Keith D.

Not sure what everyone is raving about...but based on what I read here i had high expectations. Not even Close... The staff was quite friendly (although the person who appeared to be the boss looked indifferent)...however our server was very friendly...however she seemed a little inexperienced...but I would never fault for that. It should have been a clear indication how this was going to go when I walked in and the hostess asked me "are you here for the sweet sixteen party???". At that point I should have turned around and walked out...however I was willing to give the place a shot. Again their staff was friendly and (for the most part) attentive so A for effort there. Their wine list is OK. a tad overprice for the bottles they carry (Rodney Strong, some common california and french wines) however the bar manager indicated that their strong suit is cocktails. The Savion Blanc we chose came out a little warm but the server was quick to get it on ice for a few mins to bring it up to the right temperature. My Wife and I wanted to start with the Goat Cheese and caramelized onion tart...after about 5 mins the server came out to inform us that that item (which was on their regular menu) was not available because they were "in-between chefs" (....really??????). There were 2 other items they mentioned that were not available on the starters menu. I guess that's why didn't have any daily specials. Big red flag. oh well we trudge on to our mains...my wife ordered the Pompardele and I had the pan seared scallops. The scallops had potential. They were served on a bed of noodles with large bits of crispy bacon and avacado on top. They were a little spicy (which doesn't make them bad...in fact i liked the balance the avacado brought to the spice). Except one thing....The scallops were OVERCOOKED. Which leads me to believe one of 2 things....either the chef has no idea how to cook them or they were frozen (probably both). My wife's pasta was also overcooked (south of al dente). served with chives, peas with a truffled butter and parmasian cheese...well on top of the overcooked pasta i couldn't taste the truffle at all... 0 for 2... moving on to desert....I had the Chocolate Rasberry cake....clearly not made by them. nothing special. I can get better in my local bakery. The whipped cream was not home made and the plate was lined in chocolate and rasberry syrup...clearly overkill. But....my wife went for the Baklava (with all the greek diners in NJ you should be able to get good Baklava everywhere)...wow...this was a real disaster. My wife asked the server to warm it up (btw folks...it should be at least room temp if not warmed up)...what came out looked to be Baklava bites that you could buy at your local BJ's or Costco...warmed up???? Microwaved, yes. One was still a bit cold and another one was uber hot...and the plate was drenched in the before mentioned chocolate and rasberry sauce (for baklava??????). ok let's talk about the decor...clearly they sunk a couple of bucks into the place but we would never know that because we were eating what was essentially the lounge (bar) because there was a sweet sixteen party going on in the main room. The DJ music was so loud that the server had to apologize several times for it... The TVs on the wall is fine for a bar (the Yanks/Sox game was on) but in a supposedly fine dining establishment they are a no-no. That and the crusty locals who were sitting at the bar....reminds me more of Cheers. Despite all this I tipped the server well...it's not her fault my meal didn't work out... long story short. this place reminds me of The Crows Nest...Over priced mediocre food but the locals love it (needless to say i don't go to the Crows Nest either). If the place does well with private parties...then I say more power to you...I know this is a business and you gotta go where the action is. However you can't also pass yourself off as a fine dining establishment with overcooked food. and loud rave music coming from the back room. figure out what you want to be, folks. My verdict is if you are looking to have a party check it out. However if you are looking for a fine dining establishment...seek elsewhere. I'm not a foodie snob or anything....I live in NJ there are a lot of dining establishments looking for my business so you get one chance to knock my socks off. And especially on a friday night. This one missed the mark on all counts. I'm sure this will not dis-way the locals but this place has got a long way to go before I'll go back.