Susanna M.
Yelp
Ambience was very nice and the service was lovely. We were a group of 16, so that's no easy task, and they were so gracious to give us each a separate check since we are just a group of unrelated individuals. I was happy to see that they did not tack on a credit card service fee like so many restaurants in this economic climate. However they did add a 20% gratuity to each bill which was totally understandable, and it took the "math" incompetence out of the equation for those who can't seem to calculate 20% plus tax.
Reservations: Good luck with their online reservation system if you are trying to reserve a table for their once-monthly BRUNCH (3rd Sunday of each month). It was impossible, and talking to several people on the phone yielded no real help because each had different suggestions and convoluted directions, none of which yielded success. Up until the day before the reservation, I wasn't sure we even had one, then all of a sudden we had seating for 20 people. We had asked for 12.
I watched all the food dishes come out and each one was so beautifully executed, and almost everyone loved their food. I ordered the salad which was totally arugula (my fault for not noticing that on the menu) and it had "hummus" falafel-type rounds on the plate. They lacked flavor for me, and seemed too brown (fried), not golden. There were some tiny toasted chickpeas in the salad, but I had to look for them, along with the crumbled feta cheese. Dressing tasted like a standard emulsified balsamic dressing. Nothing else special about the salad, so I added shrimp to it, which were very small and curled from cooking. Salad 18.00. Shrimp Add-on 12.00! I wasn't thrilled. But let me reiterate that everyone else was VERY pleased with their selections, presentation, and flavors.
When the bill arrived, I was unhappy that the beverages had not been listed on the menu, only alcoholic cocktails were listed. So, my small 10 oz. glass of iced tea was on the bill at $8.00. A cup of coffee was only $6.00, but the watered down iced tea was $8.00?? At that price, customers need to be told in advance.
I always encourage the people in my party to partake of a venue's offerings... appys, salads, mains, desserts, cocktails. I'm embarassed when people arrive, order the cheapest thing on the menu, and a glass of water. But, on the other hand, I have no sympathy for restaurant owners when they charge $8.00 for a small glass of simple iced tea, half full with ice, with no refill offers, and then complain when an entire party orders water as their beverage of choice. I will always ask now: "What is IN the salad, and how much are common beverages like coffee, tea, iced tea, and soda?" This was a BRUNCH menu and all prices should be listed with no surprises. We were there for two hours, and not once was a refill offered to me. When I brought it to their attention on my way out, they offered it to me then. Come on. Is that what you want your guests to remember about your restaurant?