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| - Although the decor, layout, and service was impressive along with their extensive wine list (I hear there are around 50,000) and their UBER-COOL touch-screen wine tablet ordering process & the way the wines are retrieved from a giant four-story, temperature controlled glass and steel wine tower (apparently the largest in the world - and even cooler, "wine angels" in black attach themselves to a harness of sorts to retrieve your bottle of choice), we had to limit ourselves to the prix-fixe menu as we had tickets to Lion King for that same evening.
I'm not sure if maybe that was our mistake, but I've been to plenty of other places where the pre-theater menu's been outstanding. Was a little disappointed w/this particular Charlie Palmer location. Maybe Dry Creek won't disappoint the next time I go to Wine Country..
Also, there was a rather pushy photographer moving from table to table offering to take pictures of people, and then interrupting your dinner with a sales pitch. I'm surprised the staff at Aureole allow that..
We ordered:
* GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWER "PUTTANESCA" FENNEL SCENTED ORZO
- [2.5/5 - A little chewy and under seasoned.]
* GRILLED PACIFIC MAHI MAHI CORN AND FINGERLING POTATO HASH, TEQUILA LIME JUS
- [1/5 - Unpalatable, my friend struggled to eat it and didn't end up having more than 1/5th with my help.]
* ROASTED BELL PEPPER AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA RAVIOLIS CREAMY SPINACH
- [3/5 - Average decent ravioli - I've tasted better in casual bistros.]
* DARK CHOCOLATE PECAN TART BOURBON SAUCE
- [2/5 - Alright.]
* CARAMELIZED BANANA BREAD PUDDING, BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
- [4/5 - The starring dish of the night. In retrospect, I don't think it was STELLAR, but it was definitely the most delicious thing we consumed that night.]
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