Went for an early dinner on Friday the 27th at around 3:30PM. We wanted to beat the crowd because we have a one-year-old that periodically has violent fits of rage. I get really embarrassed so I try to hide her from the public as much as possible. ;0)
I really like the restaurant itself, the atmosphere, the crowd, no complaints at all. Paper on the table saved us time, we didn't have to look for paper for our six-year-old.
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* SERVER
She was nice but disappeared at some point. I don't know what happened. We had a server most of the night, I had asked her for a second cocktail, but she never came back with it. About 15-minutes later, someone else asked me if I wanted another drink and brought it to me. Our original server never returned. Now that I think about it, she must have been scared of the baby. I don't blame her, I try to disappear too, but it doesn't work.
* DRINKS
Can't really mess up Kettle and club soda. My daughter didn't like her apple juice or iced tea. They both had a unique flavor to them, which she wasn't used to. I tasted both and thought they were delicious. They seemed to be spiked with fruit punch, but that's just what I tasted.
* APPETIZERS
I was really excited, they had both of my favorites. French Onion Soup and Clams Casino! When I received my French Onion Soup, I was really excited because I could see the dark broth, which is usually a good sign. I was wrong, the soup was terrible. It didn't taste like French Onion Soup at all. I feel bad even writing that, because the soup "looked" great. The Clams Casino I didn't enjoy either. Clams Casino is usually made with littleneck clams, these were made with top neck, I think. Honestly, they were baked clams with bacon, that's it. Clams Casino shouldn't have the same "stuffing" as baked clams. They were alright, but nothing I'd order again.
* ENTREES
I had the Chicken Marsala. The sauce was DELICIOUS! Mushrooms were fresh and also delicious. The Capellini Cake was AMAZING! The chicken, not-so-much. I personally can't stand thick pieces of chicken, I normally wouldn't even eat them. This is more of a personal preference, I like my chicken thin. I asked for thin chicken, but the server was honest and said the chicken is already prepared and they could not accommodate the request. I'm not sure how you prepare chicken in advance for chicken marsala? Or, did she mean the chicken itself was already cut and ready-to-go? Should that be the case, it would literally take a second to slice it in half. No big deal, I managed.
My wife ordered off the Restaurant Week menu. She had the Grilled Dry Aged Prime NY Strip Loin. She enjoyed it. The mashed potatoes were delicious as well. With that, she also picked the Sweet Chili Glazed Shrimp as an appetizer. The shrimp were jumbo and delicious! Shrimp were served on top of Asian Slaw, which was also delicious. I could have made a meal out of that alone!
The dessert that was included was a little insulting. She ordered the Cannoli Filled Chocolate Cake a La Mode, and it was literally a 1/8" slice. I get it, $27.95, it's a good deal, but here's my take on these "deals". If we went in and only ordered off the Restaurant Week menu and shared it, give us a 1/8" slice. But, when you order a bunch of other stuff off the regular menu at regular price, hook it up a bit. Maybe bump it up to a 1/2" slice? :0)
The portions were big, and we did take a lot of food home. Likely enough for a dinner.
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I'm really at 3.5-stars, but we don't have that option on Yelp. If the French Onion Soup was good, I'd be at 4-stars for sure.
There is no doubt that we'll be back, it's definitely worth it. Don't consider my 3-star review bad, it's not. Remember, taste is subjective. read more