Had dinner last night with 2 chef friends. The food was a huge disappointment, to say the least. Service was personable, but not spot-on which is what I expect at a pricey restaurant. Good wine list, but preparation of food was that of a good beginning sous chef who needs to go back and study the 'Seasoning' section of his class notes. Out of 6 diners, 2 had decent entrees. My penne with a veal Bolognese featured slightly underdone penne with the driest Bolognese I've ever had. It had no flavor, and the meat was ground into a sawdust texture. Even the addition of olive oil did not improve it. Shrimp and fetuccine was excellent, but the ribeye arrived overcooked, and the halibut served was nothing like the description on the menu. Desserts were good but not swoon-worthy. In addition, they arrived with a completely different preparation than what was described on the menu. When the shortcomings were mentioned to our waiter who was a personal friend of one of the guests, he shrugged it off as if it were no big deal. When you drive to a restaurant with gas at $3 plus a gallon, and pay top buck for your dinner, it IS a big deal. Lovely setting that could use someone in the kitchen who gives a tinker's damn. The salads and starters were off the hook, especially the antipasto plate. If the same attention was paid to the entrees, this place would rock. Otherwise, I'd rather go to Tiburon or Epic. Or just come for appys and salads, and skip the entrees and desserts.
Pros: Lovely romantic setting, warm and intimate
Cons: lackluster service, food and attention to seasoning
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