Like lipstick on a pig.
I had read the previous reviews and thought maybe the service issues would work themselves out a month down the line, so I decided to give this place a try. It was Valentine's Day, but around 2pm, so between lunch and dinner. From the outside, this place is really beautiful, although with a bottleneck of a parking lot that I could see being an issue if it were busy. Don't worry if you almost miss this place, the entrance wasn't super clear and the sign is placed far down the road and low from sight.
There's a spacious dining room, a separate bar area, and a porch over looking the lake, so I think you could at least enjoy some nice views in warmer weather. I could tell service was going to be an issue as soon as I walked in, however. They had a high top two seater right at the top of the entrance stairs, directly in view of the host stand and anyone entering the restaurant, that had dirty dishes not cleared on it. There were also a few tables that were not cleared, and a couple tables occupied.
The menu is super basic, which was a real contrast to the Valentine's prix fixe menu for two. How are you going to say you're a Mediterranean restaurant and have your menu be dominated by salads, wraps, and burgers? In case you're wondering, when the menu says choice of pasta, they mean penne or spaghetti.
The waiter didn't write anything down, had to come back to verify what I'd ordered, and I still got the wrong pasta. I also had one glass of water the majority of my time there, and then he took my glass away when I asked for more water, then later realized what he'd done and brought my glass back with a carafe of water. I'm glad for the carafe because the table was so wobbly that my water spilled once.
Other reviews spoke about the price for the area and I can't disagree. I got some wings and I think I paid $14 for some anytizers tossed in BBQ sauce. The chicken parmigiana was burnt all over. The penne was super starchy. I wouldn't call it al dente but it wasn't soggy, but it was a different flour base. Maybe durum semolina, definitely not 00 egg based. I actually was wondering if I'd been slipped gluten free while I was there, but reflection after the fact leads me to lean semolina. In any case, it hardly matters because the sauce is powerfully overwhelmed by what I believe is rosemary. Very pine-y. Not enjoyable as a dining experience, the majority of my pasta went back on my plate.
TL:DR - this place looks nice but it has a basic menu that's executed poorly. read more