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| - So, I had wanted to try this cool Carribbean concept restaurant for quite some time now, and the opportunity came up to enjoy it with my brother on a guys' night out with the Joe Bonamassa concert last week. We read the menu and some of the reviews, and were really excited for our experience. It's conveniently located by the PPG plaza on Forbes, and there's lots to do around that area.
Reservations were a snap - they have a link on their website, and it's super easy. The front of the house staff were very friendly when I texted them (while stuck at a standstill in dahntahn traffic - there was a Pens game, after all) and said it was no problem, and thanks for letting us know.
I was greeted with a warm smile and pleasant, courteous service by the hostess when I arrived, and she showed me my table in the back room, where Cutthroat Island was playing on a big screen TV. The music in the room was a bit on the loud side, but that seems to be popular these days in many newer restaurants, so I didn't mention it. Soon enough, the manager came in and lowered the decibels, much to our happiness.
So, initially service seemed good, and our server came in and did a good job taking orders for drinks and appetizers, always being patient and friendly. I don't know if he was just new or what, but he had a hard time when we asked him what his favorite things were - he basically would recite the whole menu. No big deal, we just like it when the wait staff will give us the real low-down on things like this, without trying to over-sell a dish.
This place is more of a bar that happens to also sell food, so keep that in mind if you are going to visit. It was hopping at the bar. I loved my drink, which was well-balanced and delicious. My brother's was too. Beer choices are good too.
Now, on to the food... The appetizers were OK - especially the cod fritters. The tuna soft tacos were just OK, but not spicy at all (they are advertised as spicy...) - somewhat bland. I would probably add in a little Carribbean flavor, because they were pretty bland. We ordered a Cuban sandwich and the fried whole Snapper. Big mistake. First, it took an eon for our food to arrive. We were done with our appetizers for 15-20 minutes before the main deal arrived. I understand that the kitchen can get backed up, but we just sat there, and nobody asked us if we wanted another drink or if they could check on things - it was nice to talk to my brother and all, but we were hungry!
The Cuban sandwich should be avoided at all costs. I've enjoyed many down in Miami, so I think I have an idea of what a good one tastes like - this was not it. Actually, it was essentially flavorless and tough. The sliced pork loin had absolutely not one molecule of umami. I'm not sure I would have been able to tell what it was if I were having it in a blind taste test. The ham in the sandwich wasn't far behind. The cheese (gruyere) tasted like brick cheese and not a tangy, flavorful gruyere. In fact, the only thing I could really taste were the pickles - too bad this wasn't a pickle sandwich. I didn't like the bread much, and there was a lot of it. We make lots of panini at home, and this bread was just horribly dense - I think all the air had been pressed out of it in the panini press.
The fried whole snapper tasted like a steamed fish, and it didn't have much flavor at that. While I love steamed fish, I prefer seasoned steamed fish much better - this just didn't have ANY seasoning that was discernible. The consistency was great, so I think it's a simple fix - might be cool to have a sauce on the side to give the fish a little help, because it was bland, sort of like the fish my grandparents had to eat on a cardiac-healthy diet.
Now the real disappointment were the tostones - I typically like them a lot. These, not so much. They came out pretty cold and overly solid - these were not the sweet, tangy warm tostones I have come to love elsewhere. I don't know if they just sat on the line too long or what. I wouldn't brave them again. The yucca isn't much better.
I will say that the Executive Chef came out to check on us in the back (interestingly, he only came to our table, not the other three that were seated) right as we got started - I wonder if he was worried about what had been served. It's hard to change once you've started, though. Folks in the kitchen in many places don't much care for diners who send their food back.
All of these things said, I think the place is trying hard. I bet it would be a home run if they would shrink the menu just a little bit and perhaps focus on a Caribbean "tapas" concept, since the bar is so popular - this would give folks the opportunity to try lots of little dishes that would be able to be served hot and fresh while they enjoy the incredible drink menu. I just think that the current concept may be extraordinarily challenging to execute. I'll give it some more time - maybe we'll try again in a few months...
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