Aigre Doux in Chicago

[nsxtasy]

Tonight three of us had dinner at Aigre Doux. I wanted to go there after reading rave reviews in the Tribune and Reader (see links below). Could it possibly live up to the hype? As it turns out, it exceeded my highest expectations!

I was a bit hesitant about going there because I had not seen their entire menu. Most upscale restaurants make their menu (or a representative sample thereof) available on their websites, but Aigre Doux has not done so yet. (Remember, they have only been open for four weeks.) So the only hint of what was on their menu was the dishes mentioned in the reviews. Not to worry!

I made my reservations yesterday for an early (5:30) seating tonight. Gotta love opentable.com when it comes to checking availability for the restaurants listed there! At 4:00 pm today, they called to confirm. So far, so good.

We arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes early. Fortunately, meter parking on the street was easy to find at that hour, so we didn't bother with the valet parking. No sign was visible on the outside of the restaurant (at least, none that I noticed), but look for the wood paneling on the facade.

The restaurant was mostly empty at that hour, but by the time we left at 7:30, the place was packed, including people waiting up front. Most diners were attired "business casual"; I estimate that 50-60 percent of the men had neither jacket nor tie, 30-40 percent had a jacket but no tie, and 5-10 percent had both jacket and tie. I only saw one person, a young woman, wearing blue jeans.

The decor was very nice, with high ceilings and modern fixtures. The lighting was better on one side of the room with smaller tables and a plethora of pendant fixtures above them, than on the other side of the room with booths, where we sat, with illumination provided by indirect lighting behind hanging mirrors. They turned the indirect lighting up a bit and it helped, but it was still somewhat dark.

Our server, Rich, came by and brought menus, took our drink orders, and told us he would be back shortly to tell us the nightly specials. Very smooth and professional.

We ordered, and were served our drinks. The busboy brought the bread and butter to the table. The bread (focaccia) was excellent, with an airy texture and slightly crispy cheese on top. The butter had a touch we had not seen before: it was lightly covered with crystals of cracked salt on top. It worked beautifully, adding a nice taste and texture to the bread.

We had three appetizers. One was Prince Edward mussels ($12), served with diced butternut squash and a broth lightly flavored with coconut, curry, and spicy pepper (flavorings often found in Thai food). It was WONDERFUL. It was actually on the menu as an entree, but when I asked our server about the portion size and its suitability as an entree (I've always seen mussels as an appetizer, not an entree), he immediately suggested that we might be better off having it as an appetizer (half portion, half price), because its rather strong flavor combined with the larger portion size could be a bit overwhelming. It turned out that he was absolutely right on this, and also on all the other advice he provided during the meal. Rich was an excellent server. In fact, the entire staff was absolutely professional but also friendly; you would never guess that this place had only been open for four weeks.

Another appetizer was the artichoke soup with sauteed bay scallops pictured in the Reader review ($11). It was excellent. The third appetizer was a seared ahi tuna served with citrus fruit ($12); although this is something I don't eat, my companion said it was excellent also.

We had three entrees, and two of them were daily specials not on the printed menu. The regular menu item was the rack of lamb with truffled grits and fennel ($34). This was the best rack of lamb I have ever eaten. The consistency was as tender as the most tender filet mignon - melt in your mouth! But wait, there's more.

One daily special was a sauteed skate wing, served with fingerling potatos, a bit of minced Meyer lemon rind served next to the skate, and spinach ($26). It was very fresh with a very tender, moist texture. A tiny bit of the lemon rind made an excellent topping for each bite of skate. It, too, was WONDERFUL. (Do you see a pattern here? )

The other daily special was a grilled prime rib of beef, served with mustard spaetzle that was cooked so that it had a slightly crunchy texture to it ($34). I hate to repeat myself, but this dish was WONDERFUL, too.

Desserts... ah! Could they possibly stand up to a meal which was so outstanding up to this point? Indeed they could!

One dessert was called the "chocolate malted" ($10). No, it was not a drink; the name of the dish refers to the flavorings of the custard dessert, which was the consistency of creme brulee and served in a similar dish, although without the flamed sugar coating. It had a spoonful of chantilly creme (possibly flavored with creme fraiche?) on top, as well as a crispy strip of chocolate. WONDERFUL. Dessert winner number one.

Another dessert was creme fraiche panna cotta ($10), served with a pineapple sauce. Light, airy, delicate, and totally delicious. Dessert winner number two.

