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| - Went there when the place was virtually empty....Asked to try the white wine before buying. Unfortunately, I tried 4 that tasted virtually the same. Not an issue that they weren't my kind of wine but that they were so similar I couldn't tell the difference between them. The server told me that they had a Riesling but as it was not open, she wasn't about to open it for me to try. Fair enough. I took a chance & ordered without trying it. Tasted the same as the previous 4. Weird! I'm a huge fan of whites & have even taken wine tasting courses, so it's not me that's imagining this. Big deal? Nope...but what was a big deal was the server's attitude despite my completely apologetic demeanour.
What was annoying, however, was that I ordered the grilled calamari. I've had it there before and it was fabulous. This wasn't. In fact, I didn't recognize it as the same dish. My friend, who is the world's most easy-going diner, sent it back. It was bitter (tasted like it had been marinating too long in lemon w/peel left on) and so salty that you couldn't taste the calamari, which were actually ok when you shook off the sundried tomatoes, capers and super salty olives - in other words, way too many strong elements competing against each other and a delicate fish. The most surprising part was that the menu listed it as "Gilled Calamari" and there was nothing grilled about it - no grill marks, nor did it taste of the grill. Instead, the calamari were pink (typical of marinated calamari) and were finely sliced & tossed in a heap of aforementioned ingredients.
When the bill came - minus the charge for the calamari, which was the right thing to do to the credit of LJ - the automatic percentage for the tip was 20%! Sorry, but I find that obnoxious, especially after the service didn't warrant it. I've dined at high-end restos that don't do that. There is an option to enter your own % but still....
It's all too bad because I really like the atmo of LJ, and it's just down the street from where I live. I could easily make it my neighbourhood spot if the food was better and more fairly priced - that credit goes to Gio Ranna's. Ten years and many, many meals later, I have NEVER - not even once - had a negative dining experience nor dish I didn't like (love, really).
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