10/02/09

Expected more

by trlyclsc

I went after wanting to for so long and being in the food industry, it was about time. Went for lunch, ordered 3 apps, 2 entrees, 3 desserts.

The terrine was definetly the best of the 3 apps, octo was a bit over-done, and the flavors didnt stand out at all. Their tartare was ok, I'm into slightly over-seasoning, but this was just too much for the dish +how it was plated, I promise you, gordan ramsey would have thrown it on the floor.

Tried the shrimp risotto, they put one shrimp split in the dish. you cant really call it shrimp risotto with one shrimp, come on. +the risotto was way over done. I tend to like my pasta a bit over done, just slightly past al dente, but this was like eating rice. no bueno.

The duck was ok. polenta and succotash were good.

The apricot terrine was eh. summer cheesecake, oh this was interesting. the sorbet was I believe a white balsamic huckleberry. Cheesecake though, it tasted tangy like there was blue cheese in it and no one seemed to know what it was made of. they found out for us and it was 80% mascarpone and 20% gorgonzola. I guess they knew people wouldn't order it if they had that on the menu. plus the linzer tart that came with it was bigger than the cheesecake. 3rd dessert I can't even remember what it was.

Service. Our waited greeted us with, "so 'bout some lunch today" No shit. Didnt smile once. never checked on us. when we didnt order wine they left the wine glasses on our small table with 3 apps.. never cleaned the crumbs off. left our empty bread plates. No one could or did explain the dishes. then when our waiter dissapeared, it seems his shift ended. No goodbye and so-and-so will be your waiter/waitress. Goodness. It was atrocious. Latte wasnt worth the 5$ something. which was even more than le bernadin's.

Perhaps it was because we came right when lunch was ending? I still dont think thats an excuse. Maybe it was just a bad day in general? Or maybe I just expect too much. Hope others have a better experience.

• Pros: room temp butter like it should be.
• Cons: service

02/25/09

Delicious Food

by LeeLee74

My Husband and I went to Gotham for Valentines day. The meal was amazing every bite was savory, we were disappointed when the meal was over. I wish the resturant itself had a little more character but other than that the experience was tops.

• Cons: ordinary ambience

08/01/08

Great food, lovely dining room

by grouchomarx

We ate there a few months ago for my boyfriend's birthday. We were on time for our res and seated promptly. The dining room has great lighting and a nice ambience, with beautiful white drapey things hanging from the ceiling. It's a little loud but auite manageable. We started with excellent house cocktails which are all very old school and for serious drinkers - no fruity watered down concontions and lots of bourbon based drinks. We ordered a nice bottle of rose champange for the meal. Wine list is pricey. The menu offers 3 savory courses and dessert, we figured there must be a reason for this so we went for 3 savory courses. All the food was very delicious, including ceviche, lobster, berkshire pork. All were wonderfully tasty and artfully presented. However portions are rather large and I was literally about to explode by the end. We didn't even have dessert which is unheard of for us. Service was professional and friendly. We saw Alfred Portale greeting some tables in the dining room. We were not among the lucky ones but it was nice to see him there. The place is enduring for a reason - excellent food, well prepared, beautifully presented. My only complaints: 1) tables are close together and it's an uncomfortable situation to go to the restroom - you need someone to pull the tabel out for you and if you don't wait for that to happen, your butt will be in your neighbor's dinner (and I'm not fat), and 2) the price! jawdropping prices, and I've eaten everywhere from Daniel to Eleven Madison Park but whoa, that $48 lobster makes your pause for a moment. It's a place for people with stacks of money who don't want to get dressed up but want 5 star food and great service.

• Pros: Food, ambience, cocktails
• Cons: Price