The third dessert was the "sticky toffee pudding" ($10) mentioned in both reviews. It was not at all what I expected. For some reason, based on the name, I was picturing a pudding the consistency of your standard chocolate pudding, with crunchy pieces of toffee in it, but this was not at all what this dessert was like. This was more of a horizontal slab of cake soaked with a sweet syrup (think of the texture of baba au rhum and you're on the right track). Served with a small scoop of ice cream with a slight tang to it (possibly the Devonshire cream ice cream mentioned in the review, or else creme fraiche ice cream, I forget) and some wedges of citrus fruit, with the same sweet toffee-flavored sauce over it. As good as all the dishes were, this is the one I can't get out of my mind now, a few hours later. If any one dish we had was worth saying "DON'T MISS THIS", this is it. Dessert winner number three.

With a bottle of Schuetz zinfandel ($42), two glasses of Kracher beerenauslese ($12 each), a coffee and an iced tea, the total was $97/person including tip.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I've dined at many of the most highly regarded restaurants in the Chicago area and elsewhere. They are almost always GOOD, with tasty food and attentive service. For me, the difference between GOOD and GREAT is, at a great restaurant, every single dish, every single bite, is an absolute delight, so delicious that it makes you roll your eyes and swoon. There are very, very few places that I would consider GREAT. I am happy to add Aigre Doux to the very short list of such Chicago-area places I've been (along with Michael, One Sixty Blue, Everest, and Oceanique - although there are many highly-regarded restaurants where I have not been, and I am not claiming that these are the only such places in the area). If I am lucky, I rate maybe one dinner a year this good. Maybe in 2007 I'll return to Aigre Doux so I can double my average for the year.

Aigre Doux

230 West Kinzie Street (across the street from the Merchandise Mart)

Chicago

312-329-9400

Restaurant website

Chicago Tribune/Metromix review

Chicago Reader review

[Pugman]

The third dessert was the "sticky toffee pudding" ($10) mentioned in both reviews.  It was not at all what I expected.  For some reason, based on the name, I was picturing a pudding the consistency of your standard chocolate pudding, with crunchy pieces of toffee in it, but this was not at all what this dessert was like.  This was more of a horizontal slab of cake soaked with a sweet syrup (think of the texture of baba au rhum and you're on the right track).  Served with a small scoop of ice cream with a slight tang to it (possibly the Devonshire cream ice cream mentioned in the review, or else creme fraiche ice cream, I forget) and some wedges of citrus fruit, with the same sweet toffee-flavored sauce over it.  As good as all the dishes were, this is the one I can't get out of my mind now, a few hours later.  If any one dish we had was worth saying "DON'T MISS THIS", this is it.  Dessert winner number three.

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I just had this dessert a few minutes ago and, as I told my server, it was "ridiculously, obscenely good." The last time I had sticky toffee pudding was in Atlantic City last year and it was horrible. In the legendary Trio's early days, Gale Gand had it on the menu and it was, of course, quite wonderful. But Aigre Doux's rendition is not only the best I've ever tasted, it's one of the best desserts I've ever eaten in Chicago (and as my waistline will attest...I eat A LOT of desserts). My savory courses--a roasted beet salad and shortribs--were also excellent.

My short list of first-rate non-steakhouse, non-chain downtown restaurants that serve lunch--which includes Custom House, Crofton on Wells, Naha, Topolobampo, and Coco Pazzo--just grew by one. Aigre Doux is THAT good. Granted, this is based on only one meal. But I've already decided to go back tomorrow.

[santo_grace]

We went to Aigre Doux on Saturday night for a pre-opera dinner, so we were there early at 5:30pm - the bad weather started just as we were arriving.

I had forwarded nsxtasy's review to my friends, so I think we all had lamb and sticky pudding on our minds. For an appetizer I had the artichoke soup with scallops, and others had the beet salad, hamachi and the ahi tuna. Everyone was very pleased with their dishes. The soup was good and very nice on a cold night. It was a large bowl though that I didn't try to finish.

For entrees, I had the bucatini with lobster. The broth was very good and light, but I should have asked for a spoon to help gather the noodles with. I ended up cutting the pasta with my knife so that I didn't splatter the broth all over me. Others had the lamb and the duck breast, which they all liked.

For dessert we went with the sticking toffee pudding and the panna cotta. Both were an excellent finish to the meal.

Everyone seemed please and we would definitely go back.

I was curious about the bakery but didn't have time to ask when it is going to be up and running. The cabinets were completely empty when we were there. Does anyone know if they only stocked during certain times of the day?

