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| - In a word, it was fine.
I ventured into Bernadin's while on a business trip. it was a toss-up between this place and that trendy new place in the Westin whose name escapes me.
The menu is tempting enough, and it's right in the thick of the uptown (that's downtown to you and me) area.
It was understandably slow as I was there for dinner on the Monday after Easter. The decor is interesting. I can't figure out what they're going for: casually elegant? Eclectic Mediterranean? It's a mystery.
The server was prompt and attentive, so no issues there. Now, onto the food:
I had the Tuna Tuna appetizer, which was tuna served two ways. One was a tartare that was out of this world. Really delicious and *very* spicy. Be ready for that - my eyes were watering. The other preparation was typical seared tuna, and it was just so-so. I don't think the tuna was particularly high quality which is easier to hide in a tartare than a sear. If I could have traded in my seared tuna for another helping of the tartare, I would have!
For my entree, I ordered a CAB filet (medium rare) and a side of wilted spinach. Both were absolutely fine, although the steak didn't wow me. I needed to add salt (and there wasn't any on the table - weird). I ate it all and had no complaints. Truly a perfectly serviceable steak, but for the price, I was hoping to be wowwed.
Since I was on the company tab, I thought I may as well try dessert. :) This was another highlight. I can't remember the exact name of the dish, but it was an apple pie type of thing, and it was delicious. I should have skipped the entree and ordered two desserts!
I worry that this place doesn't have enough punch to compete in an increasingly crowded uptown dining scene, but I would definitely give it another shot after I've tried out the other places. The place is fairly new from what I can gather, so it can still cash in on that mystique.
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