We dined here as a party of four on a Sunday evening (the first guests seated at 5:00 p.m.). Given…read morethe glowing reviews, beautiful Instagram presence, and higher price point, we walked in with high expectations. Three of the four of us cook regularly and host dinners, so we all pay attention to food, service, and the overall dining experience--though we each have very different tastes. Interestingly, we all left with about the same impression.
The restaurant itself is beautiful. The décor is warm, inviting, and immediately makes you feel like you're in for something special. Our server was attentive throughout the meal, although there were a few service hiccups that affected the experience.
We started with cocktails. All of them were good, but each seemed just slightly out of balance. I ordered the OG Margarita on our server's recommendation, and while I'm admittedly picky about margaritas, this one was noticeably too sweet.
The seasonal menu sounded exciting, especially since they emphasize using fresh, in-season ingredients. Our server insisted on us trying the Tomato Board. At $40, which was the most expensive appetizer on the menu, we expected something very memorable. It featured several varieties of tomatoes (including a surprisingly delicious pickled green tomato), a light and airy whipped mozzarella, and a single long piece of focaccia. Everything tasted fresh, and the whipped mozzarella was the standout--we'd never had anything quite like it. Unfortunately, with only one piece of bread, we had to order another just so everyone could enjoy it. Good? Absolutely. Worth $40? None of us thought so.
We also ordered the escargot, which was delicious, though it's hard to describe five pieces as "family style."
For our entrees, we ordered the burger, the sausage with potato latke, and what we thought was the lamb and mussels special. At first we were going to order the pork belly noodles instead of the sausage, but our server thought it would be too many noodle dishes, so we happily took his recommendation to get the sausage. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication, and the pork belly noodles were brought instead of the special we were most excited to try. When we pointed it out, he acknowledged the mistake but he wasn't quick to offer a resolution, which left us in an awkward spot where we just decided to keep it.
Ironically, the pork belly noodles ended up being our least favorite dish. The pork belly was overly chewy and quite salty, while the noodles were bland and seemed just slightly undercooked. The fresh mint was a nice touch, but it wasn't enough to save the dish.
The sausage with potato latke, yogurt sauce, and pickled red cabbage was surprisingly excellent. The flavors were balanced, the portion size was generous, and it ended up being one of our favorites.
The true star of the evening, though, was the burger. We split it four ways, and every single one of us commented on how good it was. Perfectly cooked, well-seasoned, topped with melty Gorgonzola and a vanilla bean jam that married beautifully together. We used every last bite of the warm bun to soak up what was left.
Overall, we'd give the food about a 7/10.
Here's what took an otherwise 4/5 star experience down to a 3. The air conditioning wasn't working on a 115-degree day. But I'm not lowering my rating because mechanical issues happen.
At first it wasn't noticeable because it was still cooler than outside, but as dinner went on we were all visibly uncomfortable, passing around my hand fan. Only then did our server mention that the A/C had been out. You come here for an experience and if you know upfront a patrons experience will be affected you are under obligation to tell them but no one mentioned it when we arrived or made any effort to acknowledge the inconvenience or tried to make up for our discomfort in any way.
Persephen clearly has talent in the kitchen and a beautiful space, but when you position yourself as a premium dining experience, every detail matters. We enjoyed parts of the meal, especially the burger, but overall the experience didn't quite live up to the hype. For us, 3 out of 5 stars feels like a fair rating.