Chef Damo says: 2 saute pans
This restaurant is in a super cool location. Right on the river in San Mateo, which is just south of San Fransisco. We took an outside table as the evening was still warm and the scenery was excellent. That is until I looked at the table next to us where a woman was breast feeding her child. I'm not kidding. Straight up after dinner suckling going on 10 feet from were I hoped to have a lovely meal. I wanted to check out the river and the houses on the other side, however I decided to stare at my table until the awkward warm milk dessert was finished, and the family of inappropriateness left. After this disgusting display was over I was able to have a look around and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. If you had a boat you could pull right up to the dock and stop in for a meal or coacktail, very cool.
Orderd up a glass of wine for the B, and a dozen oysters to try. We got two each of the six they offered. The oysters came and were all delicous, clean and fresh. They came with a nice bit of shredded horseradish, which we both enjoyed. We get oysters quite a bit, the B likes them, I have alterior motivives in mind when ordering them but this isn't Playboy so I will say I enjoy them for their taste as well. They had Kumomoto which are my favorite oyster, so I was happy.
If I thought an unwanted breast feeding was awkward what happened next truely stumped me. I ordered the sea bass, hoping for a delicate, buttery, and flaky fish. I was brought a steak of what I assume was swordfish. It was ok, and I like swordfish but I had my stomach set on sea bass. The fish was over cooked and I decided to get a couple beers to wash it down. I didn't return the fish as I was hungry and didn't feel like waiting for the meal to be re-cooked. For my two sides I went with the cheesy potatoes and the mixed vegatables. The vegatables were just barely cooked, hard and crunchy. I'm not sure what was happening in the kitchen, it was either an off day, or it was bring your kid to work day and some 10 year old punk cooked my dinner.
Dessert time and the warm peach crisp ala mode sounded good. When the dessert came it looked like it was swimming in a mini pool of butter. Dont get me wrong, butter, sugar, peaches, and ice cream it was a fatty dream come true. I think the dish could have been put together better, but I won't tell you we didn't finish it. I think the B was alternately spooning up butter and ice cream, and the bowl went back spotless.
Overall this was a bust. Great view, good oysters, not what I ordered for dinner, and a free show that I would have rather skipped.
The Bitch says: 3 middle fingers
We found the Fish Market close to our hotel in San Mateo. It was the second night of our vacation and we weren't up to an hour long drive to get dinner in San Francisco. When we showed up the place was poppin. Parking lot was packed and so was the dining room, which is usually a good sign. However the parking lot at Chili's is packed on a Friday night and I'd say that's not an indicator of good food. Unfortunately, it was not a good indicator at the Fish Market. Overall the food wasn't inedible, but it certainly lacked composition and refinement.
We opted to sit outside so we could have a nice view of the river, we both love the water. Instead we got a view of some mom-bitch's tits. From the looks of it, this baby was getting a better meal than we were about to. The father at the table was incapable of controlling their other child who was fortunately old enough to enjoy solid foods, but too young to know that screaming is not polite table manners.
I ordered a glass of Kim Crawford Sav Blanc, my good old stand by. I was too distracted by the circus freak sideshow next to us to properly review the wine menu so I went with what I know because I needed alcohol, stat.
We started off with 6 types of oysters which were all delicious. I wasn't as impressed by the shredded horseradish as Chef Damo was. It was a bit...I don't know, hairy? Plus, the rape face Chef Damo was giving me during the oyster course was beginning to make me nervous.
By the time the entrees arrived I was able to relax and enjoy my second glass of wine and the view, since the feeding frenzy family had finally left. I was looking forward to a light dinner, I had ordered a shrimp and scallop skewer and for my sides a tomato and basil salad and sauteed veggies. I really wanted the cheesy scalloped potatoes but I was trying to be proactively healthy since I was already eyeing the desert menu.
