We were in for dinner at Cello last Saturday, 11/1, and I was initially hesitant to write an account of a very unsatisfactory experience we had there: Among the reasons is that as a family whose house is "just down the road" from the center of Lenox, our strongest inclination is to like our local providers and restaurants and to support them. As context, this was our second visit to Cello in its present incarnation; we had a memorable visit to its predecessor and a disappointing previous one, about a year ago, at Cello. Urged by some very positive recent reviews, I prevailed upon my wife to give them another shot.
Our first reaction to entering Cello recalls an observation on Yelp by another recent visitor who found the ambiance "claustrophobic." I would add that it was both visually chaotic and noisy, though it appeared to suit a bevy of "regulars" who seemed at home and familiar to the proprietors. All this underscored the basic identity issue with this place, which is that it purports to be something rarified, offering innovative, seasonal cuisine (reflected in very high prices and small portions). At the same time, the feel of it and the service itself bespeak a rather cramped local eatery. The waitress' removing our utensils and placing them, replete with food vestiges directly on our table surface, rather than removing them after we finished our appetizers, was puzzling and distasteful. It further underscored the haphazardness of the entire enterprise, as did the long wait for entrées to appear.
Our party of three ordered a couple of appetizers: The first, fondly recalled from our previous visit, was a small slab of very rich cornbread accompanied by a dollop of maple butter. It was gone in
seconds, leaving us with plenty of orphaned butter. At our waitress' suggestion, and since there is no bread provided for the table, we ordered a plate of toast sourced from Berkshire Bakery, a beloved place we frequent). A few thin slices of toasted bread (at $6) helped dispatch the maple butter. Our second appetizer, the Chickpea Panisse, chimichurri, garlic chili crunch, sunnyside egg (at $16) was the single on-target plate of our meal: A piece of beautifully seasoned grain, sauced and topped by a poached egg. A bullseye.
Two of us craving meat decided on the flank steak for an entrée, billed as Flank Steak, oyster mushrooms, onion soubise, pickled red onions. Just to be certain that Cello was true to discerning sourcing, I inquired whether the beef was grass fed (there are, of course, innumerable purveyors of it in Berkshire County). The waitress mentioning that she was new and therefore had no idea, went to the Chef to inquire, and returned with a firm "no." I was rather stunned, but the meat eaters were undeterred, and the flank steaks were ordered. What they got each was a tapas-sized plate of about 4-5 small slices of bland, yet tender, medium rare steak surrounded by what we recall as a purée and sauteed onions and mushrooms, at $36. Really??
I ordered the tagliatelle in a sauce that, according to the menu's description, included novel ingredients, and promised some complexity and originality. What I sampled instead (at $26) was a small portion of pasta in an under seasoned, heavy Alfredo-like cream sauce, with not an interesting taste tonality to be found. Nope.
We skipped dessert. Our bill with a 20% tip for indifferent service and a barely adequate meal for three, with no alcohol consumption, and one bottle of sparkling water and a boutique ginger ale was $179.00.
To that, I just say, "no." read more