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| - I really wanted to give Luxe more than 3 stars, but for me, it's not just there yet. We called ahead of time trying to get reservations for 4, but were told that they only did reservations for groups of 6 or more. Fair enough. We showed up and were seated at some bar stools and promptly asked for drink orders while we waited for our table. Right away, I liked the atmosphere and the relatively quiet and laid-back vibe going on. When the hostess finally did come get us for the table, she informed us that we'd have to be out of there by 8 so they can seat one of their reservations. It was 6:50 at this point. We weren't really planning to stay all evening long, and I have no doubt that front of house folks in many restaurants have to perform a little mental jiu jitsu to make sure they have tables for everyone, but dang, keep it to yourself, ok? We sat down feeling like we had to race to make decision or else risk getting swept off the stage by some clown in the corner.
And then in came one of the best waiters I've ever had, a dude named Benjamin. Any apprehension we might've felt melted away. Our table split a couple plates, first of which was the goat cheese fondue. I enjoy goat cheese, but wasn't sure how a fondue of it would turn out, but it was great. Not too rich like I imagined it would be. One of us got a margherita pizza, which was the highlight of the food selections. Somehow the crust had the flavor of a Chicago deep dish pizza while being only slightly thicker than a cracker. Nice! Unfortunately, the calamari was soggy like it had been sitting in the window too long, and the mussels were 'meh' at best. Almost ordered the fries with truffle mayo, but another guy in the party got a burger with fries and I was able to try his. They were thick-cut steak fries that also tasted soggy like they had been made quite a while earlier.
If we had had an indifferent waiter, I don't think I'd consider hoofing it over to Detroit Ave. again for dinner, but this guy was great and convinced me to give Luxe another chance. I've never had the waitstaff shake my hand at the end of the dinner, and I found it oddly satisfying. Looking forward to adding a star or two to this review on my next trip!
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