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| - If allowed, I would give 3.5 stars. We dined here Friday evening and had the tasting menu. My feelings about the experience are mixed.
As mentioned in a previous review, the place IS small. If you're looking to discuss your upcoming wart removal, you may want to save that convo for a different venue. However, as small as it is, it never got very loud which made it easy to chat with my companions.
A previous reviewer mentioned the boxed Franzia wine in the kitchen. I noted that as well but it seems like they're cooking with it and not serving it. Our waiter made a wine suggestion that I quite enjoyed. Two of my companions got the wine pairing and raved about the selections.
The flavors and combinations of some of the dishes were inventive, experimental, and at times downright brilliant. It is the sort of creativity that I have enjoyed at Binkley's many times. There was one major stumble though - the awful pink and orange mess of the seafood dish with the shrimp and the clams. I applaud the creativity in pairing strawberry mousse with seafood but visually, it doesn't work. I didn't find that the flavors worked very well but truthfully, I was really distracted by the garish presentation. I also did not care for the gelatin dessert but my dining companions quite enjoyed it.
My major, major issue with our evening there was the silverware. With each course, we were asked to keep our silverware which I think is tacky. Where it went from bad to worse is when the dessert courses came and we were eating flourless chocolate cake with the same fork that had made sweet love to artichokes, mushrooms, cauliflower and duck. Ewww.
I honestly don't know if I'd come here again. I'd say it's worth a visit but bring your own silverware. ;)
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