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| - Bonterra has such potential. It's in a renovated old church in a quaint neighborhood with a seemingly great menu. However, it seems to be slipping.
The fella and I visited on a Saturday night and started with a drink at the bar. Our martinis were solid, and the bartender was friendly and helpful, but we spent the entire drink dissecting how they could make the ambiance better. Neither of us is creative, but we agreed it's time for an overhaul there. The bar - while super cool with lots of potential - seems tired and outdated. The music was way too depressing; they need to liven it up, or at least throw on some classical if they're going for a "fancy" feel. I can't even explain what kind of music they were playing; it was instrumental, like Enya or Yanni or something. For all the exciting postings about menu and specials they do on their social media outlets, the place itself seems tired.
We moved over to the dining room for dinner, and our server was Johnny on the spot. He was funny, offered suggestions, and was present without being annoying. However, our food was just okay. The fella got the bison ribeye with grilled asparagus and turnips ($40), and it was more gamy and smokey than he had expected. I was hoping the pork chop would be on the menu, but it wasn't, so I went with the pork loin ($28ish?) with collard greens and sweet potato mash. I don't eat collards, so I skipped those, and the mash was about what you'd expected. The pork was just a little chewy, and it didn't have much seasoning, but it was... fine.
Overall, there are too many other places in town charging the same amount for entrees ($25-$40) that execute the flavor and ambiance much better. I don't think we'll be back anytime soon, which is sad since this place really could be something pretty special.
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