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| - Let me preface this by saying that this place is actually very good - I haven't had a bad drink or dish, the service is good, the overall ambiance is very nice. After several trips here, though, I just can't give it 5 stars because of the value factor. Now, I realize that value isn't really what they are going for here, but I do feel like a restaurant should strive to be in the ballpark of a balance between price and product offered. Their food is elevated - so I expect to pay more and don't mind doing it. What I do mind is feeling like everything on their menu is 10-15% higher than it should be for what it is.
For example, let's examine the smoked pineapple guacamole appetizer. It's absolutely delicious and beautifully presented, but it's unbalanced and they know it. There are 8 chips. Eight. The chips are special - not your standard corn tortilla, but still... They actually tell you there aren't enough chips when you order it and recommend that you get 2 orders if you are trying to share. Not sure how that solves the balance problem exactly, but I can't bring myself to spend $24 on two scoops of guac and 16 chips. It's special, but not THAT special. With a few exceptions, much of their food offerings fall into this category.
Cocktails and wine are also pretty pricey. Not insanely overpriced, but generally a buck of two above what they should be for what they are.
The other thing is that they added gratuity (20%) for our party of 6. Although I have been a server and understand this practice to some degree, I also am offended by it as a customer. Tips are earned, not assumed. I tip based on the service provided and frequently tip more than 20%. This server actually did a very good job, so she actually shorted herself in the end by assuming that I wouldn't tip appropriately.
So in the end, I guess the moral of the story is that if you want a good meal with a twist of something special, this is the place....but expect to pay for it.
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