[Alex]

I was curious about the bakery but didn't have time to ask when it is going to be up and running.  The cabinets were completely empty when we were there.  Does anyone know if they only stocked during certain times of the day?

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I spoke with them yesterday and was told the bakery would be ready in March. I didn't ask about nor did they mention a specific date.

[nsxtasy]

I spoke with them yesterday and was told the bakery would be ready in March. I didn't ask about nor did they mention a specific date.

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As of last week, I was told "the first week in March".

[molto e]

There are very, very few places that I would consider GREAT.  I am happy to add Aigre Doux to the very short list of such Chicago-area places I've been (along with Michael, One Sixty Blue, Everest, and Oceanique - although there are many highly-regarded restaurants where I have not been, and I am not claiming that these are the only such places in the area).  If I am lucky, I rate maybe one dinner a year this good.  Maybe in 2007 I'll return to Aigre Doux so I can double my average for the year.  

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To be fair, the restaurant is too new to have hit their stride, but I find that statement by my experience VERY STRONG. On your comparison list, I have not eaten at Michael's (though a friend liked it) and Oceanique, hated Everest and loved One Sixty Blue so we may just not have like palates. I liked the "sweets" more than the "savories" and would go and check out the bakery when it opens.

Edited February 27, 2007 by molto e (log)

[tammylc]

What are the prices like for lunch?

[KateinChicago]

I had dinner at Aigre Doux this evening with five friends. While I agree that it is a fine restaurant and all of the food was very well prepared I was not completely wowed by the food. I may have gone in with expectations too high based on some of the reviews here.

I found the room pleasant but a little too dark to take pictures without a flash so I have none. The plating of the food was very nice.

The Starters:

My starter was a very good oxtail ravioli with chestnut and wild mushroom compote and roasted tomato vinaigrette. The sauce was heavy on the butter but the acidic roasted tomato provided a nice foil and the mushrooms were a nice touch. A big Yummy! One of my friends ordered the crispy risotto al salto served on a bed of prosciutto di Parma with aioli on the side. This was a sophisticated riff on the Italian arancini or suppli al telephono without the inner core of cheese. It was three light and crispy fried balls of risotto nestled atop thinly shaved proscuitto with aioli as a dipping sauce. Very nice!

Another friend, a mussel fiend, ordered the Prince Edward Island mussels with noodle galette, butternut squash and coconut curry sauce. I tasted a lovely and perfectly cooked plump mussel with a small amount of the broth but none of the galette or squash so I can't comment on how the dish worked as a whole. My friend declared it "fine, good, but not as good the version you make". I kind of pride myself on a dish I have tweaked over the years which is a Thai flavored coconut curry mollusk (generally mussels or clams) steam/broth. When I serve it at dinner parties I am always told to buy more bread to soak up the sauce. I can't recall the last time I had a leftover mollusk. My friend, the mussel fiend, didn't eat all of the mussels or the sauce so take that as you will. From what I could tell mine is much more assertively flavored with lime, chile, lemon grass, shallots and other stuff. In summary, we were not particularly wowed because we like another version much better, but the dish was very competently prepared.

The hamachi and avocado salad with bruleed yuzo and yuzo vinaigrette was given a grade of B- by the orderer who found it too citrusy. I didn't taste it as I was rapt with my ravioli.

The seared ahi tuna with jicama and cumin infused citrus salad was declared to be "very yummy". It, apparently, was so yummy that by the time I was finished tasting and sharing the ravioli the orderer had cleaned her plate and was proudly announcing herself the "winner of the clean plate award" for the evening.

The Main Courses

A slightly mixed bag but mostly quite good with the abberations mostly due to individual palate idiosyncracies. I should point out that the group I was dining with have been doing so for more than 20 years. We celebrate each others birthdays with a dinner at, usually, a fine restaurant. The birthday honoree gets to pick the restaurant, is treated to dinner and gets a present usually costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $120 to $180 dollars. Recent dinners have been at One Sixty Blue, Croften, Naha, Nomi, MK, Spring, Blackbird and Toplobambo. We're constantly amazed that this tradition has lasted this long but never contemplate abolishing it in any serious way despite the vissisitudes of life events like divorce, marriage and remarriage, tragedies, personal funks and just plain weird life events etc. A few of us are seriously into cooking and food. The rest are merely into food

