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| - Our clients specifically requested that we hold our corporate lunch at Vertical, which was one of their favorite restaurants near their offices. I was surprised to discover that this hip and stylish restaurant was actually located just off of a large food quart within a building composed of shops and offices. In a mall-like facility such as this, I would have expected to find more chain restaurants, like say a T.G.I. Friday's than a place this elegant. We walked through the elaborate entrance, past the bar, and our onto the sprawling outdoor patio. We were escorted to our party's table and relaxed ourselves into the comfortably cushioned chairs.
I started my lunch experience with a smile on my face due to the beautiful dining environment and slices of fabulous whole wheat olive bread. Sadly, this sentiment did not last very long though. My Scallop starter contained a measly 2 pieces, both of which were very chewy. They were served over a salad of sliced brussels sprouts, cranberries, and pistachios, and then finished in a lemon and garlic brown butter. The slaw of accouterments was decent, but could not make up for the rubbery scallops.
After such a lousy seafood appetizer, one would hope that I would have learned my lesson, but I proceeded with the Rainbow Trout entree. The fish was not particularly fresh, nor did it have much of a flavor. It was served with an earthy blend of dandelion, cauliflower purée, Jerusalem artichokes, olive tapenade, and sprouts. The healthy blend was an improvement on the rest of the meal, but still left me unsatisfied.
Though my clients and co-workers apparently enjoyed their meals at Vertical, I unfortunately had to disagree. The decor might have been high-end, but the cuisine was more indicative of the mall atmosphere that surrounded it.
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