I've been to the Oxbow a number of times and even prior to the name change (ie: Chef's Table). Tonight's meal was a complete disappointment.
Starting with the coat check - a ticket for the jacket's was not given.
We came earlier for dinner due to this being a Sunday and work the next day. The order was taken around 5:40 and no issues with drinks coming. My wife ordered the wine pairing. We ordered the tasting menu, and assumed that everything would come in a nicely timed fashion due to this being a set menu. There were 3 table seated when we arrived, us being the 4th - (All tables had 3-4 people at them - no large parties)
The appetizers arrived promptly - 5:45, no issues there. However, no aperitif or cleanser. French onion soup w/foie gras was the appetizer. Soups were presented with no explanation for the dish.
This being a measly 3 course, the mains were next. The main's arrived at 6:30. We waited 45 minutes for the main course. 2 dishes - Ling Cod, and Beef short rib. Considering the time we ordered and how many other tables there were when we ordered, this is a pretty excessive amount of time.
The dishes again were "Dropped" off at the table with no explanation for the dishes - similar to that of a road side diner. By the time we received these dishes, the dining room was full. I understand that the server may be busy, but there has to be some semblance of an experience considering the name and reputation of the restaurant. At the same time, this is not my first rodeo.
- The Beef short rib was dry (probably from spending so much time under the heat lamp), salty, and chewy.
- The Ling Cod was overcooked. Dry again, and a tough exterior and dry interior. The cod was tasteless (un- seasoned) and relied heavily on the sauce to compensate.
The dessert was next and that was a complete mess of flavors (or lack thereof) and texture. This was a chocolate brownie with berry sorbet, with a side of candied beets.
- The brownie was tasteless and bitter. It was neither soft nor moist. The mixture for the brownie created a very flour/powder texture in the mouth, not sure what happened there. The Sorbet was again tasteless and when taken together with the brownie created a very bitter sour taste.
The candied beets, were crispy and eaten alone was "okay". However, the texture was a sticky mess that stuck to your teeth worse than caramel. Overall the experience of the sticky beets, the floury brownie and tasteless sorbet was very memorable (Not in a good way). We ended up at Village ice cream which was far better than this.
As I was the driver, I ordered a pop/soda, and that sat empty for the better part of the 2nd half of the meal. No ask for a refill or another drink. The server that cleaned up the main dishes didn't ask. Sad.
At the end, we got our check, paid the bill, left a small tip (10%) due to the poor experience. then realized that we never received a receipt for our jackets...more fun!
Overall, this was a very disappointing experience from the meal through to the service. The server mentioned that the wine was discounted during happy hour however, we got the wine pairing for the set menu assuming that each course would have a wine pairing (pretty typical assumption when ordering a set menu) - however, the wine pairing was only for the main course (no apppie or dessert wine). So why would I waste my money on a single glass of wine for the wine pairing on a set menu, when I could order discounted wine by the glass? Poor server service.
All in all, I cannot recommend coming here based on the price and server provided tonight. read more