A Winterlicious choice made by a friend and I unwittingly went along with it.
We arrived around 7pm to a very quiet dining room and after receiving menus, it still took about 10-15 min. before the one server came for our food order
We ordered the mussels appetizer, strip loin and seafood pasta mains and creme brulee desserts.
The mussels arrived first and were a very hearty size. The sauce was delish, off to a decent start despite the slower service.
Mains were also a generous size. I had ordered my strip loin as medium rare but it definitely came well done. For such a thin piece of meat, medium rare would have been difficult. I found my main to be quite heavy on the salt content on the meat and mashed potatoes/veggie accompaniment.
Dessert was most impressive...creme brulee served in a soup bowl, not in its standard ramekin size. Nice way to finish off the meal.
Service throughout was an issue here...there was only one server for 6-7 tables. She spent a lot of time fixing menus in the back, rather than helping customers. We arrived at 7pm and didn't leave until 9pm! I don't think it was a meal that needed TWO hours!
I'm not a big 'Licious fan to begin with and I always have lowered expectations. I was hoping to be wrong about Valens and disappointed that it wasn't better. Also note that they have a reg. prix fixe menu outside of 'Licious events.