Very over-rated, overpriced restaurant. Terrible ambiance - high walls & wood floor make for a very noisy setting. Spare interior design is severe, not Zen-like. Half-finished condo project across the street (which, given the economy, will likely remain unfinished) ruins what was probably a wonderful view. Shrimp appetizer was so overcooked & rubbery a knife could barely cut through them. Chorizo? where? The pumpkin soup had a strangely heavy mouthfeel and bitter aftertaste. The grit souffle IS stellar, but one dish does not a chef or menu make. Salad prices are like early high scores in ice-skating: they serve to artificially inflate the scores/prices appearing further down the program/menu. Roll your eyes if you must, but anyone who orders fish at restaurants needs to understand how commercial overfishing has caused the collapse of fish populations. Watermark seems not to have heard the news: Daurade, grouper, tilefish are on all ""do not order"" lists yet those fish, plus an ""organic"" (farmed? wild? who knows?) salmon and hebi were the choices available. Hebi are taken mostly by long-line fishing (which threatens the leatherback turtle) and can be kept frozen on board ship for up to two weeks before they make it to market (despite being overnighted from Hawaii as per our waiter). In any case, hebi are replacing the collapsed swordfish anyway. It's hard to understand how a chef who appears so invested in creating a menu that reflects seasonal foods (butternut squash, pumpkin, root vegetables) also seems insensitive to other aspects of menu-making like these. I did like the use of so many types of wild mushrooms. The filet and lamb were both very good but overpriced. The service was glacially slow, even for a large party. Perhaps the slow service was designed to pump up the wine bill; no one should have to wait nearly an hour between courses, even in a party of 10. Kudos to Sam Tucker and Heather Riley, who are responsible for the delightful dessert choices.
Pros: Grit souffle. Filet and lamb v. good but overpriced. Desserts with coffee.
Cons: Prices. Ambiance. Ruined view off balcony.
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