Well, the universe was against me because I ended up with the cheesy scalloped potatoes instead of vegetable medley. Did I correct the server and send back my carbo-licious delight for the veggies? I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. The potatoes and salad were great. The main part of my dish however, was not. These shrimp and scallops were so tiny a toothpick would have been a substantial skewer. I looked over at Chef Damo's plate and commented that last time I checked sea bass did not look and taste exactly like overcooked swordfish. The state of our entrees was pushing me closer and closer to the dessert menu.
Chef Damo and I dove (literally dove, because there was a lake of butter) into the peach crisp ala mode. This dessert was not lacking in taste, but was prepared with the skill of a 10 year old in an Easy Bake oven. Butter, sugar, peaches and flour are not the worst combo in the world, but it should have been called "death by diabetes."
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Anchovies & Olives
Chef Damo says: 3.5 saute pans out of 5
It was a rainy evening in Seattle, go figure right? We were thinking of walking down to the restaurant and checking out the neighborhood on the way, but the weather had other plans. So we parked close and scurried inside. We were greeted by the warmth of the open kitchen right in the middle of the dining room. It was just after 6 pm on a Sunday, and the dining room was pretty empty. We were seated promptly and the B ordered some wine. They had a great wine selection and everything on the menu looked awesome. I will say, if you came in unfamiliar with a wide variety of food, you may have been confused by the menu because it doesn't explain much about the dishes. Not a problem for The B and me, we are avid eaters.
I felt like choosing several items from the pasta selections instead of committing to one entree. The B, satisfied with her wine choice, told me to order for us both. We were not offered any bread even though I saw bread on a cutting board near the kitchen. I started us out with the fried oysters, followed by 4 items from the pasta selections. Gnocchi with an octopus and prosciutto bolognese, a butternut squash risotto with prawns and clams, Spaghetti neri with squid and mussels, and the smoked trout ravioli. We also ended with shortcake topped with a lemon ice cream and blueberries.
I enjoyed the oysters and was pleased that the bed of cabbage they came on was not just plate filler, but a seasoned slaw. Both the oysters and the slaw were fantastic. Big oysters, light on the breading, and cooked just perfect. The slaw went well with the oysters. The only issue was 5 oysters and 2 people. Luckily we share, so we split one down the middle because neither one of us was going to give up the last oyster. I should have employed my speed eating technique, but I was feeling generous.
The Gnocchi came and was delicious. My generosity in the sharing game ended after the oysters and I certainly ate my fair share of this dish. The bolognese had a nice heat to it and the gnocchi were delicate and tasty. I knew the portion was going to be more tapas size, but i was pleasantly surprised to see a good amount of everything in this dish.
The risotto came and it was nice. Seasoned well but a bit over cooked. It had too much liquid added, leaving it a bit runny. The squash went great with the dish and the clams were some of the best we'd had on this trip. I wish the menu hadn't said prawns because the shrimp were small. Overall this was a good dish. I've just had some really good risotto in my life but this wasn't in my top ten.
The spaghetti came and once again, a good amount of food for the price. This dish was great. The pasta was either made in house, or came from a nearby pasta shop. The spaghetti tasted awesome, the sauce was fantastic, and there was a great amount of squid and muscles. If I pitted the dishes against each other, I think the spaghetti would just sneak by the gnocchi for my favorite. Some how the B got this plate closer to her side of the table and I found it difficult to get my fork in, so I am assuming she liked this as well.
The last dish was the smoked trout ravioli. When I ordered, this was the dish I was most excited about, and possibly why I was a little disappointed overall. I knew going in that the sauce was browned butter but I really wanted to try the smoked trout. The lack of any sauce beside the brown butter made the ravioli dry. I did like the trout but this was the smallest dish of the night. If I had not ordered the raviolis, I think I would have rated this place higher.
Dessert came and I know I said the spaghetti was the best thing we had, but that was before dessert. The shortcake was just the right density and I could have eaten a pint of the ice cream, even after all the food we had just put away. It was a feeding frenzy on this one. A true no holds barred smack down, to see who was going to get the last bite. The B ordered a nice Riesling which went unbelievably great with this dessert. I alternated sips from her glass while trying not to miss out on my share of the amazing dessert in the middle of the table.
