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| - I was hoping for a bit more from Bernardin's, especially since it is now in the space that once was Ratcliff on the Green, one of my favorite Charlotte restaurants before it closed. We went during restaurant week at the end of January. I have found that few restaurants really shine during this week; however, I don't think it should be an excuse for a below-par dining experience
Overall, we had a good time, but there were just too many small things for me to give more than three stars.
1. We asked about a bottle of wine and the waitress simply said she knew nothing about it. Fine. I would be really impressed if a waiter knew about every bottle on an extensive list, but I expected she would offer to ask the bar or maƮtre d'. First ding.
2. I ordered a salad to start with the dressing explicitely on the side. I can't stand when salad comes drenched in dressing. The salad came out with the dressing on it. I was looking at it, trying to see if they had overdone it on the dressing. The waitress realized it was wrong and said "Oh, they put the dressing on it. Well, it doesn't look like there is much on there." Then she left the salad on the table. After a few bites, it was apparent to me that there was just too much dressing on the salad. The leaves were a bit wilted. I asked the waitress to bring me a new salad and she did. It was fine, but she should have done this the first time.
3. Last criticism-- my cut of salmon was an end piece. I usually don't expect this of a high quality restaurant like this. It was a big piece of fish, but the cut really turned me off. A Fillet from the center looks and tastes better. Besides the fish, the polenta, wilted spinach and sauce underneath were very good.
My date loved his main dish (lamb) and we both enjoyed our desserts. I think this place has potential; however, for the price point, I would expect better service and presentation. I really wanted to love it, but I left with a so/so feeling. Not sure we will be going back when we can go places like Bonterra for the same price range and much better ambiance, execution and creativity.
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