North C.
Yelp
This review is for a dinner for two in the upstairs dining room on Friday night, Mexican Independence Day. Two drinks + two entrees = $73.00 (or $100 with tip).
Service:
Earlier in the afternoon, we stopped-in for a drink and to look at the menu. Service at the bar was fine. Attentive without being intrusive. While we were finishing our beers, the hostess received a pizza delivery from Pizza Hut! Not exactly sure what the means?
When we returned for dinner upstairs, Hector was our waiter. He was absolutely fine. Professional and helpful. Could have checked once or twice after food was served. Our steak needed some more time on the grill and I could have used a glass of wine. Am thinking they were just busy.
bar
Two positives and two negatives. On the upside, beer is relatively cheap at $4 a bottle and the Champagnerita (margarita on the rocks) was pretty good. On the downside, the beer selection is limited to Mexican imports or American mega-brews and the mark-up on wine is about 50%, which is a bit much for this restaurant. We didn't see a single glass of wine poured or served during all our time there.
food
The appetizers are relatively unique. Escargot, crab cakes and tenderloin panchos. Note, their Angels on Horseback are shrimp, not oysters. Never seen Angels on Horseback rendered as shrimp?
Next, it's a walk-up salad bar with a big bowl of greens, a dozen toppings - including artichoke hearts, cheese cubes, and anchovies - plus four choices of dressing. I remember bright red French, ranch and something akin to Green Goddess.
I had the salmon, which was pretty good. Nicely charred and not overcooked. My wife had the Preakness, which was billed as a 7 oz. filet. Since the Tack Room fancies itself a steakhouse, I'll spend some time here. It's an interesting filet. Definitely not a center cut. Maybe from the butt end with the wing still attached? At $34, we assumed it would be a center cut Prime. It is not. The menu says Black Angus, which should have been an early indicator. My wife requested Medium to Medium Rare, just not bloody. We asked Hector's advice and he thought Medium Rare would achieve that effect. My wife reiterated, no blood. You can see where this is going, can't you? Yes, yes, undercooked. We didn't get a chance to have it put back on, so I ate what she could not. Steaks do not come with sauces, those are all a la carte?
House made bread is amazing. I'll say it again, amazing. Veg on the side was fine, if oversalted. The baked potato that came with the steak was actually pretty darned good. We are devotees of James Beard who loved an overcooked potato. The baked potato came with one of those silver serving dishes containing three suspended bowls - one for sour cream, one for bacon bits and one for chives.
It was at this moment that I finally recognized this restaurant. The limited cocktail choices, the DIY salad, the unique cuts of beef without sauce, the DIY baked potato - this is the upscale steakhouse of the '80s! I remember these places! I thought Ruth's Chris, Myron's and Capital Grille had eliminated all these places?
details
As we entered the downstairs, the hostess told us to sit anywhere, including upstairs. Once upstairs, the wait staff told us to sit anywhere, including the veranda. Since the Mexican Independence Day celebration was taking place in the square overlooked by the veranda, we sat outside. Then the waiter told us we could not sit there. We returned inside and sat at a booth. Once seated the waiter asked us if we would like him to carry one of the two-top tables outside so we could sit on the veranda. While this was very considerate, we were afraid to move anymore!
The upstairs space is small. The booths are fine, but I would avoid taking the tables between the booths and the exhibition cooking area. The building is charming. Very old, with a horse racing theme. Parts of the dining area could use some upgrades. For example, the doors to the veranda are in need of care. A few thousand too many entries and exits, I would suspect. On the upside the ceiling is fantastic, perhaps recently renovated? And the air conditioning was strong enough to keep up with the comings-and-goings of wait staff to the veranda AND an open grill. While we stayed at the La Posada, parking could be challenging if you're just dropping in for a meal. Perhaps you could use the La Posada valet?