My main was the lamb rack. I was really excited about trying the Colorado rack of lamb wih truffled grits and fennel, apple and fava bean salad. The truffled grits were redolent of truffles and very good. The fennel, apple and fava bean salad was not unforgettable and a nice contrast. The lamb was meltingly tender and ... utterly flavorless. Hello! Where did the lambiness go? It wasn't a question of simply being underseasoned, it probably was but not when eaten with the slightly too salty grits. These flavors should have worked beautifully together but the lamb was incredibly BLAH. I wanted to cry. The lamb looked beautiful with perfect grill marks, it was tenderness incarnate and it was flaccid and flavorless and totally delambified. I had this similar experience not too long ago at Seasons at the Four Seasons Hotel. A sous vide cooked Colorado lamb dish that defined tender and tasted of ... nothing remotely lambish. Everyone at the table who tasted the lamb said "what is this...?" On the otherside of the equation I had a "Colorado" lamb dish at One-sixtyblue that I still dream about. It was *that* good

Slow baked salmon with curried parsnip puree, braised endive and citrus emulsion was ordered by two of the diners. They both loved it as did the others who tried it. I didn't because I don't like unsmoked salmon. I LOVE smoked salmon in a million different forms and when really spectacular I'll eat the fresh but it's not my thang.

Maple glazed duck breast with duck sausage, six grain wild rice, rhubarb chutney and spiced juice. The first few bites were enthusiastic. My bite was okay but a bit overcooked. Again I didn't taste all of the components but the orderer who did declared it B-. She's crabby most of the time but was absolutely gaga for Moto. So take her review with a grain of salt.

Steak Frites. The person who ordered this absolutely loved it. Others thought it great but a wee bit tough

Finally one of my friends ordered the wild sauteed turbot with depuy lentils, hearts of palm, pomello and saffron sauce. My friend found this totally inedible but she believed that this was not a fault of the restaurant and merely her tastes so she asked for another dinner plate so that she could eat our food and leave the turbot for her friends to taste. All of us tried this dish and nobody found it objectionable, although some didn't crave it. I did. I'd order it again. I'd gladly swap my lamb with her turbot but she didn't like my lamb.

Desserts

I pre-ordered the toffee dessert for a birthday treat for the birthday girl which was delivered. Nobody at the table "got" which dessert they actually received accurately. Most thought that the tofffe thingy was what was labeled as the bread pudding. I really liked this dessert and I am a definitely a non-interested dessert person. The others ordered a 3 tasting of ice creams and seemed to like it a lot.

Kate

[Jean Blanchard]

Anybody know if the bakery has opened?

jb

[KateinChicago]

Anybody know if the bakery has opened?

jb

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It wasn't when I was there on Tuesday.

[jesteinf]

Phil Vettel gives 3 stars to Aigre Doux. Although, it seems like good old Philly boy has given 3 stars to the last 28 restaurants he's reviewed.

The Stew.

I really want Aigre Doux to make it big. Then again, I rooted hard for Pili Pili, the restaurant that Aigre Doux replaced, and we know how that worked out.

Aigre Doux (literally "sour sweet," referring to the pairing of those tastes) is not quite three months old, and already it looks like the complete package.

[smorris291]

We went to Aigre Doux for dinner this past Saturday. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable evening, and the restaurant, despite a few mis-steps, has a lot of promise. Some impressions:

-The room is very attractive and warm. I did find the placement of a few tables out near the bakery-to-be area oddly situated. If you were seated out there, it would be like eating in a completely different restaurant. The noise level was on the loud side, but nowhere near as loud as Blackbird, despite a similar layout.

-The wine list was not ordered in any discernable way at first...although it became evident that there was some sort of order after looking at it for a few minutes, it was very cluttered and difficult to find a selection. Although I found the selections interesting, the prices were pretty high, and there could have been some more lower-priced options (May St. Market's wine list is MUCH more affordable).

-Service was well-meaning, but needs improvement. It took our server 30 minutes just to find the wine we ordered (they did bring us a complimentary glass of wine after 25 minutes), and even longer to get bread--several minutes after the table next to us who had been seated 15 mins. after we arrived. When we did get the bread, however, it was delicious. On a side note, I always get a little nervous when the servers are better dressed (in a "hip" way) than the patrons. It just seems like they're trying a little too hard to be cool.

-I thought the food was excellent. My wife's salmon was nowhere close to the "medium" that it was supposed to be (try rare), but besides that, we loved everything we had. The Crispy Risotto appetizer had creamy, almost cheesy risotto inside a crispy exterior. The duck entree was the perfect sweet (maple)/sour (rhubarb) interplay. And although my "chocolate malted" (custard w/ chocolate malt flavor) had no malt flavor, the sticky toffee pudding was AMAZING.

