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| - About three weeks ago, I had a bad experience at Nine on Nine. It started with inattentive service and culminated with a kitchen that couldn't deliver the proper cook on an expensive piece of meat.
Shortly after I posted my first review, I was contacted by the owner and GM, and given an opportunity to try the restaurant again, and that was today.
They've changed my mind. The food, service, ambiance, and overall experience was as good as it gets tonight.
Our faithful server Ziggy was friendly, knew the menu, had specific recommendations for us, and was there every time we needed something.
The ambiance at NoN is upscale, modern, and comfortable. The Brazilian hardwood floor has a unique coloration. The hanging lights are cool. The twenty-one tables seat fifty-six hungry customers. In the current configuration, there is plenty of room and space between the tables for a more intimate feel. They can accommodate up to 75.
Now, why we came here: the food.
The salads were good, both the Asian Pear salad and Baby Beets salad. The wild mushroom risotto (with white truffle oil) was very good --- and executed perfectly. There was a nice texture and cook on the rice ---- creamy but not mushy. I'm not a fan of truffles, but truffle oil is not usually made with them.[1] I find the truffle fries, ala the Capital Grille, to be disgusting and too strong.
The blue crab cream soup I had a few weeks ago at NoN was fantastic.
The Lobster mac and cheese was definitely the richest thing we ate, and was as good as the first time. It's rich.
I had the Diver Scallops which had a beautiful presentation and was equally tasty. The carrot foam and emulsion were great for great dipping. The homemade sweet potato chips were understated and added a nice texture difference. I wish the sear was stronger and on both sides, but it was fine.
The Salmon with roe was good.
Overall, our experience this time was much better. I'm glad that the management met my original complaint head on, and didn't try to "blame the customer" like we sometimes see happen. It's for that reason that we gave them another opportunity to change our minds. It worked.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle_oil
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