This is a description of our first and last visit to La Vista. We made reservations for 630pm, meeting another couple. The hostess told us to "look around" for the couple we were meeting, unprofessional. When we located our friends, in a booth, I was shocked at the size of the booth. It was so condensed that there was barely room for our light jackets and purse. The menus when laid flat covered the entire table. Please note none of us are overweight, so I can't imagine if any one of us was. The waitress took over ten minutes to greet us, taking our drink orders. Ordering dry martinis with the specific request for the ice on the side of each. This was ignored or forgotten. When we ordered the same for a second, making certain to express this need, it was acknowledged, ignored, or again forgotten. Not that the extra glasses would have fit on the booths table. Asking what anchovies came with the Cesar salad we were assured they were the white anchovies, we were presented with red, no acknowledgement, no apologies. Three of meals were served, but the fourth , which was a shrimp appetizer ordered as a meal, was missing. We were told "someone else grabbed it thinking it was theirs so they have to make another one". And so we waited, not wanting to be rude, and refraining from starting our own dinner until the shrimp was brought. Ten minutes later it was served. All of our meals became cold during the wait. The linguine and clam sauce had 6 miniature clams. The grilled salmon with cranberry almond pesto was dry and overcooked, the "pesto" resembled a blob of jelly on top of the salmon. The asparagus 6 pieces, were overcooked and "shrunken". And risotto? Seemed to have been precooked days in advance, flat, thick and lacking flavor.
Let's move on to the Tiramisu. This did not resemble Tiramisu even slightly. It was a piece of cake, and not a very good piece of cake at that. And let us not forget the after dinner drinks of Grand Marnier, and Lemoncello. Both served in a brandy snifter with a cocktail straw ?!! Lemoncello is traditionally served chilled, in a chilled glass. This was warm...with a straw.
Asking for a leftover container for the jellied salmon, not because it was too much food, but for lack of desire to finish the item, and not seem rude, we received a cardboard container. No lining. Throwing everything into a small paper lunch bag would have been equivalent, as it soaked through the container in minutes.
$200 a couple.
This was NOT a $200 meal, nor was it made up in service.
Never again. read more