Overall, we had a very good meal...once the service catches up with the kitchen (a problem that may be a result of the restaurant becoming this popular so quickly), it will be even better...

[jesteinf]

We went to Aigre Doux tonight. I thought it was good, but I don't think it lived up the hype it's been getting (3-stars in the Trib, Best New Chef in Chicago Magazine, etc.)

I started with an appetizer of white asparagus, truffle poached egg, banon, and brioche. The asparagus was wonderful and probably could have benefited from a more basic preparation. The truffle poached egg did give the dish a nice richness and mixed well with the vinaigrette that the dish is prepared with. I also had a few bites of the hamachi and avocado salad, which may have been a hair better than my asparagus appetizer.

For my main course I had the maple glazed duck breast. While the flavors were quite good (the maple glaze was excellent, and the various spices used in the preparation of the dish made for some interesting flavors), the actual cooking of the duck was poorly executed. The breast was cooked a bit past my desired medium-rare, but the fat hadn't really been rendered from under the skin and the skin itself was on the rubbery side. On the plus side, the duck came with some wild rice that was really good.

For dessert I had the much-lauded sticky toffee pudding. Meh. Sweets and Savories does a far superior version. In fact, I didn't find it to be all that sticky...really just a sweet cake type thing.

I'm probably being a bit more negative about this meal than it actually was. Don't get me wrong, overall I thought there were some pretty cool flavors going on here. Service was also very professional. I guess the thing is...I consider Blackbird and Naha to be the benchmarks of 3-star dining in Chicago. Not quite upper echelon, but still at the level appropriate for special occasions and guaranteed very good to outstanding meals. I also think the food at both are distinctive, which adds to the enjoyment factor. I think Aigre Doux is good, and may even get better over the next 6 months to a year. Chicago is such a great food town that I just don't think we need to be gushing quite yet about Aigre Doux.

PS - The bakery is not yet open.

Edited May 4, 2007 by jesteinf (log)

[molto e]

We went to Aigre Doux tonight. I thought it was good, but I don't think it lived up the hype it's been getting (3-stars in the Trib, Best New Chef in Chicago Magazine, etc.)

For dessert I had the much-lauded sticky toffee pudding. Meh. Sweets and Savories does a far superior version. In fact, I didn't find it to be all that sticky...really just a sweet cake type thing.

Service was also very professional. I guess the thing is...I consider Blackbird and Naha to be the benchmarks of 3-star dining in Chicago. Not quite upper echelon, but still at the level appropriate for special occasions and guaranteed very good to outstanding meals. I also think the food at both are distinctive, which adds to the enjoyment factor. I think Aigre Doux is good, and may even get better over the next 6 months to a year. Chicago is such a great food town that I just don't think we need to be gushing quite yet about Aigre Doux.

PS - The bakery is not yet open.

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Josh,

Your experience was along the lines of mine...not all palates are alike so the good thing about the boards is to find the palates that are similar to your own...though I do not know why you do not like Kaze

Molto E

[jesteinf]

Oh man, it all comes back to Kaze

It's not that I don't like Kaze, I do. The fish is great. I just don't like all the stuff that goes on the fish.

[chefmcone76]

Went to Aigre Doux last night. I thought it was average. It definitely has potential, but the food needs a little refinement. The service was quite personable and smooth except for a bit of a wait on getting our bottle of wine. They dropped our second course and I really wanted the wine to complement it but I was almost done when he finally came back with it. In the server's defense the restaurant was quite busy.

As for the food, we started with splitting the hamachi avacado salad. I thought the salad itself was composed of high quality fish and very buttery avacado with a nice acidic balance to it. The carmelized yuzu strips were too dry and almost inedible. There was also some other sauce on the plate that was just too sweet. Get rid of those two components and sauce it with a little more vinaigrette and the dish is a hit.

Next I had the oxtail ravioli. The pasta was rolled and cooked well but the filling was a bit dry and bland. This kitchen really needs to understand the concept of properly seasoning food. The sauce was also poorly executed. It was a flavorless mess that almost tasted like it was the unseasoned oxtail braising liquid thickened with cornstarch. It had a film on it before it even got to my table. Pretty awful dish all around. My girl had the asparagus which I thought was much better than my course.

