Better for a smaller affair. A friend had a party of almost 30. Surprisingly this place had the space for it, which doesn't initially seem possible from looking in, but there is a second wing of the restaurant.
However, they did not properly staff for our party. We had a single server for nearly 30 people. There were several assistants running food, but there was only one server who could answer questions or take orders. She did her best and she was awesome but it just felt they were under prepared for a group of our size, which would have been forgivable had their marketing not been pushing the "great for events and groups" message.
The prices here are a bit daunting and there is really only one option for food specific to group dining, the meat platter that serves 4. But they should really develop more plated seating options for large groups if they're going to market themselves as a group dining venue. Instead, everything here is a la carte.
For me, the more expensive something is, the more it has to wow me. Although I enjoyed the food, it wasn't proportionate to the cost.
I originally budgeted to spent about $85, however all the dishes I was excited about had scallops, which they were out of, as it is very popular. I do appreciate the fact that their food is fresh and probably purchased in small batches to maintain quality. But it's always a sad day when missing out on scallops.
So instead I went the more economical route and had the turquoise salad with beef kabob. It was bright, vibrant and flavorful. Very fresh tasting. Arugula, candied walnuts, spiced pears. Delightful. I asked for medium rare and was concerned at first that it was closer to rare, but it was tender and well seasoned so I didn't mind. Another guest at the table asked for well done and had to send it back to cook more. (But thats their fault for ruining gold meat by wanting it well done!)
While I felt a bit lacking that I didn't have rice, I think the arugula was a good choice.
I originally ordered the saganaki but they brought it out very fast and not aflame, with a burnt spot on top...which is not typical of saganaki. I asked if they were going to light it and they took it away as if they made a mistake. Then brought another one already on fire instead of lighting it tableside...but it looked like the same one they brought the first time. Nothing was sizzling, despite the flame and it was dry and crumbly and not melty at all. I hate sending food back but I couldn't eat it. It came with a sort of spiced peach side (though the menu said pepper jelly?) that was nice, but I didn't understand the relation to pepper jelly.
I had mentioned a couple times that I wanted dessert and Turkish coffee when I placed my order because others at the table were trying to figure out how we would be paying. A nightmare, and God bless the waitress for putting up with us, honestly. But I had my order and my math all ready to go. But despite telling me she'd take my dessert order when the time came, it never happened, they brought checks without revisiting dessert. So despite budgeting for $85 I ended up spending $45. So I honestly can't really complain (though I know I just did, I must be honest).
I might come back for a fancy date, or perhaps on someone else's dime, but I likely would not book a party here again. If I ever have a taste for a tender steak, though, I probably would come back for the beef kabob because it really was the highlight of the meal. read more