rev:text
| - We hiked Camelback in the morning, returned to our hotel to clean up, and headed back to check out Elements. Unfortunately we arrived as they were between lunch and dinner, so we had to settle for Jade Bar.
The views from the restaurant were amazing, and the cozy fireplace was nice on the unusually chilly day. In the bar, the views are not as open, but you can still appreciate the beauty. We ordered a couple of non-alcoholic drinks, as we hadn't eaten much yet. They were refreshing and simple, nothing too exciting. I was starving so I ordered the Caesar salad. It came relatively quickly, and was a decent size, but didn't look like anything special, until I started digging in. That's where I found a "bonus" penne pasta at the bottom of the bowl, and later, the core of the romaine lettuce, and a stray little piece of tomato. You'd think that a place that is known for serving celebs and which has received such a high ratings from everyone would really have the details down, but I have to admit, we were disappointed. We peeked at Elements' menu on our way out, and nothing on there stood out as impressive or inventive, so we opted not to come back for dinner.
On a separate note, I realize this is a luxury spa/resort, but is valet parking really necessary when there are less than 5 cars in the lot, and the valet had to merely run less than 50 yards to retrieve my car? I felt obligated to tip him, but I was perfectly capable of walking to my car from there. The overall experience here was an extravagance we didn't need to indulge in.
|