A fun, classy dining experience.
I went here this past weekend with my Girlfriend and her parents while I was out visiting her. She kept referring to Rick's as "The House." The restaurant is actually in a house. They tore down a lot of walls, and did some amazing work to make it spacious, but you still can't shake the feeling you're at a dinner party. It really does add to the charm of the place.
We called up to find out that they don't take reservations. You can call in and let them know that you're coming. If there is availability you get preference. This put me off at first, but when we got there we were seated right away. They gave us the option of deck seating, but with the beautiful weather, it was a wait. Instead, the hostess took us upstairs. It had beautiful wood floors, open concept dining room, and yet somehow was not too noisy.
When the waitress came up, I was surprised to see her in a T-Shirt (with the restaurant logo on it). However, as soon as she started reading off the specials, I felt that they spend an exorbitant amount of time training their staff to be professional and helpful. She had an amazing knowledge of every item on the menu and special list. One of the few faults I found with the night was that the lengthy list of specials combined with really detailed descriptions left my head spinning. For someone without an amazing memory (or much of one), it was a bit too much info. I really wish they would provide a written copy of the special list, rather than relying on the waitresses description and your memory.
The menu itself was very short, but diverse. I actually really appreciated this, as it shows they put a lot of effort into perfecting every dish.
For an appetizer I got a trio of Artichokes, Olives mixed with Sundried Tomatoes, and Humus served with Pita bread. The Olives, for me, made the item worthwhile. But the Humus and Artichokes, while great, were really just humus and artichokes.
Hint: Go for the Seafood Trio instead, its out of this world.
Our table ended up ordering the Lobster Pasta, a 16 oz steak and I got the Salmon with Caramelized glaze. The Fish was really fresh, the sauce was great. It was served with a topping fresh Arugula, that mixed perfectly with the fish. The steak, while done simply, was juicy and extremely tasty, though a bit much pepper for my taste.
The Lobster Pasta... For having this the place automatically got five stars. The pasta itself was home made, and cooked to perfection. The sauce was, as the waitress said "rich, but not too creamy, its just right". The lobster was just salty enough to stand out in the dish. It even came with quite a lot of Lobster Meat, including three or four claws.
Desert came around, and I'm not sure what I was thinking, but suddenly I had an espresso and a huge slice of cheese cake in front of me. Great Cheesecake. I know that the area has a Cheesecake Factory near by, this blows their cheese cake out of the water. Espresso was a great finisher as well. Not to acidic, or thick, just right.
To sum this very long review up: The place gets everything just right. This chef owned restaurant is one of my all time favorite places. Somehow, the prices managed not to spiral out of control (10 bucks for appetizers, 20-30 for entres) considering the quality of service and food. Its not cheap, by any standards, but it is comparable to some of the best places in Boston where you could spend twice as much. read more