I really, really wanted to like this place. Our interaction began superlatively when we made the reservation for six on Open Table and then had to change it to eight by phone. They were more than accommodating and pleasant. Walking in - once we found it, the street is sort of dark and the awning is also dark - we were seated immediately. Our food was superb. The appetizers were tasty and sufficient. And the wine list was great. They obviously have an awesome chef because the food quality was superb. Both in presentation and culinary art, each plate was very appetizing, from the wonderful rockfish to the steak plates. The risotto was also as tender as it could be, deliciously flavored.
The downside came in the service which was at best, passable, at worst, an exercise in a near nervous wrecking ball on the part of the waitress. We sat close to 20 minutes to be tended to. And when one of our party remarked to the waitress (after being seated) that the home made bread was subject of outstanding reviews, the waitress looked at us with almost a horrified face and told us that it had been a disastrous day and that it had included a breakdown in the bread machine and blah blah blah. (Why anyone would greet a full table of eight and set that tone for the rest of the evening is beyond me). That was our welcome to the service... Uhhmmmm..... Then it went downhill from there. To make a long story short, I'll paraphrase an old military performance review adagio: Sets low standards for him/herself and fails to achieve them... That was our service evening.