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| - MRKT, what to say about MRKT. How about this; "MRKT Sea & Land is a restaurant in search of an identity." I do not say this lightly, but this is really the case and it was quite apparent as the dining experience went alone.
My wife and I decided to step out to a "Higher End" restaurant for our 2nd anniversary. We had $25 restaurant.com discount (knowing this bill would probably be about $100) so we felt like we could order freely without worrying about price. So armed we sallied forth.
With the exception of "being given the eye" when we walked in the staff was on the whole polite and helpful. When things didn't quite work out they were very accommodating and understanding. The restaurant itself is well designed and inviting with a music track that is up-tempo without being too loud. The booths were not easy to get into and out of, but I call this a quirk. Lighting could have been a little more subdued to add to the "higher end" restaurant experience they were after, but again I call this a quirk of their choices. It did all add up to something I call "AKC" (more later) atmosphere, but it was easily handled.
This restaurant has all the trappings of wanting to be a marquee 5 star restaurant but just does not know how to do it, and it was all the little things that gave them away. For example, when refilling our Iced Tea the server poured the tea over the table towards us, a no-no in fine dining. The second time I lifted my glass and set it away from me so the server should get the hint, but still he left the glass on the table and refilled the tea. But then he made another mistake and lifted the glass next to the rim and set in down in front of me. Oops. (Would you like to drink from a rim of a glass where the server just touched? Didn't think so.) It was not until later that our server (who was also tending bar) refilled our drinks correctly by lifting the glass by the base, filling it away from the table and returning back by the base. These kind of details were all missing from the experience.
So let's talk about the food. My wife ordered the Prime Rib (16oz. cut), generous for the price of $25 and the Potatoes Au Gratin ($7 more). I order the Bone In Rib Eye (also 16oz.) for $38 and a simple Baked Potato (also $7 more). Obviously the ordering is all al-a-carte, something I personally do not like because I feel it is just a scam to up your bill. Also there ends up being so many plates on the table it interferes with the dining experience.
When you are in a casino there are many kitchens, a dedicated kitchen for a specific restaurant and a more general kitchen for the hotel overall. Sometimes you can get crossover between kitchens and the taste can be reflected in the food. I think this was the case here. I feel like there was crossover because the recipes and preparation were so old school it left little to enjoy. Item by item: The Prime Rib was good but lacked any kind of real taste and had a huge piece of fat in the middle. (Yes, I know there is supposed to be an eye of fat, but this was at least 5oz.) So the Prime Rib was your standard buffet Prime Rib, a bit disappointing. The Potatoes Au Gratin were made with AMERICAN CHEESE AND THE POTATOES WERE INCIPIENTLY OVER COOKED. We sent it back and hope they get a better recipe for the future, not something from 1978. Now for the Rib Eye; I kinda asked for it I guess, I asked if the steak was aged or not. When the answer came back "it was fresh" I knew right there that there may be trouble. Indeed, as the steak cooled and I got to the center it became apparent this piece of meat had been frozen at some time. (If you are a steak lover you know what I mean as the texture of the steak become mealy. In fairness I do not know this to be fact, but in my opinion, and that is what matters here, it was frozen at some point.) For $38 I would hope for an aged steak, especially a Rib Eye that shines the longer it is aged. It was not 2 weeks ago that I had a 21 day aged Porter House and the flavor blew my head off it was so good, so I had something to compare it to. Are you seeing where I am heading here, this was fair food from a buffet, but NOT a restaurant looking to be something better.
I say this with all the love from my heritage and totally tongue and cheek; "AKC" stands for Alter Kocker Certified. This is a restaurant that is primarily patronized by our senior citizens because the food is the same as it was in 1962 and generally does not challenge the diner. You know these establishments when you see them, and unfortunately MRKT is AKC in disguise; nothing challenging but nothing to make it noteworthy. The only thing outstanding when all is said and done is the price, and if they keep this cooking (not cuisine) they will not be around long.
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