlic bread was very garlicky and salty. Before our drinks arrived, we were served the first course!
The beer was fine. I ordered a glass of Roederer champagne, but received prosecco. It was sweet and the bubbles were too large for Roederer. (I didn't say anything to our server. It wasn't critical, I knew the prosecco was cheaper and wanted to see what appeared on the bill!) The prickly pear margarita was a pretty magenta color. The person who ordered it didn't like it, but didn't want to make a fuss, she just didn't drink it. The server did not notice that her drink wasn't consumed.
We started with Caesar salad and clam clowder. The salad croutons tasted stale, the romaine was chopped into 1" squares, and the dressing tasted overwhelmingly of garlic (to the point that it tasted bitter.) Having this after the garlic bread starter, our tastebuds went into "garlic overload!" The clam chowder was hot, but bland, with a few chopped clams at the bottom.
Unfortunately, the entrees weren't any better. We had the Dungeness crab and shrimp linguine (garlic cream, white wine, clam broth, tomato, spinach, parmesan). The crab and pasta were ok, the rest of the dish was not great. We also had the "off the hook" grilled salmon and the swordfish (both with market vegetables and yukon gold mashed potatoes).
The salmon, although a nice-sized portion, had very little flavor; the swordfish was mushy throughout (frozen and incorrectly thawed?) Both entrees came with french green beans, small, whole roasted carrots and plain Israeli couscous; not the Yukon gold mashed potatoes specifically printed on the holiday menu! The couscous had no seasoning at all, it was a flavorless carb.
We had to wait until our server was in the area to ask about the couscous. He checked with the kitchen, said and returned saying the chef told him that those entrees are on the regular menu and are served with couscous. He said the kitchen got confused?! [By the time we received our entrees, it was already an hour into lunch service, enough time to clear up any "confusion!"] With the answer to the menu query, our server did bring two portions of fresh, hot Yukon gold mashed potatoes with skins! (I checked their menu on the website and he was partially right; the menu states those entrees come with "herbed" couscous, which is not what we received...herbs would have definitely helped!)
We ordered a side of asparagus with bernaise sauce. The roasted asparagus had bernaise dolloped over the spears and tasted predominantly of vinegar, with the faintest hint of tarragon; it congealed rapidly.
The creme brûlée dessert was ok, a very thin sugar crust and overly sweet custard beneath. The key lime pie was also ok.
As the restaurant filled up, our server became increasingly difficult to locate. It took about 10 minutes to clear the table after we'd finished our 1st courses, then 10 minutes to bring the entrees, another 15 minutes after finishing the entrees before they were cleared and desserts arrived; finally, another 10-15 after finishing desserts, to get the check.
(When bill arrived, the drink was confirmed to be prosecco, $6 less than what I had ordered, their loss)
Finally, as to why didn't we let the server know about the meal quality? It was Christmas day, the restaurant was fully booked and busy. We did question the entree couscous choice. Our numerous other complaints would have only slowed the meal down even more, and created more problems for our server. Our issues were (mostly) kitchen-related; any resolution would have been difficult during a busy holiday service.
