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| - Basically, the noise level, not your palate, is the first sense aroused. The ramped up volume is not only evident in Phoenix but Chicago and other large cities that have seem to have forgotten that baby boomers, many with the disposable income to eat out quite often, have weakened hearing from cranking up the stereos to the likes of Jimi Hendricks or Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven years ago. That said, I anticipated more seating based on the size of the building, but quickly noticed a lot of high tops but not as many regular booths or tables. When I made my reservation, indeed, only high tops were available, which meant we would be sitting bar style. However, at the last moment we were able to change our seating to a regular table.
As an appetizer, we ordered the liver pâté, which is mousse-like and extremely delicious (the bread accompaniment was also tasty). We also ordered the chef's pasta, which is spicy good, to share with our meals for the entire table. (Oh, and I ordered the cheaper Chardonnay and must say it was as good or better than the more expensive version at most restaurants). For dinner, I decided to go light and only asked for the Burrata cheese, which is served with fresh snap peas. I would say that my combined food choices together added up to 5 stars in terms of taste, and the wait staff including the hostess, was excellent. So, why the four stars? A restaurant experience includes the overall ambience, seating options, and the noise levels, which could be slightly improved, especially if they turn down the volume a tad because it was difficult to carry a conversation; my two table guests both agreed. My recommendation is to make reservations early if you want to regular table seating because they fill up quickly.
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