I liked this place overall, and would bring friends here if I was ever back in the area.
The Bitch Says: 1 Middle Finger
On our way home from Napa Valley to Alaska, we had a 12 hour layover in Seattle. So what are you going to do? Eat and shop. And eat we did. Ironically on our entire vacation, this was the best dining experience. While shopping at the Bellvue mall I did a little recon on my Opentable iPhone app and came across a restaurant that had good ratings and a menu covered in fresh seafood, a must in Seattle for me.
Dashing in from the rain we were immediately warmed not just by the heat, but the ambiance. Anchovies and Olives is a quaint and unassuming restaurant with what I would call a rustic and minimalist decor. The kitchen is in the middle of the dining room; a first for me, and I love it. Usually people pay ungodly amounts of money to sit at the "chef's table" and here we were, getting it for free!
As I cozied up into my first delicious glass of wine, I let Chef Damo order for us. After 10 years he may not know my birthday, but he does know what I like to eat. The wine menu was composed of Italian wines I had never heard of or tried. A nice reprieve from a week in California wine country.
The first course of fried oysters on slaw was a great start. The oysters were large, seasoned well and had a nice briny flavor and creamy texture. The slaw had a vinaigrette style dressing (my preference over mayo-based dressing).
For the second course I had the Risotto withGulf Prawns, Clams, butternut squash and roasted red pepper. Butternut squash is always a great compliment to risotto. The risotto was a bit loose for my taste. I didn't get much of the roasted red pepper flavor and a bit of shredded hard cheese would have gone a long way. That being said, I am nitpicking here. The seafood was all delicious and the flavor of the risotto was nice. Like Chef Damo, I have had a lot of amazing risotto in my life and this just didn't make the top 10 but it also didn't make the bottom 10. On the other hand, Chef Damo's Gnocci was delicious. I had some concerns about the mint in the bolognese, but after eating this, I'm throwing some mint in my next pot of marinara.
The next course was the one I was most excited about, the Spaghetti Neri. I had seen some bitch at another table get a steaming bowl of squid ink black pasta and was crossing my nipples that Chef Damo had been smart enough to order it for me...and he was. For me, this was the highlight of the meal. I am a 100% admitted and committed pasta addict. Unlike an "authentic" Italian restaurant we had been to in San Francisco (a blog for another day), this pasta was freshly made. The clams in this dish were the sweetest I have ever had and the mussels were so tender it made me think I've never had a properly cooked mussel before this day. I didn't taste any of the fresno chile that was supposed to be in the dish but all is forgiven. I was ready to peel my clothes off and go for a swim in the light broth that my sweet shellfish and squid pasta were bathing in. I may have also eaten this at about twice my normal speed because a) I did not want to share and b) Chef Damo struck out in this course. His smoked fish ravioli missed the mark. I'm not a fan of ravioli stuffing that is void of any creamy element in the filling. This is where the restaurant earned the 1 middle finger. The ravioli was dry and the smoked fish flavor was overwhelming. A creamy sauce as opposed to the brown butter would have made this dish more palatable. It wasn't inedible, but I certainly didn't want to make out with it, or Chef Damo after he ingested it.
And this brings us to dessert. Delicious, creamy, sweet, tangy dessert. A scoop of lemon ice cream on top of a tender biscuit topped with fresh blueberries and nectarines. Oddly, this was not our first dessert choice. I was about to order the chocolate cake, but the bar was out of Port so we went another direction. Between sips of Riesling and bites of this dessert, Chef Damo and I were jockeying for larger sips and bigger bites. This dessert, and meal, was a great end to the best meal of our trip.
It was a rainy evening in Seattle, go figure right? We were thinking of walking down to the restaurant and checking out the neighborhood on the way, but the weather had other plans. So we parked close and scurried inside. We were greeted by the warmth of the open kitchen right in the middle of the dining room. It was just after 6 pm on a Sunday, and the dining room was pretty empty. We were seated promptly and the B ordered some wine. They had a great wine selection and everything on the menu looked awesome. I will say, if you came in unfamiliar with a wide variety of food, you may have been confused by the menu because it doesn't explain much about the dishes. Not a problem for The B and me, we are avid eaters.
