We have been to NOCA a few times and it's going downhill in food quality. The service has been a bit underwhelming but the food has been small but good. I have always enjoyed the changing menu featuring in-season vegetables which is the only reason why we go back.
We went the weekend after Thanksgiving and they must have been playing with their B-team (or maybe their C-team) because our server was really unpleasant. She made use feel like she had much better things to do and was really short in her responses to questions. I chose the soup entree (per our servers recommendation), and I am amazed that they would actually charge $17 for a cup (literal measuring size of portion) of soup with pieces of squash. My husband ordered the steak, which he has ordered before, and this time the portion was significantly smaller and was way overcooked.
Before dessert they usually bring cotton candy...not to our table. Everyone else was getting a little fluff ball on their table, but apparently when you are stuck with the snooty server she's to busy to bring it to the table. I felt much better about our experience when upon walking out we overheard 2 different tables complaining about their food, at least it wasn't just our experience.