4 years ago
I was in the area from out of state for work, and ...
I was in the area from out of state for work, and this was my first visit to this establishment as a recommendation from a local co-worker. The first thing I noticed was the warm, dimly lit vibe. It was very relaxing and lent a cozy, intimate feel even though the place was busy. The menu was impressive, but so was the long list of specials not shown.
We started with a loaf of warm, fresh bread and the house made pickles in a jar right on the table. Both were nice touches, and delicious. Our appetizers were the bacon wrapped bbq shrimp and the seared scallops. Both were delicious but I give the edge to the scallops.
Two of us started with the caesar salad. This was the only (temporary) low point in the meal. The salad had whole anchovies on it, which wasn't the problem since I'd never tried one before and wanted to. It was the dressing. It was so salty that we both sent them back. The restaurant manager came out and apologized and told us he and the chef would sample it and get back to us. A short while later he returned and told us they both agreed. It was a new salad guy and a mess up with the dressing recipe, which they would immediately fix. They thanked us and offered a new salad which we declined (mainly because we wanted enough room for the meal and maybe dessert). At this point we were happy with how it was handled, gracefully, and professionally.
For the main course, three of us had the filet, one had ribeye. I wanted to get my filet Oscar style, but the $30 price tag to add it on was a little too much for me. YMMV. The filet was awesome, as they usually are at places like this. I tried my friend's ribeye, and while I don't get them because I don't enjoy all the marbling/fat, the flavor was outstanding. The carrot served whole, was cooked enough to be easily cut and enjoyed without having the overcooked texture you find from a pot roast carrot (which I'm also ok with).
For dessert we ordered the brownie sundae. It was a warm peanut butter and chocolate brownie with scoops of chocolate and peanut butter cup ice cream, and topped with pecan chocolate butter nut sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry. It is not exaggerating to say this is a dessert sufficient to four adults. Better people than us might have tackled it with two, but we didn't want to regret the evening. I'll also note that with a price of $9 (a steal for its size and its delicious, rich taste), they comped it as another gesture for the earlier salad snafu.
All in all, the atmosphere was wonderful, the meal was excellent, and the service eclipsed them both. I was impressed and fully satisfied with how they handled the rejected salads and would absolutely have a meal here again, and recommend anyone in the area spend the money on a wonderful meal experience there.