I felt like choosing several items from the pasta selections instead of committing to one entree. The B, satisfied with her wine choice, told me to order for us both. We were not offered any bread even though I saw bread on a cutting board near the kitchen. I started us out with the fried oysters, followed by 4 items from the pasta selections. Gnocchi with an octopus and prosciutto bolognese, a butternut squash risotto with prawns and clams, Spaghetti neri with squid and mussels, and the smoked trout ravioli. We also ended with shortcake topped with a lemon ice cream and blueberries.
I enjoyed the oysters and was pleased that the bed of cabbage they came on was not just plate filler, but a seasoned slaw. Both the oysters and the slaw were fantastic. Big oysters, light on the breading, and cooked just perfect. The slaw went well with the oysters. The only issue was 5 oysters and 2 people. Luckily we share, so we split one down the middle because neither one of us was going to give up the last oyster. I should have employed my speed eating technique, but I was feeling generous.
The Gnocchi came and was delicious. My generosity in the sharing game ended after the oysters and I certainly ate my fair share of this dish. The bolognese had a nice heat to it and the gnocchi were delicate and tasty. I knew the portion was going to be more tapas size, but i was pleasantly surprised to see a good amount of everything in this dish.
The risotto came and it was nice. Seasoned well but a bit over cooked. It had too much liquid added, leaving it a bit runny. The squash went great with the dish and the clams were some of the best we'd had on this trip. I wish the menu hadn't said prawns because the shrimp were small. Overall this was a good dish. I've just had some really good risotto in my life but this wasn't in my top ten.
The spaghetti came and once again, a good amount of food for the price. This dish was great. The pasta was either made in house, or came from a nearby pasta shop. The spaghetti tasted awesome, the sauce was fantastic, and there was a great amount of squid and muscles. If I pitted the dishes against each other, I think the spaghetti would just sneak by the gnocchi for my favorite. Some how the B got this plate closer to her side of the table and I found it difficult to get my fork in, so I am assuming she liked this as well.
The last dish was the smoked trout ravioli. When I ordered, this was the dish I was most excited about, and possibly why I was a little disappointed overall. I knew going in that the sauce was browned butter but I really wanted to try the smoked trout. The lack of any sauce beside the brown butter made the ravioli dry. I did like the trout but this was the smallest dish of the night. If I had not ordered the raviolis, I think I would have rated this place higher.
Dessert came and I know I said the spaghetti was the best thing we had, but that was before dessert. The shortcake was just the right density and I could have eaten a pint of the ice cream, even after all the food we had just put away. It was a feeding frenzy on this one. A true no holds barred smack down, to see who was going to get the last bite. The B ordered a nice Riesling which went unbelievably great with this dessert. I alternated sips from her glass while trying not to miss out on my share of the amazing dessert in the middle of the table.
I liked this place overall, and would bring friends here if I was ever back in the area.
The Bitch Says: 1 Middle Finger
On our way home from Napa Valley to Alaska, we had a 12 hour layover in Seattle. So what are you going to do? Eat and shop. And eat we did. Ironically on our entire vacation, this was the best dining experience. While shopping at the Bellvue mall I did a little recon on my Opentable iPhone app and came across a restaurant that had good ratings and a menu covered in fresh seafood, a must in Seattle for me.
Dashing in from the rain we were immediately warmed not just by the heat, but the ambiance. Anchovies and Olives is a quaint and unassuming restaurant with what I would call a rustic and minimalist decor. The kitchen is in the middle of the dining room; a first for me, and I love it. Usually people pay ungodly amounts of money to sit at the "chef's table" and here we were, getting it for free!
As I cozied up into my first delicious glass of wine, I let Chef Damo order for us. After 10 years he may not know my birthday, but he does know what I like to eat. The wine menu was composed of Italian wines I had never heard of or tried. A nice reprieve from a week in California wine country.