For an entree I had the slow baked salmon which I ordered medium rare. It came out medium and completely unseasoned. They really need to put some fleur de sel or something on it before it leaves that kitchen or at least put some salt on the table. The braised endive with it was pretty good but again the citrus emulsion was bland and had no backbone to stand up to the richness of the salmon. My girl had the lamb which was cooked to medium rare but came out at room temp, (probably pre-seared and held too long before getting to us), and again not a lick of salt on the plate.

Dessert was a mess. I had the malted chocolate dessert. It was CHOCOLATE PUDDING! There was not ANY malt flavor to it at all. All in all, we were quite dissapointed for a $300.00 meal and I doubt I'd ever go back.

Edited May 4, 2007 by chefmcone76 (log)

[babern38]

Went to aigre Doux for my last night in chicago and had a fantastic meal. While I had been looking over the menu on-line for a while, I was excited to see more options last night. I had been craving sweetbreads earlier and was happy to see them as an appetizer.

I started with the crispy sweetbreads with an apricot chutney and almond kohlrabi puree. delicious.

my entree was the duo of veal consisting of braised veal cheeks, tenderloin, asparagus, cous cous and, a raita salad. Everything was excellent. The fork tender succulent veal cheeks and the perfectly seasoned veal tenderloin.

dessert was good, but a bit not as good as I had expected given this place will also open as a bakery on its other half soon. It was described as a malted chocolate and hazelnut kit kat. it basically turned out to be a chocolate mousse in a bowel with some creme fraiche and then a nice krispy "kit kat" stick on top. I would havbe much preferred to have a larger version of the kit kat stick, but I still had no trouble finishing the dish.

I had considered going here on and off over the last month and I am definitely happy I decided to go. I look forward to returning with my family. It will be interested to see how their bakery does when it opens.

[chefmcone76]

It will be interested to see how their bakery does when it opens.

I'm doubtful this will ever happen. My guess is they don't have the capital or they would have done this already. The place has been open for at least six months already.

[Alex]

It will be interested to see how their bakery does when it opens.

I'm doubtful this will ever happen. My guess is they don't have the capital or they would have done this already. The place has been open for at least six months already.

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Their web site now says, "Slated to open in 2008."

I'm thinking of going there for lunch very soon. Has anyone been? The Greek pizza (pulled lamb, olives, French feta, $10) and the beef brisket sandwich (w/ roasted tomato, caramelized onion, horseradish cream, side of fries, $11) sound appealing.

[Osnav]

Has anyone been to Aigre Doux in the last 2-3 months. I'd like to know how their service is now.

thands

[Barbara Moss]

Has anyone been to Aigre Doux in the last 2-3 months.  I'd like to know how their service is now.

thands

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i dined there a couple of weeks ago with a party of eight. it was a very mixed group and the waitstaff was lovely. Nothing was too much trouble. I like their food but I do not consider it outstanding. However, everything was well cooked and well seasoned.

[ulterior epicure]

The prices seem steep-ish... scallops for $34? I mean, even if they are U-8, and they give you 4, that's still like more than $8 per scallop! Chicken for $26?

[nsxtasy]

The prices seem steep-ish...  scallops for $34?  I mean, even if they are U-8, and they give you 4, that's still like more than $8 per scallop!  Chicken for $26?

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Well, we didn't have the scallops, but the $97/person we paid, for three courses plus alcohol and tax/tip, is similar to what we pay for the best casual contemporary American cuisine restaurants in the city (e.g. Blackbird, one sixtyblue, North Pond). The portion sizes were typical of such restaurants (IOW ample).

[ulterior epicure]

The prices seem steep-ish...  scallops for $34?  I mean, even if they are U-8, and they give you 4, that's still like more than $8 per scallop!  Chicken for $26?

←

Well, we didn't have the scallops, but the $97/person we paid, for three courses plus alcohol and tax/tip, is similar to what we pay for the best casual contemporary American cuisine restaurants in the city (e.g. Blackbird, one sixtyblue, North Pond). The portion sizes were typical of such restaurants (IOW ample).

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I don't consider myself a particularly thrift-minded diner, but for a $34 plate of scallops, I expect more than ample, I expect spectacular. I don't care about portion sizes as much as I do about the quality of the preparation and ingredients.

[nsxtasy]

I don't consider myself a particularly thrift-minded diner, but for a $34 plate of scallops, I expect more than ample, I expect spectacular.  I don't care about portion sizes as much as I do about the quality of the preparation and ingredients.

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Everything I had there was both ample and spectacular. Don't complain about a place you've never been to. Try it and judge for yourself.

Edited January 25, 2008 by nsxtasy (log)