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| - Let me start by saying that I had high expectations for this place. I go into every dining experience with an open mind.
My boyfriend and I joined an admittedly large group of friends for dinner. We were seated at a large picnic-style table in the noisy front room of the restaurant. The service was a bit slow to start, but we did have drinks in front of us before too long. The beer selection was nice, and after scoping out the very creative and expensive craft cocktail menu, we did opt for beer in order to save our purse for food instead.
The food and drink are on a New York price point, but the chef's tasting menu seemed like a reasonable deal in lieu of the $31 chicken roulade entree on its own. The tasting menu included three choices for $40 ($35 plus a $5 upcharge for a chicken dish). Because we were growing quite hangry, I selected the bread and flavored butters as my first item and requested that they bring it out ASAP. Another friend next to me requested the same.
When the bread arrived--- four small pieces in each order--- the food runner came to the opposite end of the table and announced that he would leave one basket at that end and the other closer to us. The thing is, Toast doesn't serve toast when you sit down. The bread was tasty, and it was part of my meal. I felt quite awkward having to yell across a table of ten hungry people that the bread was mine and that my boyfriend and I would be eating it. Don't their servers know that they don't drop free bread for their guests? They should.
My chicken arrived in a reasonable amount of time. It was described as a chicken roulade with cranberry stuffing, parsnip purée, confit potato, and gravy. The presentation was fantastic, but from the first bite, I was disappointed. Keeping in mind that this was a $31 entree when served alone, I was expecting more taste and more food! The spoonful of parsnip purée was hardly enough to accompany the chicken. The bland "confit potato" was inexplicably flavorless. I've had better French fries at Wendy's, and their fries suck! The "gravy" was served at room temperature in a ramekin the size of two thimbles (again, hardly enough to dress a stuffed and rolled chicken breast). And the chicken itself had no outwardly identifiable flavors. I had hoped for a cranberry stuffing that was bursting with flavor. Instead, it tasted just like it looked: taupe.
Side note: the potato confit (read: French fries) was garnished with sprigs of thyme and then covered in what appeared to be a bunch garlic skins. Not to sound too traditional, but I tend to throw that part away after I crush my garlic. Also, I cook better chicken.
My boyfriend ordered a brisket burger. The menu said it was served with goat Gouda, tomato jam, lettuce, and aioli with fries. The goat Gouda was undetectable. I'm not even sure it was actually there. The aioli must have ended up on someone else's plate, because it certainly wasn't on his. After a bite of his sandwich, he said "Yep. It's a burger." Disappointing.
Another friend ordered a chef's flight like I did, but he included the suggested wine pairings for his three courses. At $53, this is not a bad deal at first glance. Unfortunately, the wine pairings didn't make it to the table. Before his final course arrived, he asked about his wine, and our waitress felt very bad. She said she would take the wine off the bill, and in the same breath she also asked him to remind her what his entree was. "The brisket burger," he said tenderly, "and no worries on the wine mixup." I suppose we all expected that dish to be served with some wine, considering she asked him specifically what he was eating. Did not happen.
Next time I'll try something else, somewhere else, with better service and more taste for less money. Our city might be an underdog compared to big cities like Chicago, but Clevelanders have discerning tastes. We have all eaten in fine restaurants, so we know what to expect when we spend our allowance on a good meal. And we also know when we've been fleeced.
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