The first course of fried oysters on slaw was a great start. The oysters were large, seasoned well and had a nice briny flavor and creamy texture. The slaw had a vinaigrette style dressing (my preference over mayo-based dressing).
For the second course I had the Risotto withGulf Prawns, Clams, butternut squash and roasted red pepper. Butternut squash is always a great compliment to risotto. The risotto was a bit loose for my taste. I didn't get much of the roasted red pepper flavor and a bit of shredded hard cheese would have gone a long way. That being said, I am nitpicking here. The seafood was all delicious and the flavor of the risotto was nice. Like Chef Damo, I have had a lot of amazing risotto in my life and this just didn't make the top 10 but it also didn't make the bottom 10. On the other hand, Chef Damo's Gnocci was delicious. I had some concerns about the mint in the bolognese, but after eating this, I'm throwing some mint in my next pot of marinara.
The next course was the one I was most excited about, the Spaghetti Neri. I had seen some bitch at another table get a steaming bowl of squid ink black pasta and was crossing my nipples that Chef Damo had been smart enough to order it for me...and he was. For me, this was the highlight of the meal. I am a 100% admitted and committed pasta addict. Unlike an "authentic" Italian restaurant we had been to in San Francisco (a blog for another day), this pasta was freshly made. The clams in this dish were the sweetest I have ever had and the mussels were so tender it made me think I've never had a properly cooked mussel before this day. I didn't taste any of the fresno chile that was supposed to be in the dish but all is forgiven. I was ready to peel my clothes off and go for a swim in the light broth that my sweet shellfish and squid pasta were bathing in. I may have also eaten this at about twice my normal speed because a) I did not want to share and b) Chef Damo struck out in this course. His smoked fish ravioli missed the mark. I'm not a fan of ravioli stuffing that is void of any creamy element in the filling. This is where the restaurant earned the 1 middle finger. The ravioli was dry and the smoked fish flavor was overwhelming. A creamy sauce as opposed to the brown butter would have made this dish more palatable. It wasn't inedible, but I certainly didn't want to make out with it, or Chef Damo after he ingested it.
And this brings us to dessert. Delicious, creamy, sweet, tangy dessert. A scoop of lemon ice cream on top of a tender biscuit topped with fresh blueberries and nectarines. Oddly, this was not our first dessert choice. I was about to order the chocolate cake, but the bar was out of Port so we went another direction. Between sips of Riesling and bites of this dessert, Chef Damo and I were jockeying for larger sips and bigger bites. This dessert, and meal, was a great end to the best meal of our trip.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
VINeleven at the Marriott in Napa
Chef Damo says: 4 out of 5 saute pans
Arriving in Napa on a Sunday during football season was worrisome for me, but not even a second thought for The Bitch. While I was having trouble finding a sports bar it was no issue for her to find an outlet shop with hundreds of shoes, purses, and clothes to rummage through. Luckily we met another couple and immediately split company so the girls could drain bank accounts and the boys could get some grub and catch the second half of the days NFL games. Using a map search on my Iphone I found a place touting bar food and TVs. Bidding our females and our cash farewell we headed to the Marriott. As promised the games were on and the sound was on: bonus. I can't stand going into a "sports bar" only to be listening to some drunk cougar's juke box mix while she preys on drunk college students.
Service was quick and friendly and I had a beer on the way. When I am traveling I like to try beers from the area, so I ordered a pint of Damnation. Described as a Belgian ale from the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. It was a great beer and I had several. Only later when drunk did I discover it was 8% alcohol (about double the amount of most domestic brews). I thought I was just tired from the drive in. Good thing I wasn't the only one drinking. When my buddy ordered a Baileys and coffee he was told they were out of Baileys. I tossed out the idea that maybe they have Jamison, which they did, and he was on his way. I guess we could knock them for not having the Baileys, but whiskey before noon is always a good choice.
