03/13/09

Really wanted this place to be better

by aggiemay

First, let me say that I am a big fan of Eric Ripert, and have been looking forward to trying this place since it opened last year.

We started with drinks at the bar, which is right next to the restaurant- and both are in the open rotunda lobby which has a beautiful high ceiling, but also helps the noise to carry- and boy, did it ever. Granted, this was not the restaurant's fault, but the bar was packed with men in suits and people in nametags- apparently in town for a convetion of some sort. It was tough to get the bartender's attention and patrons were acting inappropriately (let's leave it at that). The whole experience at that bar is not something I'd subject myself to again. however, the space is nice and seems like a nice place for a quiet drink, when the Boys' club isn't there.

When we did sit at our table in the restaurant, the noise level was a bit better. We ordered 2 of their signature cocktails (an orange vodka cocktail, and a pomegranate cocktail). These were delicious, but at $15 each, I wasn't going to have more than 1.

The apps were decent. my beet salad was fresh and flavorful, the goat cheese was smooth and creamy- a good way to start a meal. The sea bass app which my boyfriend ordered was very small, and as he said, "tasted like fish sticks".

Onto the mains. I had the PA Brook trout and was pleasantly surprised to see 2 decent sized fillets. It was served over bok choi which was cooked perfectly, but the hazelnut\beurre blanc sauce was a little salty for my taste- and I was not able to finish it all. My BF had a steak (NY Strip, I think) and said it was good- not great. I didn't try it.

Desserts were the biggest letdown simply because of their size. They are about 2 bites each, so sharing is out of the question. The beignets were very good, but the apple cider that is served with these is very fragrant and was a bit like drinking potpourri. The parfait was decent, but a strange consistency.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'd go back here unless there is a change of menu or restaurant concept. With Eric Ripert as "culinary designer"- this food should have been alot better- or half the price- to make it worth a second visit.

• Pros: Food portions, cocktails
• Cons: desserts, $15 drinks, noise!

02/05/09

Worst Dining Experience of my Life

by PhillyPhile80

I had called this my favorite restaurant in a previous review. I had a wonderful experience in February when I went (see previous review). However, this time (September 2009) my experience was the exact polar opposite. I was very excited to take my boyfriend here because I loved it so much the last time and then I was mortified that I had chosen the place. I first grew concerned when the first course we had ordered came out. It was the heirloom tomato dish. It consisted of 3 cherry-sized tomatoes sliced and put on a plate with a dollop of ricotta cheese. I couldn't even look at the waitress when she put it down in front of us. I told myself that it was probably just that small because it was an appetizer...

Then, the main course came out. I had ordered the agnolotti pasta. Again, I was shocked. It was four, bite sized pieces of pasta swimming in teriyaki sauce (supposed to be a broth)- it was gross and the size of half an appetizer at best. I am a small person and I don't eat all that much, but this meal of three cherry tomatoes and four bites of pasta would not have satisfied even my little dog. I had to go out and get something else to eat after we had spent way too much on this meal. My boyfriend had the hangar steak and he said that that tasted okay. Again, the portion was small and he thought it was strange that it was served with french fries and that these were literally dumped all over the steak.

I thought it couldn't get any worse and then dessert came out. I ordered the green tea rice pudding and it was disgusting. The consistency was terrible and for some reason, they had put Rice Crispies cereal- yes really- on top of it. The flavors were gag-inducing. My boyfriend's dessert was some kind of ice cream and chocolate meant to be a frozen snickers- it was fine and that was it. I don't know if Chef Ripert is trying to have his restaurant match Stephen Starr with these kitschy desserts, but I went to his restaurant to experience the delicious classic cuisine I had the last time and this was not it.

To top it all off, we had ordered the wine pairings with dinner and my boyfriend had ordered the extra third one to have with dessert. He asked if the dessert one was a port and the waitress said yes, so that's why he ordered it. The waitress brought the dessert wine and it obviously was not a port. When asked, she acknowledged that it was not port, but said that it's more port-like than the other dessert wines. It was a citrus-flavored wine that tasted nothing like port. She did not offer to take it back or anything. I spoke to the manager afterwards and he said that he would take it off the bill, but he refused to do so on the spot- I will believe it when I see it and I will never return to 10 Arts...

• Pros: none- there should be an option for negative stars...
• Cons: everything- food, portion size, price, service...

01/27/09

Disappointment

by nishio

I must say that I made reservations for 10 Arts nearly a month in advance and looked forward to enjoying a well crafted meal. The reality was a different situation with an extremely lackluster meal and an overly aggressive chef upset that we we were not happy with the meal preparation. I have never in my life been confronted by a chief, both hands gripping the edge of our table convinced that we had no right to question the food placed in front of us. If we had been greeted with a polite explanation of the preparation I feel we would have had no issue, but to be nearly accosted by a chef with an angry attitude was, pretentious, unprofessional and unnecessary. Never again, 10 Arts...never again.

• Pros: Near theaters and hotels