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| - This was my first visit to Bonterra and one for which I teetered between a 3 and 3.5 rating. Overall it was a pleasant dining experience; I'd give it another try.
Scene: Biz/smart-casual attire and dressier, depending on your occasion. Good for romance, deal-sealing and refined evenings with friends. Bonterra is a converted church; I believe the bar and its glorious display of wine is positioned where the pulpit once was.
Food: Delicious bread made in-house. I started with a healthy portion of field greens with cranberry-champagne dressing and proceeded to the short rib, which was tender and flavorful, though my cut bore a giant bone that made the (edible) portion look bigger than it was. A side of goat cheese gnocchi completed the entree. The chocolate molten cake was gooey indulgence.
Wine: Holy selection--an overwhelming by-the-glass menu with a pretty good mix of grapes and regions.
Service: Poised and attentive despite the crush of Queen's Feast diners. To the latter point, however, I will say we felt rushed from our table at the end of our meal. While we were aware of the next seating crowding the bar area, we still were finishing our drinks. Our server had brought our check only minutes before and returned to ask, "Are you going to pay that?" I would've suggested feigning ignorance and starting to pick up the check presenter (e.g. "Oh, I'm sorry! I thought your card already was in here.") versus his more pointed phrasing. Also, another staff member came to "arrange" our olive oil and salt/pepper grinder not once, but twice, despite our meals having been consumed already. We got the point.
Misc.: The hosts were friendly upon arrival and seated us promptly, though I would suggest a different coat-check system for busy nights. Numbered tickets would be a safer, less awkward bet as opposed to the host/diner sifting through dozens of coats on a rack, or worse, said diner's coat walking out with someone else.
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