Not on the menu was a special of the day was a BLT with heirloom tomato, and locally raised bacon on focaccia. Sounded good and tasted awesome. I forgot what my companion ordered because my sandwich was so good I barely looked up to check the scores of the game. The tomato was about a half an inch thick and juicy, the bacon was so thick and meaty, and the bread was fresh, soft, warm, and full of delightful herbs. Going back to a regular BLT will be next to impossible after this bad boy.
Arriving in Napa on a Sunday during football season was worrisome for me, but not even a second thought for The Bitch. While I was having trouble finding a sports bar it was no issue for her to find an outlet shop with hundreds of shoes, purses, and clothes to rummage through. Luckily we met another couple and immediately split company so the girls could drain bank accounts and the boys could get some grub and catch the second half of the days NFL games. Using a map search on my Iphone I found a place touting bar food and TVs. Bidding our females and our cash farewell we headed to the Marriott. As promised the games were on and the sound was on: bonus. I can't stand going into a "sports bar" only to be listening to some drunk cougar's juke box mix while she preys on drunk college students.
Service was quick and friendly and I had a beer on the way. When I am traveling I like to try beers from the area, so I ordered a pint of Damnation. Described as a Belgian ale from the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. It was a great beer and I had several. Only later when drunk did I discover it was 8% alcohol (about double the amount of most domestic brews). I thought I was just tired from the drive in. Good thing I wasn't the only one drinking. When my buddy ordered a Baileys and coffee he was told they were out of Baileys. I tossed out the idea that maybe they have Jamison, which they did, and he was on his way. I guess we could knock them for not having the Baileys, but whiskey before noon is always a good choice.
Not on the menu was a special of the day was a BLT with heirloom tomato, and locally raised bacon on focaccia. Sounded good and tasted awesome. I forgot what my companion ordered because my sandwich was so good I barely looked up to check the scores of the game. The tomato was about a half an inch thick and juicy, the bacon was so thick and meaty, and the bread was fresh, soft, warm, and full of delightful herbs. Going back to a regular BLT will be next to impossible after this bad boy.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Lavelle's Bistro
Chef Damo says: 1 out of 5 Saute Pans
We both have eaten here several times. Unfortunately not much to choose from in Fairbanks, Alaska. First off it's a loud setting, the bar and restaurant are mingled together so you're not going to get much privacy if you're looking for a romantic evening. I guess large prices and small portions are to be expected these days in fine dining; the problem here, is this isn't fine dining. The first thing I noticed on the dinner menu was that every entree came with fresh sauteed vegetables. So absolutely no creativity is going in to the vegetable and I have my doubts that they were fresh. My guess would be a bag of frozen vegetable medley, very sad. I started out with some hot wings in Lavelle's special sauce. As I was waiting I watched a cook walking across the street with 3 large bottles of Franks Red Sauce. My disappointment was exacerbated when the wings arrived. If the menu did not say chicken I would have thought they were Cornish game hen wings. No seasonings, just dropped straight into the fryer from a bag of frozen mini wings. They were so over cooked I thought I had ordered dog raw hide treats with a side of, yes, straight Franks Red hot sauce. I ordered the pork chop and was not amazed when it came to the table medium rare. I don't mind eating a nice rare steak but I did not feel like chewing on a thick piece of trichinosis. The Bitch had the shrimp. I am glad the menu says shrimp and not prawns because those crustaceans are just that, shrimps. As a rule you will notice I try and find the good in any restaurant, however in this case I can only say the Risotto pancake that comes with the fillet is pretty good. The prices are too high for what you get, the kitchen staff is inexperienced and the owners are not creative with what should be Fairbanks premier restaurant. The location is prime and they have a large selection of wines. They should get rid of the food and just turn into a wine bar.
The Bitch says 4 out of 5 Middle Fingers
(It would be 5 out of 5 but the wine list saves this place from being a complete waste of space.)
Chef Damo is right. I received a plate of possibly the smallest and most overcooked shrimp I've seen outside of Long John Silvers. To add insult to injury, the sauce was missing. I also got a caprese salad. This salad is $17. As there was a decent amount of fresh greens, the salad was adorned with a slightly overripe beefsteak tomato and roughly $1 of buffalo mozzarella. If you are charged $17 for a caprese salad, there should be more cheese on there than you can eat in one sitting.
