Not much went right at our first and last experience at the Continental. The wine bottles crashing to the floor as we entered the restaurant were an omen (It was an accident and no one was hurt, fortunately).
The bartender botched the Kir Royale my wife ordered. A lemon peel instead of raspberries...really? My mocktail was surprising tasteless.
The appetizers were alright; tuna tartare and foie gras torchon. Then the Chateaubriand arrived. In decades of fine dining, with superb Chateaubriands from the legendary Owl's Nest and Hy's, this was less than adequate. The beef was rare blue rare when medium rare was specifically ordered and the vegetables might have been doled out by Scrooge. The sauteed mushrooms wouldn't have covered a small slice of pizza, the broccoli was more stalk than floret, a rabbit would have eyed the single small carrot suspiciously, etc. And everything was cold, including the handful of roasted potatoes.
The waiter had other things on his wind other than bringing a very expensive glass of red wine to the table or removing the empty flute.
I didn't realize that a restaurant posturing as upscale French would have a hockey game on the big screen, no tablecloths and a manager who seemingly couldn't have cared less when he asked for our opinion. He hoped we'd enjoy our next experience at the Continental. Nice try, garcon and no, we did not have a dessert.
LOL! We'll be pleased to spend more than $250.00 at Hy's or elsewhere. If you're looking for a successor to the lamented La Chaumiere, I'd suggest somewhere in Arles or Bordeaux. Adieu! read more