Several times I've rolled the dice and ordered the Caesar salad. You'd think it would be easy to get this right as there are only a few main components to make this a success: crisp romaine, fresh parmesan, hearty croutons and a sumptuous dressing. A fail on all fronts. Lettuce is typically limp, parmesan sub par and croutons small and rock hard. Don't even get me started on the dressing, I'm pretty sure they use mayonnaise. Ewww. I can't say I've never had anything good here. They do make a Rocky Bourbon shrimp that comes with a decent sauce, as chef Damo says, their Filet with a risotto pancake is pretty yummy and all my friends seem to like the sesame crusted ahi. The main problem with this place is overpricing. If the menu pricing was about 30% less maybe my expectations wouldn't be so high and I wouldn't be so let down. I say, stick to an appetizer and a bottle of wine, lest you be further disappointed by the entrees.
We both have eaten here several times. Unfortunately not much to choose from in Fairbanks, Alaska. First off it's a loud setting, the bar and restaurant are mingled together so you're not going to get much privacy if you're looking for a romantic evening. I guess large prices and small portions are to be expected these days in fine dining; the problem here, is this isn't fine dining. The first thing I noticed on the dinner menu was that every entree came with fresh sauteed vegetables. So absolutely no creativity is going in to the vegetable and I have my doubts that they were fresh. My guess would be a bag of frozen vegetable medley, very sad. I started out with some hot wings in Lavelle's special sauce. As I was waiting I watched a cook walking across the street with 3 large bottles of Franks Red Sauce. My disappointment was exacerbated when the wings arrived. If the menu did not say chicken I would have thought they were Cornish game hen wings. No seasonings, just dropped straight into the fryer from a bag of frozen mini wings. They were so over cooked I thought I had ordered dog raw hide treats with a side of, yes, straight Franks Red hot sauce. I ordered the pork chop and was not amazed when it came to the table medium rare. I don't mind eating a nice rare steak but I did not feel like chewing on a thick piece of trichinosis. The Bitch had the shrimp. I am glad the menu says shrimp and not prawns because those crustaceans are just that, shrimps. As a rule you will notice I try and find the good in any restaurant, however in this case I can only say the Risotto pancake that comes with the fillet is pretty good. The prices are too high for what you get, the kitchen staff is inexperienced and the owners are not creative with what should be Fairbanks premier restaurant. The location is prime and they have a large selection of wines. They should get rid of the food and just turn into a wine bar.
The Bitch says 4 out of 5 Middle Fingers
(It would be 5 out of 5 but the wine list saves this place from being a complete waste of space.)
Chef Damo is right. I received a plate of possibly the smallest and most overcooked shrimp I've seen outside of Long John Silvers. To add insult to injury, the sauce was missing. I also got a caprese salad. This salad is $17. As there was a decent amount of fresh greens, the salad was adorned with a slightly overripe beefsteak tomato and roughly $1 of buffalo mozzarella. If you are charged $17 for a caprese salad, there should be more cheese on there than you can eat in one sitting.
Several times I've rolled the dice and ordered the Caesar salad. You'd think it would be easy to get this right as there are only a few main components to make this a success: crisp romaine, fresh parmesan, hearty croutons and a sumptuous dressing. A fail on all fronts. Lettuce is typically limp, parmesan sub par and croutons small and rock hard. Don't even get me started on the dressing, I'm pretty sure they use mayonnaise. Ewww. I can't say I've never had anything good here. They do make a Rocky Bourbon shrimp that comes with a decent sauce, as chef Damo says, their Filet with a risotto pancake is pretty yummy and all my friends seem to like the sesame crusted ahi. The main problem with this place is overpricing. If the menu pricing was about 30% less maybe my expectations wouldn't be so high and I wouldn't be so let down. I say, stick to an appetizer and a bottle of wine, lest you be further disappointed by the entrees.
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